Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (novinite.com)
H.E. Petr Dokladal has been Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bulgaria since 2001. Before that he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Personnel Division, Deputy Director. From 1994 till 1999 he held the position of Consul General of the Czech Republic in Montreal, Canada. Married with two children. Speaks French, English and Russian. His hobbies include history, classical music, theatre, and sports.
H.E. Petr Dokladal is one of the ambassadors of the new EU member states, which Novinite.com Editor-in-Chief Milena Hristova approached with three questions.
Q: What advantages and risks do you expect after the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU?
This is exactly the question which the prevailing part of the population is asking these days. I think that people will realize the difference gradually.
The advantages for the country are in general membership in a strong Union of developed countries, free access to the growing common market, access to the funds for further improvement of the infrastructure etc. People will enjoy more opportunities to study and work abroad (unfortunately there will be still limits from the old member states for a certain period of time), wider offer of goods associated with changes in their prices (partly rising due to tax harmonization and partly falling due to bigger competition between producers) and step by step improving the standard of living. The companies will have to pay attention to the changes coming from the switching of customs tariffs and they will have the opportunity to use the advantages of the common market in the EU.
The main point is that the membership in the EU is an opportunity which we have to use as much as we can, there is no guaranteed prosperity and security without our own effort and contribution.
Q: What was the greatest obstacle that the Czech Republic faced during its pre-accession negotiations?
I think that we have very similar problems as you in such sectors like food industry (dairies, meat production), energy (pollution, nuclear safety), environment (quality of water, air, pollution of the land). We had to improve radically the transport sector by investing a lot of money to the modernization of road vehicles, to stabilize the financial sector etc. We are still lacking the administrative capacity to absorb without problems the planned amount of money from European funds.
Q: Which are the three most important things, which the Bulgarian government must do before 2007?
I am not in a position to force your government to do anything, but I can see some important things having in mind our own experience.
The most necessary thing is to finish completely the negotiation process and to fulfill all obligations related to the entry to the EU; the more you are prepared, the better results you will realize for the country.
The second thing is to create and realize a nationwide communication campaign to prepare the society and business for the entry to the EU; our experience shows that information about this matter is never enough and the process will not end with the integration, it is a continuous process.
You should concentrate the efforts on creation of agencies through which the European funds will flow in Bulgaria; it is also a question of so-called administrative capacity to absorb such amount of money.
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