European Commission officials told negotiators from the EU candidate country in Brussels yesterday that the ‘Buy Croatian’ campaign discriminated against products from other countries, particularly as it was financed from state funds.
Croatia alters home-made goods drive for European Union
ZAGREB: Croatia modified a widespread advertising campaign promoting home-made goods today after the European Union said it was against its rules, giving Zagreb a taste of what compliance with the bloc is all about.
European Commission officials told negotiators from the EU candidate country in Brussels yesterday that the ”Buy Croatian” campaign discriminated against products from other countries, particularly as it was financed from state funds.
Officials from Zagreb and Brussels were reviewing the chapter on free movement of goods, one of the 35 chapters Croatia has to complete to achieve compliance with EU legislation before joining the wealthy bloc.
Less than twenty-four hours later, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement the campaign had been renamed to ”Produce and Buy Quality Products”.
”We have launched a second part of the campaign, to make consumers realise that only quality products are competitive. This part of the campaign will not be disputable for the EU,” the Chamber’s head Nadan Vidosevic said in the statement.
Vidosevic said earlier he was aware of acting contrary to EU norms. ”We know that, but before joining the EU we need to raise our consumers’ awareness of the need to protect our products,” he told the Jutarnji List daily today.
Croatia, which gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, started EU membership talks in October. It hopes to complete them in time to join in 2009, although observers believe 2010 or 2011 is more realistic.
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Op-ed
European countries had 200 years of developing ‘buy German, Italian..etc’ slogans and products. We didn’t. So, what is the real problem? Are they afraid of word Croatian or is it buyout concept?
NB
