News

Zagreb - Croatian National Bank (HNB) Governor Boris Vujčić submitted a report on the implementation of monetary policy in 2018-2019 to Parliament on Wednesday, saying that positive economic trends continued on the labour market with increased employment and wages.

Zagreb - A parliamentary debate on the SDP-sponsored bill on medical termination of pregnancy was adjourned on Wednesday evening because the Government had not declared its stance and its representative did not show up in the Parliament chamber.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday received the visiting Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, and during their meeting he pointed out the role of the Islamic community in Croatia.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted a new law on private protection and security services, also endorsed a report on the work of the Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) Programming Council in 2017 and a report on the work of the Croatian news agency HINA's steering council in 2018.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday received Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide for talks on bilateral cooperation and possibilities for its advancement.

Zagreb - It is in Croatia's interest that countries in its southeast neighbourhood have a clear prospect of joining the EU, primarily because of security reasons, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Brussels on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Domagoj Ivan Milošević, Chair of the European Affairs Committee and the Committee members met the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders. As an introduction, Milošević referred to the Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Committees for the Union Affairs (COSAC) already held and outlined the most important developments of the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament's Education, Science and Culture Committee on Thursday adopted a conclusion encouraging state institutions and civil society organisations to promote the working definition of antisemitism that was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), of which Croatia is a member.

Zagreb - During a parliamentary debate on the safety and interoperability of the rail system on Friday, members of parliament warned about a poor state of the rail infrastructure, to which Transport Minister Oleg Butković said that all problems related to rail infrastructure could not be solved in a single government term.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday observed a minute's silence for all Holocaust victims, with Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković saying that the victims must remain in the collective memory of humankind so that those atrocities are never repeated.

Zagreb - Members of Parliament on Wednesday welcomed a decrease in fees domestic banks charge for cross-border payments in euros, as proposed by amendments to the law on the implementation of EU regulations relating to payment transactions.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday received a delegation of the German Bundestag's Committee on European Union Affairs to discuss European topics including Brexit, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and enlargement.

Zagreb - In his introductory address, the Chairman of the European Affairs Committee Domagoj Ivan Milošević highlighted the importance of COSAC and its contribution to the collaboration between the committees of national parliaments dealing with European Union affairs and the European Parliament.

Zagreb – The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandroković participated in the meeting of the Chairperson of the Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC).

Zagreb - Commissioner Dubravka Šuica addressed the participants during the second session of the COSAC meeting. She highlighted the importance of partnership between the European Commission and the national parliaments, achieved through political dialogue and other instruments arising from the Treaties.

Zagreb - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković participated in the debate on the priorities of the Croatian Presidency at the meeting of the President of the Committee on Union Affairs (COSAC).

Zagreb - Parliament on Wednesday night held a debate on an opposition motion for a no-confidence vote in Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković saying he would persevere in the education reform which, he added, represented a unique strategic step forward.

Zagreb - On 15 January, 28 years ago, the then member-states of the European Union recognised Croatia and on this day 22 years ago, the country completed the peaceful reintegration of its Danube region.

Zagreb – The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Jandroković and the President of the European Commission von der Leyen discussed the main priorities of the Croatian EU Council Presidency and the programme of the parliamentary meetings that will be attended, among others, by a number of members of the European Commission.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and the MPs meet the College of Commissioners of the European Commission, attending the opening of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Zagreb - Croatia hosts a five-day press trip for a group of about 60 correspondents from international media houses in Brussels.

Zagreb - European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski met with the Chair of the Agriculture Committee Tomislav Panenić and the Committee Members in the Croatian Parliament.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday held talks with European Council President Charles Michel on parliamentary meetings to be held during Croatia's presidency of the EU.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday announced a new session of parliament, which will be convened next Wednesday, January 15 and already has 112 items on the agenda, including a vote of no confidence in Science and Education Minister Blaženka Divjak.

Vienna - Croatia will do its best to show its ability and vision during its presidency of the Council of the European Union and it expects support from all friendly countries, including Austria of course, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on New Year's Day in Vienna.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jadroković on Tuesday extended a message for the 2020 year wishing prosperity in the private, family and business life of Croatian citizens and expressing hope that the new year is an incentive for thinking about one's own contribution to the further strengthening of Croatia.

Zagreb - In 2019 Croatian MPs asked to speak over 11,000 times during debates in the legislature, one in two times to reply or respond to a reply, according to the Sabor's annual statistics. The statistics show that MPs do not like to speak as committee rapporteurs, having done so only 24 times this year.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday sent a message to all Croats at home and abroad and all Croatian citizens, offering them his best wishes for Christmas.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Sunday sent a message to all Jewish believers offering them his best wishes for the holiday of Hanukkah.

