Strict EU requirements in politics, legislation and economics on new and future member states pose a great challenge for Croatia, which strives to become its member. Agriculture, being an important economic sector, needs to be considerably reformed in the process of adjustment to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Croatia decided to use the Slovenian case for better understanding of the requirements and their fulfilment. The Slovenian agricultural policy reform included change from market price supports towards direct payments, and implementation of different structural, environmental and rural development measures. Slovenia has implemented numerous reforms, plans and laws. Slovenian four-year pre-accession negotiations with the EU in agricultural sector comprised: implementing the acquis communitaire, exceptions from the acquis, and the financial part. To achieve the best negotiation results, Slovenia collected detailed and reliable data and engaged professionals who negotiated the most favourable position for Slovenian agriculture in the European agricultural sector. The Croatian agricultural policy reform is underway, so there is a tendency of decreasing and phasing out the system of guaranteed prices, direct payments are being introduced, Croatia is included in trade integration processes, steps need to be taken for strengthening of competitive capacity of domestic products both in domestic and foreign markets, and rural development and the whole social situation in agricultural sector needs to be improved.

European Union; Croatia; agriculture; agricultural policy; Slovenia

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia