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Zagreb - Parliament debates on Thursday a government-sponsored bill under which future foreign courts' decisions on child adoptions will be submitted to Croatian courts.
The government is proposing amendments to the Private International Law Act.
The amendments, in line with Supreme Court recommendations of 5 January, additionally regulate the recognition of foreign court decisions in the adoption of children from third countries which are not signatories to the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, Justice Minister Ivan Malenica said.
The amendments, which parliament debates in fast track, will increase legal certainty in intercountry adoptions since proof of the legalisation of a foreign court decision on child adoption will be required, which will also protect the child's best interest.
The amendments also stipulate that adoptive parents must be entered into Croatia's register of prospective adoptive parents, and introduce the obligation that a court must notify the competent ministry about recognising a foreign court decision on intercountry adoption.
That ensures support to the family after the child arrives in Croatia and the monitoring of the child's adjustment in the adoptive family, said Malenica.
Parliament also debated the eighth amendments to the law on judicial cooperation in criminal matters with EU member states.
The reason for the amendments is the European Commission's letter of formal notice regarding shortcomings in the transposition into Croatian legislation of the Council's 13 June 2022 Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedures between member states.