Zagreb - The parliamentary opposition remained reserved on Thursday regarding the assurances given by Interior Minister Davor Božinović that the protection of personal data is one of the key concerns of a bill on the exchange of data between law enforcement authorities of EU member states.
The bill opens the door to extensive data exchange, but it is unclear where the oversight mechanisms are, said Ante Kujundžić (Bridge). He asked how it would be ensured that the data were not used for political pressure or criminal activities within the institutions themselves.
Ranko Ostojić (SDP) said it was extremely important that the use of data prescribed by the law was proportionate and necessary, and that such data was irreversibly deleted when there were no longer any grounds for its retention.
The minister said one of the key concerns with such laws was the protection of personal data, explaining that data exchange must comply with GDPR and that every exchange was subject to strict rules.
Due to the cross-border nature of transnational crime, EU member states must rely on one another and exchange data, he said.
According to Božinović, the transnational activities of organised crime groups transcend national borders and involve a wide range of increasingly complex criminal activities. Most organised crime groups operate in more than three countries, and their members often hold multiple citizenships, he added.
He underscored that police cooperation in the exchange of relevant data for the prevention or investigation of criminal offences was a measure supporting public safety within the EU. Therefore, it is essential that law enforcement authorities in one member state have equal access to the data available to their colleagues in another member state, he said.
Croatia exchanges about a thousand documents daily with foreign countries
Due to the need to simplify information flows, each member state establishes a single contact point responsible for coordinating and facilitating data exchange, Božinović said.
In Croatia, this point is organised within the Police Directorate and last year it exchanged 356,779 official documents with other EU member states and handled 29,547 new cases from both domestic and foreign sources, a 21% increase compared to 2023.
"We exchange about a thousand documents daily with foreign countries," Božinović said, adding that the single contact point operates 24/7 and is equipped to respond promptly to any legitimate request for data from domestic or international sources.
The Croatian police maintain the most intensive cooperation in data exchange with Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.
Croatia makes an exceptional contribution to Europol’s work on security priorities of importance to all member states, including the smuggling of migrants, Božinović said. "During 2024, Croatian criminal intelligence data accounted for as much as 60% of all data related to overall migrant smuggling."
Puljak: Why didn't SOA inform the prime minister about Dabro's activities?
While MPs of the ruling HDZ praised the bill, Marijana Puljak (Centre) raised questions about internal data exchange. She asked why the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) did not inform the prime minister about the activities of former minister Josip Dabro, who reportedly possessed illegal weapons and gave them to minors to fire.
"The SOA, as an important part of national security, and all other institutions cooperate on a daily basis," the minister responded.