Special EU-Balkans Summit, Thessaloniki 21 June, 2003, www.seetv-exchanges.com

Interview by Svetlana Jovanovska for SEETV
Brussels, 16 June 2003

What do you expect from the EU-Balkans meeting at the Thessaloniki Summit?

I’ll tell you what I do expect from the Summit. A Simple, clear message that the Balkan countries will be part of the Union, that we work for achieving this result, that we deal with them with a long-term policy and we have to organize coherent decisions in order to achieve this goal. I think that this is the real content of the communication (of the Commission). There is a communication that the Commission has done and I hope that the Council of the EU will go in the same direction.

The Greek Presidency of the EU worked a lot to commit more financial means to the Balkan states. Was this Greek effort well received in the EU?

The engagement is to keep our financial commitment unchanged because, in theory, the financial committment was organised in order to give relief during and after the wars, it was supposed to fade away (diminish), and we would like to keep it (at the same level). I hope that it will be kept and to prepare for the future even better financial perspectives. This is our strategy and I hope that it will be voted in Thessaloniki.

Do you think that Balkan financial expectations from Thessaloniki are realistic? Is the amount of 70 million euros between 2004 and 2006 sufficient to cover the needs of the Balkan economies?

No amount of money is sufficient to cover the needs. But this is the realistic amount of money that can be put on the table due to the present situation.

Could you briefly explain why it is difficult for the EU to change its budgetary procedures before 2006?

Well, it is not only difficult, but almost impossible. Because of what we call the “Berlin agenda”, in which all the issues and items are clearly defined, and to make changes you need a complete agreement of all the Member States. So, it is not easy to have an agreement among 15 Member States in this situation of difficult financial equilibrium. So we have to work taking into account the existing situation.

Is the public opinion in the EU ready to hear something about the EU accession of the Balkan States, because you will have next year 10 new member states and it will be maybe be difficult for the European public to swallow this change?

I think that we in the Commission we have already done a good contribution to make this accepted. Now, I’m talking about the Balkans as “certain future members of the EU”. This language was not accepted one year ago. Now it is accepted. Why? Because good progress has been done in all the Balkan countries. Our dialogue has deepened, it has increased and so I could simply change the language of expectations. This is not legally binding of course, but politically it has been accepted. You used the expression “swallow”. I want to use a sweater expression: “accepted and liked”. Because I think that it is much better to spend money for peace than for war. To solve the problem of the Balkans forever would be a fantastic achievement. And this can not be solved if the countries don’t stay in the same home under the same roof. That is why I’m so warm for this idea.

How do you feel personally about the European integration of the Balkan states?

If they go on making progress we can get (achieve) it. We can deliver. Who could (have talked) talk about Croatia’s application for membership 2 years ago? Nobody. Now, not only it has been accepted, but we are working on it, in order to make the analysis, for expressing our opinion, the process has started. And (the process is) naturally accepted. Because there was a clear mutual trust, this is what I want to create in all the Balkan states. I feel that this trust is coming.

People from the Balkan can not come in Europe because of this visa problem and this is frustrating for them. Do you think that Thessaloniki will discuss this problem? And how this problem could be resolved?

It is difficult to solve the visa problem in one shot because this is a big problem, from Russia down to the African states. We have to solve it step by step in a progressive way. You have to understand that because of Schengen, foreigners entering in EU countries can go everywhere, and so all the EU countries must be guaranteed that there is an exchange of information, that there is all this legal and police cooperation that are necessary .You know, we work step by step, but it is also our intention to reach the goal of free circulation of people. This is certainly our long run proposal.

Concerning Serbia and Montenegro, do you think that the Thessaloniki Summit is a good opportunity for Belgrade and Prishtina to start practical dialogue on issues important for both sides? And will Thessaloniki give some signal for a feasibility study for the start of negotiations for Stabilisation and Association Agreement?

The message we are asking for, that we have given so many times, is: we are pushing for a dialogue, for a resolution of the problem. So, you can not expect that in Thessaloniki all the details will be discussed. But, the message is clear, that we need increase of cooperation and good will in order to solve the problems.

You mentioned Croatia’s application for EU membership. Macedonia also announced its intention to submit its application for membership. Is this something that is realistic after the end of Concordia military mission? The political will is certainly very important in this respect, but what else should Macedonia achieve?

Look, I cannot tell you the moment of the day when the application can be completely written. But I can tell you that Macedonia has done a very positive action in the direction of reconciliation, in the direction of the respect of minorities. This is a process and certainly this is a process to become member of the EU as soon as possible. Because this is the right process. I can not tell you now if it is one, two or three years from now that the process will start. But, we are appreciating very much what has been done in Macedonia.

Croats maintain that they have made substantial progress compared to the other Balkan states in the EU integration. What remains to be achieved?

Well, as I told you, I’m happy for the application of Croatia. And I’m happy because this is important in order to speed up the reforms in Croatia. Reforms that could have never been done without this goal, now they are, step by step, on the agenda. What Croatia should do is simply to continue in the same direction. And, if possible, to speed up. There are also concrete fields in which we have to discuss because we need a delivery, but they know that we are happy, we don’t want reforms as a teacher wants from a student. We work together in order to comply because it is part of our rules. If we want to live together we have to apply the same rules. This is the only reason. But I’m happy that this process is going on in Croatia.

Albania signed a bilateral agreement with the USA on the International Criminal Court. Bosnia did the same and Americans make pressure on other Balkan states. Will there be negative consequences in the relations with the EU, for the countries who are signing this agreement with the USA?

