Croatia: EPP President calls on Milanović to respect EU law

“The decision of the European Commission to initiate the Article 39 procedure against Croatia is completely justifiable and should not come as a surprise. Three days prior to the country’s EU accession on 1 July, the Croatian parliament approved significant changes to laws with respect to the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) Framework Decision, limiting its application. This unilateral move, led by Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and his Socialist-Liberal (SDP-HNS/PES-ALDE) government, was not only a breach of Croatia’s obligations under EU law, but it also impedes the proper functioning of a key element of judicial cooperation throughout the EU.”

“I therefore call on Zoran Milanović – a member of the Party of European Socialists (PES) - to reverse these changes immediately and without condition, in order to comply with the acquis communautaire and the commitments made by Croatia during its accession negotiations. I also call on the PES and the ALDE party to do their part in influencing the Croatian government to take corrective measures, instead of continuing to remain silent.”

Note to the editors:

The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 74 member-parties from 40 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, 13 EU and 5 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.

For more information:

Kostas Sasmatzoglou, EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-2854147

Javier Jiménez, EPP Senior Press and Communication Officer, Tel. +32-475480446