Croatia News - CroatiaPress.com

Zagreb, February 25 (CP) – The Croatian PM Ivo Sanader has told the national radio that if the European Commission pressure on Croatia continues regarding the non-implementation of the Protected Ecology and Fisheries Belt (ZERP) in the Adriatic Croatia will have to decide on the future direction of its policy.

Sanader said that if there is blackmail regarding ZERP from the European Commission, then the issue of ZERP or the EU would be put on the agenda.

The PM also said that he was of the impression that the EU was dodging a response to the Croatian proposal of a four-way meeting between Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and the EU in a bid for a solution to be found that would satisfy Italy and Slovenia and not block Croatia form implementing ZERP against EU members.

Speaking about the document from 2004, that Slovenia and Italy are citing as a base for protesting against Croatia implementing ZERP, Sanader reiterated that this was just an agreed-to minutes under which Croatia had agreed to postpone ZERP implementation against EU members until an agreement on fishing partnership was signed. Although Croatia insisted on this, Sanader explained, the agreement was never signed and has not been mentioned since.