15. Welcomes the overall progress in the field of refugee return and is pleased to note that public hostility towards returning Serbs has diminished in most of the country; notes, however, that problems still remain for refugees and returnees and therefore calls on the Croatian authorities to facilitate the reintegration of returnees by further removing obstacles to obtaining permanent residence status, by adequately financing and accelerating the programme of house reconstruction and by launching social and economic recovery projects; calls on the Croatian authorities to resolutely address the remaining applications, prioritise the review of appeals and pursue efforts to revitalise the economies of disadvantaged areas affected by the war ...[+++], to further improve the sustainability of returns and to continue fostering inter-ethnic reconciliation in a climate of ethnic tolerance and embrace of ethnic and cultural diversity;

16. Welcomes the overall progress in the field of refugee return and is pleased to note that public hostility towards returning Serbs has diminished in most of the country; notes, however, that problems still remain for refugees and returnees and therefore calls on the Croatian authorities to facilitate the reintegration of returnees by further removing obstacles to obtaining permanent residence status, by adequately financing and accelerating the programme of house reconstruction and by launching social and economic recovery projects; calls on the Croatian authorities to resolutely address the remaining applications, prioritise the review of appeals and pursue efforts to revitalise the economies of disadvantaged areas affected by the war ...[+++], to further improve the sustainability of returns and to continue fostering inter-ethnic reconciliation in a climate of ethnic tolerance and embrace of ethnic and cultural diversity;

4. Is concerned that, despite the broad support for EU accession existing among political parties, public support for EU membership is diminishing; notes that opinion polls suggest that the Croatian public remains less than enthusiastic about the EU, indicating that only one-third of the population consider EU accession to be beneficial; encourages the Croatian authorities and civil society to initiate more public discussions on EU membership and the consequences of accession to the Union; invites the Government and civil society t ...[+++]o join forces to improve social reforms and speed up the implementation of reforms in the fields of the judiciary, public administration, the environment and economic policy;

Firstly, you preside over a social democratic party which has been part of, firstly, the Liberal Group, and then the PPE-DE Group in this House.

He will visit the Ministry for International Trade and Industry (MITI), the Japanese institute of directors (Keizai Doyukai), the Securities Dealers Association, the Keidanren, the Institute for Financial Affairs, and senior members of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Mr. Michel Gauthier (Roberval, BQ): Mr. Speaker, the time when the Liberal Party could describe itself as a social democrat party is long gone.