Croatia may soften its plan to create a protected fishing zone in the Adriatic after Brussels warned it to respect earlier commitments and exempt EU members or risk possible delays in membership talks. Local newspapers reported that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who hopes to take the country into the European Union around 2010, will ask parliament to enforce the zone from January 2008, and not from January 2007 as demanded by opposition parties.

Sanader, who faces parliamentary elections in 2007, said on Wednesday the cabinet would send its proposal to parliament this week and under the proposal the protected zone would apply to EU countries as well -- a move likely to anger Brussels. "If parliament votes to enforce the zone from a certain date, then it is a definitive decision and the zone will apply to all, including EU members," he told state news agency Hina. Analysts said Sanader appeared to be playing for time by trying to move the start date to 2008 while he balanced local demands for the zone with the need to comply with the EU.

Political analyst Zeljko Trkanjec said Sanader's approach could succeed. "He will show the domestic public that the government will go ahead with the zone, with only a one-year delay. Meanwhile, he hopes to complete negotiations on fisheries with Brussels next year, by which time activating the zone will no longer matter," he said.
(Planet Ark, 14/12/2006)