Slovenia decided to bloc another chapter in Croatia`s European Union accession talks on Tuesday, after a work group of the EU Council met, Hina Croatian news agency finds out from diplomatic sources.

At the meeting, 26 members agreed that Croatia can close the “Company Law” chapter, but Slovenia opposed, explaining that Croatia prejudiced borders in that chapter as well. This chapter was opened in June 2007 and Slovenia had no objections at the time.

The EU work group for expansion first discussed the opening and closing of accession talks and then the matter is referred to the COREPER Committee (Permanent Representatives` Committee).

At the last intergovernmental conference on Croatia`s EU accession, held on December 19, 2008, Slovenia vetoes opening of eight and closing of two chapters. Now, one more chapter was added to the list, which was not mentioned as disputable before.

The “Company Law” chapter is purely a technical chapter that encompasses regulations on establishing, registering, merging and dividing companies, accountancy and revision.

The Czech presidency scheduled the next intergovernmental conference on Croatia`s EU accession for March 27, while at the moment, it is questionable whether it will take place at all, unless the situation changes.

Bloc follows after the Mokrice meeting

The European Commission offered the help of a group of experts, headed by former Finnish president Martii Ahtisaari, to solve the bilateral border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia in order for Croatia to continue its accession talks. For this group to start working, the two countries would have to agree on its term, which is still being discussed. Meeting of Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and his Slovene counterpart Borut Pahor in Mokrice on Tuesday did not see the two statesmen coming closer on their views, after which the new veto occurred.

From the very beginning, Croatia maintained the fact that the border dispute was a bilateral issue, which has been left unsolved since both countries attained independence and that such issues have never been the issue of accession talks in the history of the European Union. Croatia wants this issue to be omitted from the EU membership talks list and for the International Court of Justice in the Hague to make the decision on the dispute, or any other suiting international institution, with both countries committing to honour the court’s provision in advance.

Slovenia holds that solving the matter in court is not an acceptable option, because it does not want the dispute to be solved only according to international law decrees, but demands the issue is solved by a political decision, in a bilateral way or with mediation, based on the principle of “righteousness”, not law. Croatia`s neighbouring country also want the dispute to be solved by the end of year, before Croatia accesses the EU.