News

Zagreb - Parliamentarians on Thursday welcomed the adoption of a law on the use of assistance dogs which, they believe, will increase the number of disabled people who are eligible for assistance or therapy dogs and enable a larger number of dogs to be included in training programmes.

Zagreb - The Croatian Ministry of the Interior has been conducting activities in the past few months to help UK citizens in Croatia and Croatian citizens in the UK to maintain their rights in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a state secretary in the interior ministry, Žarko Katić, said in parliament on Thursday.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday received Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis for talks on bilateral relations. 

Zagreb - After the longest discussion on amendments in the history of the modern Croatian parliament, the national legislature on Friday evening adopted a law on the financing of political activities, election campaigns and referendums. The law was passed with 81 votes in favour.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Thursday marked World Down Syndrome Day, which is observed on March 21.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is on a two-day official visit to Croatia, on Thursday confirmed that the recently signed action plan would contribute to developing bilateral relations. 

Bucharest - Chairman of the Agriculture Committee Tomislav Panenić participated in the work of the conference on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy, held within the scope of the parliamentary dimension of the Romanian EU Council Presidency. 

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday that during its chairmanship of the European Union Croatia would strongly advocate the EU integration of Western Balkan countries based on individual merit and fulfillment of membership criteria.

Budva - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and his Montenegrin counterpart Ivan Brajović on Monday called for strengthening the two countries' cooperation and dialogue, notably in efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues in line with international law. 

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic met with representatives of Montenegro Croats in Kotor and Tivat on Monday, saying he was pleased with the status of the Croat minority and highlighting its contribution to local tradition and culture

Zagreb - The government on Friday sent to Parliament a new bill on land register which, according to Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković, will simplify procedures involving land books.

Zagreb - The Croatian government on Friday sent to parliament a bill on regulating temporary and permanent residence of citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), and the bill contains provisions that would prevent unregulated status for citizens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon the United Kingdom's exit from the EU.

Zagreb - Both the ruling majority and opposition parties on Thursday endorsed the ratification of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the European Union and Cuba, while Human Shield MP Branimir Bunjac during the debate that preceded claimed that Cuba has surpassed Croatia in many aspects.

Zagreb - The new bill on wine, which was discussed in the parliament on Wednesday, is expected to simplify the legislative framework and facilitate access to the market for wine makers, while lawmakers warned that wine production had dropped and that more concrete measures were necessary to fight flavescence dorée, a disease of the vine.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday met with Albania's Defence Minister Olta Xhacka. The two officials described bilateral relations as traditionally friendly and very good without any outstanding issues.

Zagreb - Six members of the national parliament were absent from parliamentary sessions in February, without a justified excuse, the same as the month before.

Zagreb - The Croatian government sent a final bill on financing political activities, election campaigning and referendums to Parliament on Friday.

Bucharest - A delegation of the Croatian Parliament, comprising the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee Miro Kovač, the Chairman of the Defence Committee Igor Dragovan, the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee Joško Klisović and the Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee Anđelko Stričak, participated in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy(CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union.

Zagreb - Addressing a conference organised by the Večernji List daily on the topic "The Croatia We Need – Two Years Later" in Zagreb on Monday, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said that synergy of actions of all public stakeholders was necessary for the future of Croatia, and called on reporters to give more space in their reporting to lawmakers who seriously take their duty than to exhibition-prone MPs, and in that way media can contribute to efforts to make the national parliament more serious and responsible.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday ratified North Macedonia's NATO accession protocol with 116 lawmakers voting in favour of the country's accession to the alliance as its 30th member and two being against.

Zagreb - During a parliamentary debate on the ratification of the protocol of North Macedonia's admission to the North Atlantic Treaty, a majority of Croatian parliamentary clubs supported the the entry of the 30th member into NATO, explaining that this would make the Euro-Atlantic space safer and more stable, whereas opposition party Human Shield lawmakers used the debate to express their criticism against the alliance.

Zagreb - The parliamentary European Affairs Committee on Wednesday supported, by a majority vote and one vote against, MEP Ivana Maletic's (HDZ) candidacy for a member of the European Court of Auditors in the period from 2019 to 2025, with Maletić saying that she would freeze her membership in the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for that period.

Bucharest - Deputy chairman of the Committee on Domestic Policy and National Security Mr Petar Škorić and member of the Committee Ms Ines Strenja participated in the 4th meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on the Europol (JPSG) held on 24 and 25 February 2019 in Bucharest. 

Bruxelles – Chair of the Finance and Central Budget Committee, Grozdana Perić, Chair of the Labour, Retirement System and Social Partnership Committee, Gordan Maras, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Regional Development and European Union Funds, Damir Mateljan, Member of the Labour, Retirement System and Social Partnership Committee, Ante Babić and the Member of the Committee on the Economy, Žarko Tušek, participated at the European Parliamentary Week 2019.

