Zagreb - Chairpersons and Members of three committees of the Croatian Parliament – Physical Planning and Construction Committee, Committee on Transportation, Communications and Maritime Affairs and European Integration Committee – held meetings with a delegation of the Committee on Transport, Building and Urban Development of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, led by Mr Volkmar Vogel.
Policies on construction and physical planning in the light of new models for improving the efficiency of energy use were the main topics covered at the meeting the German delegation and the Physical Planning and Construction Committee chaired by Mr Mihael Zmajlović. Mr Vogel underlined the importance of financial support for energy efficiency programmes that would be available to Croatia once it became a fully-fledged member of the EU.
Talking about transport infrastructure, Chairwoman of the Communications and Maritime Affairs Ms Nada Turina-Đurić emphasized that in the past ten years Croatia had invested substantial funds in road construction. The next big step to be taken is reorganizing railways according to European standards, Ms Turina-Đurić announced. Head of the Bundestag delegation Mr Vogel explained the intention of this visit was to meet their colleagues in the Sabor’s analogue committees before Croatia becomes a member of the European Union and to define the topics of common interest. The two committees agree these are ports as well as rail traffic and infrastructure. They particularly accentuated their mutual interest in connecting by rail the seaport of Rijeka with the German market.
Mr Daniel Mondekar, Chairman of the European Integration Committee, thanked Germany for all the support it had been giving Croatia, especially during the process of accession. He explained the changes to be introduced in the Croatian legislation that will define future relations between the Government and the Sabor. The members of the two committees shared their views on organizing parliamentary bodies and administrative capacities in the light of strengthening the role of national parliaments within the EU. Croatia continues implementing the reforms, Mr Mondekar underlined, primarily with the aim of improving its citizens’ quality of life.