Plenkovic says EU should support population growth in some member states

It is important for Croatia that over the next five years the EU ensures faster convergence so that the economic, social and development standards of Western member states can be achieved, and negotiations on the next multiannual framework will underline the need to ensure support for demographic revitalisation, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday.

"For us, it's especially important to signal in the next five, i.e. seven years, in the next budget framework, within policies on a more balanced development of all member states, that there's a need for demographic revitalisation in some countries. I mentioned this idea to budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger last year when he visited Zagreb, so we will insist on that in the process ahead," Plenkovic said in Sibiu, Romania ahead of an informal meeting of EU27 leaders.

Speaking of the EU's priorities, he mentioned common security and investment in science, research and development. "Security is the number one issue of this campaign. According to Eurobarometer, 40% of EU citizens think so."

Asked if the meeting would discuss enlargement, Plenkovic said he did not expect it. "We'll discuss enlargement in detail at a summit in Zagreb in a year's time. Now, two weeks before elections (for the European Parliament), we are all focused on our voters. The Commission will publish its enlargement package a few days after the elections, so it will be discussed only after that."

Text: Hina

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