Suchergebnisse

This paper assesses the trade criteria for EU membership and the extent to which Croatia fulfills those criteria. The relationship between trade criteria and the economic ability to pursue EU accession is discussed and a gravity model of Croatian trade is constructed in order to measure the level of trade diversification achieved in an objective manner. Significant trade biases towards the former Yugoslav republics are found as well as an emerging bias in imports from Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). Moreover, the process of trade liberalization
that was promoted recently did in general not significantly contribute to trade diversification towards countries with which preferential trade agreements had recently been concluded, rather reinforced existing biases, although there are some differences between export and import flows.
In order to mitigate the consequences of delays in the integration processes, reduce long-term costs of trade restructuring and encourage the trade integration with the EU necessary for successful accession, Croatia should seek to eliminate the remaining institutional barriers to trade with the EU. Also, the continuation and faster implementation of structural reforms are necessary preconditions for an increase of openness in trade.

Although there is no common fiscal policy at the European Union (EU) level in Croatia, accession will entail important changes in budgetary revenue and expenditure. On the one hand, accession brings transfers from the EU budget, but also means the loss of customs revenue as well as the need to adjust the structure of tax revenue. On the other hand, in conjunction with significant expenditure for adjustment in areas such as transportation and the environment, as well as expenditures for the EU budget, there will be a change in the structure of expenditure, in order to be able to check on transfers from the Structural Funds. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the intensity and direction of fiscal effects that accession will lead to, as well as the changes in
their structure and the possibility of meeting the convergence criteria.