Walking the Minefield of EU Enlargement

Michael Hedges October 15, 2009 Follow on Twitter

The European Union is again in expansion mode, reluctantly. After the 2004-2006 leap that added 12 new Member States, Southeast Europe - the Balkans - are the next logical step. But, as the famous poet said, “there are miles to go.”

If all goes according to plan Croatia will become the 28th member of the European Union, perhaps in 2011. The European Union (EU) opened accession talks with Croatia in October 2005. The EU report on Croatia’s accession, released October 14, said fighting corruption remains a major challenge.

"Croatia, however, needs to pursue and intensify its reforms efforts, especially on the judiciary, fight against corruption and organized crime before the negotiations can be concluded,” said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn in a statement.

In December 2008, the seventh Ministerial conference on Croatia’s accession provisionally closed the file (Chapter 10) on information society and media issues, largely accepting Croatia’s media laws as in harmony with EU rules like the Television Without Frontiers Directive.

There are 35 Chapters – policy files – for Croatia to close before admission goes to a vote in the European Parliament. To date, 13 have been provisionally closed.

Croatia’s media has a distinctive tabloid feel. Headlines filled with gossip and crime hope to attract viewers and readers as television and newspapers compete for tough advertising revenues. Sometimes Croatian media itself makes headlines.

Just short of a year ago, October 23rd 2008, somebody sent a message. A bomb planted on a motor scooter in a Zagreb car-park exploded, killing weekly news magazine Nacional journalist, founder and part-owner Ivo Pukanic and colleague Niko Franjic. Croatian authorities sealed off the city and the country, then Prime Minister Ivo Sanader saying Zagreb would not become a Beirut.

Ivo Pukanic was targeted, so suspicions go, by organized crime bosses not pleased with their unflattering high profile given in the Nacional.  His own associations with the shady side of business were noted. In April 2008 Pukanic sold a majority of NCL Group, owner of the Nacional and other smaller publications, to Vienna Capital Partners.

This week the Zagreb County court formally concluded its investigation (October 12) into Ivo Pikanic’s death and the five suspects currently jailed in Belgrade, Serbia. Another suspect is on the run. It’s expected the results of the investigation will be forwarded to the State prosecutor (USKOK). Serbia’s Supreme Court ruled (October 14) against a Croatian request for extradition of one suspect.  In April Serb authorities arrested reputed cocaine trafficker Sreten Josic, suspected of ordering the killing. Montenegrin cigarette traffickers are also suspected on involvement.

Journalist groups, nationalist politicians and others in Croatia and elsewhere predisposed to conspiracy theories are continually on the hunt for the dark side of media owners, long traditions of corruption keep flames stoked. The Pukanic murder only added fuel. The German WAZ Group holds 50% of Europa Press Holdings (EPH), a major Croatian publisher. Austria’s Styria Media Group also owns stakes in newspaper publishers and a printing house. Nova TV is mostly owned by Central European Media Enterprises (CME) and RTL Croatia is mostly owned by RTL Group. In each case local partners have colorful backgrounds.

Croatian public broadcaster Hrvatska Radio Televizija (HRT) hasn’t escaped local criticism, though it generally receives high marks with public broadcasting circles. In September television program director Domagoj Buric was nearly burned at the stake for firing the local host of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” Croatia’s media regulator Council for Electronic Media filed a legal complaint (September 23) against HRT over a news program in which an interview subject used “intolerant” language. The State Attorney’s Office concluded earlier that comments made by Split mayor Zeljko Kerum disparaged Serbs and Montenegrins.

At the end of last year HRT expected €215 million in revenue for 2009 and a slight profit. By May the public broadcaster was forced to take out loans to pay employees, advertising revenue dropping by €18 million this year.

As usual, public and private broadcasters fight for every viewer. HRT proposed launching a sports channel in January. TV Nova and RTL Croatia objected. HRT dropped the project.

There are 21 television channels in Croatia, public broadcaster HRT plus 20 commercial stations. Two commercial channels have national coverage, Nova TV and RTL Croatia.  There are three regional channels, the rest being local broadcasters.

Croatia has 146 licensed radio broadcast stations, according to 2008 data from the National Bureau of Statistics released in May 2009. Four are national channels: Croatian Radio (HR), Croatian Catholic Radio, Radio Croatia and Otvoreni Radio. The rest are regional and local. Twenty-one are considered public channels, 125 commercial stations.

The National Bureau of Statistics also reported 3,342 employed by television stations in 2008 and 2,812 by radio stations. Public broadcaster HRT (radio and TV) employed 2,158.

Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey are at the top of the official EU expansion list, followed by Montenegro and Albania. Serbia will almost certainly begin the formal process next year. Bosnia and Herzegovina may start the paperwork by 2011. In the midst of it all, Iceland has been fast-tracked for EU membership, with Norway, the other Nordic holdout, suspected to consider EU membership after it holds elections.

“While we have seen progress in terms of stabilization in the western Balkans, the progress achieved is not irreversible,” said Commissioner Rehn. “Political minefields remain.”

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