I’m not totally happy. All the 15 EU members signed the agreement for the ICC because we think that it is important to start with international cooperation in such such delicate fields. So, when the countries sign this bilateral agreement with the USA, that, of course, in some way, diminishes the effectiveness of the agreement. I repeat, I’m not happy but I know that there have been big pressures and I know that this attitude must be the consequence of deep conviction. This is a long process. I will tell you that there won’t be concrete consequences now, because this is a philosophy, it is a common view that you must acquire step by step… the “sense” of the EU is not easy because it is a completely new experiment in history. But when they’ll understand, also because of the new member states, that they have the same rights to decide, the same freedom, so they will also understand that this attitude for the ICC is not done against anybody. It is done because we think that international cooperation in this field is positive to avoid tragedies in the future.

When do you think the mandate of the High Representative in Bosnia should be finished? Do you really see progress in Bosnia having in mind the fact that the EU wording for this country is less severe now than it was two years ago?

We see progress, not so fast as I hoped because of the objective difficulties of the country. Really, we shall work very actively in order to help the country for the future. But I can not tell you when it can become member of the EU. I don’t think that in the long run you can be happy if Bosnia is not a member of the EU. We have all this difficult situation of a peace treaty that had to deal with a complexity which doesn’t exist in any other nation. So we have to handle it with patience and now it is not the time to end the experiment that is going on, but we have to work in order to get a more normal situation, a deeper cooperation inside the country. Because it is our interest to solve also the Bosnian problem.

END OF INTERVIEW

A few weeks ago the concept of the Thessaloniki summit went almost unknown in the Balkan media. But now the situation has reversed completely and the expectations run extremely high. Can you clarify the message?

I think it's normal that people get more interested and even more excited when we approach the date of the meeting. It is an important meeting. It is a meeting of the countries of the EU, the 25 countries, and the countries (of the Balkans) that will have the possibility, through the mechanism of the Stabilisation and Association Agreements, eventually to be part of the EU. That is the message that every citizen of the region has to catch. They have an opportunity to be part of the EU if together with us they can produce the
reforms, the adaptations, efforts , politically and economically which are necessary to be part of the EU. The very clear message is that through this mechanism the countries of the region, the Balkans, will be eventually members of the EU.

Question: Do you have difficulties to pass this message to the European Union citizens? They have to swallow the 10 countries who will join in 2004. Is it the time to talk about EU integration of the Balkans to the EU citizen?

Everybody in the EU is aware that the Balkans are part of Europe. Therefore they have a place in the EU family of Nations. It is true that they have to make their duties, their job. But I would not agree with the manner you expressed: we don't have to swallow anything. We are very happy to finalize a process started a long time ago when we wanted to finalize the reconciliation of the whole European Continent. That is an expression I like better. Enlargement, reconstruction, reunification of Europe, of the European continent under one
institution which has an economic part, a political part a security part.

Question: how do you see in the organisation of the Thessaloniki summit the positions of Serbia and Kosovo, how will their presence be organized there?

There will be the representations of Serbia and Montenegro, no doubt about that, such as the other countries. There will be Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia. Kosovo will be represented by Michael Steiner who is responsible for the UN mission there. It will be a delegation in which some other people from Kosovo (are represented), the Kosovo institutions will not be on the main desk, at the main table. The full representation will be taken by M. Steiner who is at this point in time the person representing Kosovo according to the resolution of the UN Security council.

Will Thessaloniki see a point of departure of some kind of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina?

I do very much hope that that will be the case. We are trying to work with them so that an agenda can be established, can be agreed before Thessaloniki.
After Thessaloniki that negotiation, that dialogue can start. Of course this dialogue will have to be initiated on issues of technical nature and other that may have a relation with the return of refugees, missing people, things of that nature which are very important for both. This is the beginning of a dialogue, the beginning of a getting together. As time goes by they will have to get to more deeper problems and questions.

There is a debate in Serbia on the fact the the Union of Serbia and Montenegro is in fact slowing down the EU Integration process of SErbia. What is your view on this, is this Union of Serbia and Montenegro slowing down or not the EU integration of Serbia?

No on the contrary, I think the Union of Serbia and Montenegro will in any case move the process further. I think that those who consider, who may think, who may dream that the separation of Serbia and Montenegro may accelerate the
processs, they are wrong. If SErbia and Montenegro as a unit is maintained, if they do their job, if they work together, if they produce their homework smoothly and nicely, without any doubt the process of getting closer and closer to the institutions of the EU will be fastened.

Albania and Bosnia have recenty signed an agreement with the USA on the International Criminal Court. What is your feeling about that?

Those two countries know the position of the EU. They have acted freely. We do not put pressure on countries to do A or B. Countries are mature enough to know what they have to do in every occasion but of course when they take a decision they have to be also aware that those decisions may have consequences but we don't want to threaten anybody, to put pressure on anybody. Countries are mature enough to take their decisions on their own.

The European Security and Defence has made a lot of progress over the last weeks. In Congo today, before that the EU police mission in Bosnia, the EU peacekeeping mission in Macedonia, when we will have an EU force in Bosnia and in Kosovo?

I don't know, I cannot answer that question. Eventually it will be a reality.
At this point in time the force which is in BiH and Kosovo is basically European, although they are in the framework of NATO. But the majority of the force is European, the commanders in Kosovo always have been European, therefore even if the institution is NATO, basically it's a European force.

Is there a plan for the takeover (of the peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Bosnia by the EU?)

We have already offered the possibility, but we don't want to strain too much either the capabilities of one or the other organisation. I want to say that we are ready when the moment is necessary, if the US want to diminish their forces
to a very low level, in which case probably the EU will take over. It has worked well in the framework of NATO, but as I said we offered clearly to NATO the possibility of taking over whenever it is needed.