Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ZAGREB278
2006-03-01 15:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
SIX-MONTH DELAY OF JUDICIARY SCREENING
how-toVZCZCXRO3617 PP RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHVB #0278 0601508 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 011508Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5769 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000278
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM HR
SUBJECT: SIX-MONTH DELAY OF JUDICIARY SCREENING
FOR TECHNICAL, NOT POLITICAL, REASONS
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000278
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM HR
SUBJECT: SIX-MONTH DELAY OF JUDICIARY SCREENING
FOR TECHNICAL, NOT POLITICAL, REASONS
1. (SBU) EC representatives confirmed 28 February that
"screening" of Croatian legislation and practice in
preparation for adopting the Acquis chapters dealing with
human rights and the judiciary would be postponed for six
months to September 2006. Local press put an inflammatory
spin on the news, asserting that the delay was a warning to
the GOC. Opposition leader Ivica Racan, chair of the
parliamentary committee for monitoring EU membership
negotiations, saw a chance to score some political points
and added to the rhetoric by claiming that the reason for
postponement is the heavy backlog of unsolved cases
burdening the courts and the "high level of corruption" in
the judiciary. GOC and EC officials all denied any
political or admonitory message in rescheduling these two
chapters, insisting the delay is technical and pointing out
that screening for other chapters will proceed in their
place.
2. (SBU) The head of the EC mission confirmed to Ambassador
March 1 that there was no political reason for the delay
and advised about an additional bureaucratic reason: he did
not want public release of the results of the screening to
coincide with publication of the EC's end-of-year report on
overall progress.
FRANK
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM HR
SUBJECT: SIX-MONTH DELAY OF JUDICIARY SCREENING
FOR TECHNICAL, NOT POLITICAL, REASONS
1. (SBU) EC representatives confirmed 28 February that
"screening" of Croatian legislation and practice in
preparation for adopting the Acquis chapters dealing with
human rights and the judiciary would be postponed for six
months to September 2006. Local press put an inflammatory
spin on the news, asserting that the delay was a warning to
the GOC. Opposition leader Ivica Racan, chair of the
parliamentary committee for monitoring EU membership
negotiations, saw a chance to score some political points
and added to the rhetoric by claiming that the reason for
postponement is the heavy backlog of unsolved cases
burdening the courts and the "high level of corruption" in
the judiciary. GOC and EC officials all denied any
political or admonitory message in rescheduling these two
chapters, insisting the delay is technical and pointing out
that screening for other chapters will proceed in their
place.
2. (SBU) The head of the EC mission confirmed to Ambassador
March 1 that there was no political reason for the delay
and advised about an additional bureaucratic reason: he did
not want public release of the results of the screening to
coincide with publication of the EC's end-of-year report on
overall progress.
FRANK