At the end of March 2013, the European Commission adopted the last Monitoring Report on Croatia’s EU accession preparations. Croatia is ready to access the EU on 1 July 2013 becoming the 28 member state.
Croatia applied for EU membership in 2003, entered negotiations in 2005 and ended negotiations in 2011 when the Accession Treaty was signed (in December 2011) following the Favourable Opinion (October 2011) of the Commission and the Approval of the European Parliament (December 2011). Therefore, starting with 1 July 2013, Croatia will become an EU member state, the Accession Treaty being ratified by all member states. During negotiations, Croatia has agreed to meet a series of commitments that has to be completed until the accession, unless special transition directives have been established. The Commission has carefully monitored all the commitments assumed by Croatia focusing on the competition policy, the legal system, the fundamental rights, justice, freedom and security.
“The final report is positive news. Croatia has worked hard and kept the pace of reforms. The country is now ready to take its place in the EU as planned and we are looking forward to completion of the ratification of the Accession Treaty and welcoming Croatia in the EU on 1 July”, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle said.
At the end of 2012, the Croatian Go-vernment drafted a plan aimed to align the national legislation to the European legislation; the adaptation of 107 laws was necessary, as well as that of 191 decisions of local authorities and 63 implementation mea-sures. Also, the government drafted a plan of normative activities (also for 2013) and a draft Strategy to review the efficiency of regulations over the coming 3 years in order to create a better legislation and to reduce costs; moreover, the government will pass 72 regulations, 61 of which will be submitted to this evaluation.
To prepare the country in view of the accession, Croatian authorities will soon have to regulate a series of measures concerning the customs law, the system of taxes and the organisation of the customs system. In May 2013, the government already adopted a draft law on the customs services aimed to adapt the regulations of customs charges in conformity with the new obligations as EU member state.
As of 1 July, Croatia’s customs administration would not only protect borders from illegal goods transport but would be responsible for fiscal controls of EU revenue which means curbing any form of impermissible conduct relating to customs and Value Added Tax (VAT), Finance Minister Slavko Linic advised.
With the changes in addition to the central office, “four branch offices are being introduced in Zagreb, Osijek, Split and Rijeka, 18 customs offices in other areas of Croatia and 10 border customs offices. The customs administration will be restructured in hierarchy similar to the interior ministry in order to identify individual responsibilities within the system. That will complete the organisational changes and we will be ready for July 1”, Linic said.
“The government also adopted bills concerning certain customs items. Instead of two separate laws one unified law is being introduced with various tax rates and payment delays – special excises will no longer be paid at border crossings but when turnover of the products are realised”, he concluded.
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