Zagreb – The Croatian Parliament has launched the parleu2020.sabor.hr website for the purpose of communicating and following the activities of the parliamentary dimension of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Zagreb - During this year, the national parliament passed 241 laws, and 47 of them have been aligned with EU legislation. MPs have taken the floor 11,000 times and put 884 questions to the Government.

Zagreb - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday laid a wreath at the grave of Croatia's first president, Franjo Tuđman, at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his death.

Zagreb - Both the ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday commended a set of judicial laws that bring stricter penalties for domestic violence, ensure faster criminal proceedings and bring additional protection for some professions such as social workers and teachers. Amendments to the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Act and the Act on Protection against Domestic Violence bring stricter penalties to ensure better protection of victims of certain crimes, notably domestic violence.

Zagreb - The government on Thursday sent three judicial bills for the second reading in Parliament, proposing harsher penalties for acts of violence against women, domestic violence and violence against other people.

Zagreb - The Croatian government sent amendments to the Construction Act to the parliament on Thursday to align it with an amended EU directive on the energy efficiency of buildings, with the amendments introducing the obligation to adopt a long-term strategy for the renovation of the national housing stock to make it highly efficient and decarbonised in the period until 2050.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament will emphasize through its activities the priorities of the Croatian presidency of the European Union and special emphasis will be placed on the membership prospects of Western Balkan countries that wish to join the EU, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said on Thursday.

Brussels - Foreign Affairs Committee’s Chairman Miro Kovač participated in the inter-parliamentary meeting organised by European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). 

Helsinki - Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Domagoj Ivan Milošević, Deputy Chair Domagoj Hajduković and Committee members Ines Strenja and Ivan Ćelić participated at the meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) held on 1 - 3 December 2019 in Helsinki. It was the last interparliamentary event in the framework of Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday debated a bill on amendments to the law on ferry transport and occasional coastal transport aimed at creating better conditions for the exercise of the right to transport concessions, particularly for the disabled and children with developmental disabilities.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday voted in a set of nine tax laws making up the fourth tax reform which brings tax reliefs in the amount of HRK 2.4 billion. The changes bring a lower, 13% VAT rate on food and dessert preparation and serving in and outside catering establishments, and a lower VAT rate for holders of phonographic rights.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday amended, with 75 votes in favour and 27 votes against, the Decorations and Awards Act to introduce a new decoration - the Grand Order of President of the Republic Franjo Tuđman with Sash and Morning Star.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Swiss President Ueli Maurer said in Zagreb on Friday that Croatian expatriates were well integrated in Switzerland and that they could help to boost economic cooperation.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Health and Social Policy Committee on Thursday discussed an annual report on drug abuse in the European Union presented two days ago in Brussels, which indicates that drug abuse is on the rise in the European Union and in Croatia too.

Zagreb - Members of the Croatian Parliament on Wednesday joined in a campaign against violence against women by leaving their handprints on board and writing messages against violence against women.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Wednesday offered condolences to his Albanian counterpart Gramoz Ruci and Albanian citizens, after an earthquake hit the country, claiming the lives of 27 people and leaving hundreds injured.

Zagreb - A firefighting bill that the Government on Tuesday sent to Parliament regulates the firefighting system which, as of January 1, will be in the remit of the Croatian Firefighting Association as the central state office.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković met his Israeli counterpart Yuli-Yoel Edelstein in Jerusalem on Monday and they said the relations between the two countries were excellent and it was also said that Croatia was interested in cooperation in science and high technology.

Zagreb - The Croatian Government on Friday forwarded to the Parliament a final distraint bill on enforcement proceedings and public notaries will be court commissioners in enforcement cases to help them to reduce the burden in this segment. The bill envisages that employers and the Croatian Agency of Pension Insurance (HZMO) will no longer be parties in the proceedings. Also, the process can be launched based on credible documentation in the online form.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and German Bundestag President Wolfgang Schauble on Wednesday announced the intensification of bilateral parliamentary cooperation during Croatia's presidency over the European Union in the first half of 2020.

Zagreb - Tens of thousands of citizens led by the defenders of Vukovar, together with members of the families of killed, unaccounted-for and captured Vukovar defenders, marched through the eastern town on Monday in a remembrance procession, honouring in a dignified manner the 2,717 killed in the military aggression on Vukovar in 1991.