5 years of EU membership: Funds,but also policies,system reliability and the adoption of European values are ​​essential

Commenting on the fifth anniversary of Croatia's EU membership, PM Plenkovic said that Croatia had benefited rather well from its five years in the EU.

"Maybe we could have done better, my government has stepped up and simplified the absorption of EU funds, but funds are not the only thing that matters. Policies matter, EU law matters, the reliability of our legal and tax systems matters, it is important for investors and generally for the adoption of European values. That's the most important thing. Continued economic growth is evidently positive, because all indicators have been improving since 2013," Plenkovic said.

"I believe that we are respected, that we have managed to position ourselves at all levels. This refers to the Council, the European Parliament, the proposals we are putting forward, the activities of our commissioner and many other people now working in the Commission services... More time needs to pass and then we will be able to judge our achievements in their entirety. I'm confident that the European project is good for Europe, for all nations, including the Croatian, and for all our citizens."

Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on 9 December 2011 and has been a member of the EU since 1 July 2013.

Text: Hina