Paul Vandoren: Croatia will join 500-million strong market

With its entry into the European Union in July 2013, Croatia will join the EU's single market of 500 million consumers, which is a great chance for Croatian entrepreneurs, the head of the EU Delegation to Croatia, Ambassador Paul Vandoren, said in Zagreb on Wednesday.

The experience has shown us that each wave of enlargement has contributed to the economic growth of the newcomers, the ambassador said at a conference, entitled EUPHORIA, focusing on the manufacturing industry that makes up one quarter of Croatia's Gross Domestic Product.

He said the "big bang" was now going on on the Croatian market which he said had been already integrated to a considerable degree into the European market, adding that it would be important for Croatia to attract investments.

Furthermore, upon its entry into the EU, Croatia will have access to structural and cohesion funds, Vandoren said.

He also identified some weaknesses which Croatia should correct by lessening the public debt, making the public administration more efficient and enabling investments in areas that will create new jobs.

Ante Babic, the director of the Centre for International Development (CID), said the purpose of the events such as today's conference was to prepare entrepreneurs for what EU membership would bring.

He said he was sorry to see some big Croatian companies lobbying against the EU market after Croatian citizens voted "Yes" at a referendum on the country's EU membership.

Babic singled out Poland as the country that has made most of its membership in the European bloc and that has continued the positive economic growth also in the times of recession.

Although the arrival of three Croatian Deputy Prime Ministers -- Neven Mimica, Branko Grcic and Radimir Cacic -- had been announced, they did not show up at the conference. (Hina)