Zagreb - The government-sponsored bill of amendments to the INA Privatisation Law was adopted on Wednesday with 74 votes in favour and two against in the national parliament.

Zagreb - There will be no referendums on changes to the election law or on repealing the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the Croatian Parliament decided by a majority vote on Friday.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday rejected conclusions from a motion to discuss the government's work over the failed purchase of F-16 fighter jets from Israel, with 79 MPs voting against the interpellation submitted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), 43 voting in favour and three abstaining.

Zagreb - Future reports on police work will be written by the Chief of Police who will then submit them to the interior minister who will forward them to the government and the government will forward them to Parliament by 1 June at the latest, according to amendments to the Police Act which the government on Thursday forwarded to Parliament.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Monday condemned in the strongest terms as inappropriate a statement that European Parliament President Antonio Tajani made at the Basovizza pit near Trieste, downplaying the consequences of the fascist regime, saying "Long live Italian Istria, long live Italian Dalmatia."

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday met with an Austrian parliamentary delegation led by the chairman of the Permanent Sub-Committee on EU Affairs of the National Council, Reinhold Lopatka, and the chairman of the EU Committee of the Federal Council, Christian Buchmann.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System on Wednesday decided with 11 votes in favour and one against that the prerequisites were not met to call referendums as proposed by the "People Decide" and the "Truth about the Istanbul Convention" civil society initiatives.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and visiting Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos met on Tuesday to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest.

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament is expected to soon decide on the initiative to declare Croatian Glagolitic Script Day on 22 February. Croatian Glagolitic Script Day is to be observed on 22 February in memory of the publishing of Missale Romanum Glagolitice (Croatian: Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora), a Croatian missal, written in the Glagolitic script, and incunabulum printed in on 22 February 1483. It is the first printed Croatian book and also the first missal in Europe not published in the Latin script.

Zagreb - A final bill on libraries and library activities, which was given its second reading in parliament on Friday, was commended both by lawmakers from the ruling majority and from the Opposition, after improvements were made regarding the criteria for the selection of library directors and terms and conditions for establishing private libraries since its first reading.

Zagreb - Croatian lawmakers on Thursday praised a a bill that imposes the obligation on agencies in the public sector to make their websites and mobile applications accessible to all users, notably to individuals with disabilities and to senior citizens.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday received incoming Israeli Ambassador to Croatia Ilan Mor, wishing him a successful term in Croatia. 

Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament began its session on Friday with a minute of silence to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is observed on January 27.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday amended the Consumer Protection Act of which citizens, buyers and users of public services expect bigger protection and major changes to their benefit.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament will join in the marking of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed on January 27.

Zagreb - Croatian Deputy Parliament Speaker Zeljko Reiner, who is on a two-day official visit to Ireland, met with Irish political and Church leaders for talks on Croatian emigrants, the economy and the situation in Croatia's neighbourhood,

Zagreb - The renovated Franjo Tuđman square in Rugvica, just east of Zagreb, was unveiled on Friday alongside a monument dedicated to Croatia's first president. The square and the monument were inaugurated by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac as Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's envoy, and municipal head Mato Čičak.

Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on finances and state budget on Friday advertised a public call for applications for the post of the president of the Fiscal Policy Commission, and the applications can be submitted in the next 15 days.

Zagreb - Speaking on the occasion of the first anniversary of the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Zagreb on Tuesday he firmly believed that all EU members would ratify the agreement because in that way both the EU and Canada would profit.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and his Canadian counterpart Geoff Regan on Monday hailed the benefits of the trade agreement between Canada and the European Union, underscoring that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and NATO membership reinforce overall cooperation between Croatia and Canada.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković says in his new Year message that the current holidays should be an additional incentive "for us to accept all future challenges with optimism and resolve" and to continue mastering them together and showing solidarity so as to enable a decent life and a better future to all citizens of Croatia.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Sunday issued a Christmas message with his best wishes for all Croatians in the country and abroad. 

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament adopted by majority vote a set of laws on hilly and mountainous and on assisted areas to help their development through the implementation of various programmes and measures. The purpose of the new legislation is to ensure balanced development throughout Croatia.

Zagreb - The 151-seat Parliament on Friday adopted the School Textbooks Act by 81 votes for to three against and 19 abstentions, after the draft legislation on this matter had strained the relations between partners in the ruling coalition in recent weeks.

Zagreb - The State Science Awards for 2017 were presented in Parliament on Wednesday for life achievements by six reputable scientists - Janko Herak, Helena Jasna Mencer, Vera Garaj-Vrhovac, Josip Kovačević, Vjeran Katunarić and Emilio Marin.

Zagreb - The foster care bill that has caused disputes in the ruling coalition was voted in on Friday, with 72 members of parliament voting in favour, four against and six abstaining. The Opposition did not take part in the vote in a show of protest against the way the ruling majority functions.