State Secretary for Europe Andreja Metelko-Zgombić attends GAC

On 16 September 2025, State Secretary for Europe Andreja Metelko-Zgombić participated in the meeting of ministers and state secretaries for European affairs within the framework of the General Affairs Council in Brussels.

The Council launched preparations for the regular European Council meeting of 23-24 October by exchanging views on the draft agenda. Proposed topics include Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and security, competitiveness and the twin transition, affordable housing, and migration.

Metelko-Zgombić expressed support for the proposed agenda, underlining in particular the importance of maintaining the EU's "peace through strength" approach towards Ukraine, ensuring robust security guarantees, and sustaining coordinated pressure on Russia. She announced that Croatia will host the International Conference on the Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration of Ukrainian War Veterans in Split in October, as part of its continued comprehensive support for Ukraine.

She also highlighted the urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirmed Croatia's support for efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East through a two-state solution. She welcomed the planned focus of European leaders on defence readiness, noting Croatia's expectation that the forthcoming Commission plan will be realistic and consistent with NATO commitments. She underlined the importance of continued guidance on competitiveness and the twin transition, and welcomed the inclusion, for the first time, of affordable housing on the European Council agenda. She stressed that this issue is of particular importance for Croatia in the context of demographic revitalisation-one of its national strategic priorities-as well as for strengthening Europe's competitiveness. In conclusion, she underscored the need to step up efforts in addressing migration challenges.

The Council also exchanged views on the European Commission's Letter of Intent, published following President von der Leyen's State of the Union address to the European Parliament on 9 September, which marks the start of preparations for the Commission's 2026 Work Programme. Building on earlier discussions, the state secretary expressed support for continued work towards a stronger, safer, more competitive and more influential Union. She voiced hope that the forthcoming Mediterranean Plan will enhance cooperation and stability in the region, and underlined Croatia's commitment to acting as a constructive partner during its forthcoming presidency of MED9 next year.

As part of the regular Annual Rule of Law Dialogue, ministers held a horizontal discussion based on the European Commission's 2025 Rule of Law Report, published in July. Metelko-Zgombić welcomed the continuation of this dialogue and its preventive role. She noted that more than half of the recommendations from 2024 had already been fully or partly implemented, reflecting member states' support for this mechanism, and stressed the need for recommendations to remain clear, balanced and implementable.

The Council also held an exchange of views on rule of law trends in four candidate countries-Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia-which have been included in the annual report since 2024. The discussion took place in the presence of the relevant ministers. The State Secretary underlined that the rule of law is a fundamental condition for EU membership and welcomed progress to date, while emphasising the need for continued reforms, stronger action against hate speech and disinformation, and greater media freedom. She highlighted that Croatia will pay particular attention to the prosecution of war crimes, the fate of missing persons, and the protection of minority rights.

On the margins of the Council, the sixth Intergovernmental Accession Conference with Albania was held. The state secretary welcomed the opening of the fourth cluster (Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity) and encouraged Albania to maintain its commitment to meeting the benchmarks and aligning with EU standards.

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