News

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday issued a message on the occasion of International Workers' Day, marked May 1, underscoring the need for Croatian society to persevere in empowering workers' rights and improving living and working conditions.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday discussed a bill on meteorological and hydrological services aimed at strengthening the role of these services in reducing the damage caused by natural disasters, protecting the environment and health, boosting transport safety and in planning food and energy production. The bill is to replace the existing legislation dating back to the 1970s.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković issued a message on Saturday, wishing a happy Easter to all Christian believers in Croatia.

Zagreb - A new bill on private security which the government sent into parliamentary procedure on Thursday recommends that private security companies can in future be allowed to employ people with primary school qualifications. Currently one or two years of secondary education is required to conduct the job of a private security guard.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Tuesday received Thomas K. Yazdgerdi, the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, and representatives of the World Jewish Restitution Organisation (WJRO).

Zagreb - The official state commemoration for the Jasenovac victims and the surviving inmates was taking place at the Jasenovac Memorial Site today, with Jandroković, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and a number of ministers attending. Jandroković said the state leaders had come to Jasenovac to honour the sacrifice of innocent people who were killed because of their faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. "That was a crime by the Ustasha regime which has to be clearly condemned, to send the message, notably to younger generations, that freedom, democracy and peace are not givens, that evil is around us and that we must fight it."

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and China's Prime Minister Li Keqiang on Wednesday said in Zagreb that bilateral agreements between the two countries that were signed today in Zagreb and will be signed tomorrow in Dubrovnik will strengthen cooperation and make it more concrete in several areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, sport, science and culture.

Zagreb - A better education for Roma children, integration and preservation of the Roma culture were key messages of a ceremony marking World Roma Day, held at Zagreb's Croatian National Theatre on Monday evening, with President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović attending. The event marking World Roma Day was organised by the Croatian Roma association "Kali Sara" and Roma minority MP Veljko Kajtazi. Among the guests were Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of Roma from a number of European countries and Canada.

Zagreb - Strengthening the EU's structures and efficiency, including defence and security, and respecting the specific traits and sovereignty of member-states is a precondition for successfully dealing with crises the EU is faced with and is the best way to ensure the EU's survival, the leaders of most EU parliaments who gathered for a two-day conference in Vienna to define answers to challenges faced by the EU, said on Tuesday.

Zagreb - The coming elections for the European Parliament will determine to a significant extent what Europe will look like in the coming years because voters will be choosing between forces that promote stability and security in Europe and those that encourage disintegration processes with irresponsible policies, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said at the end of a two-day conference of EU member-countries' parliament speakers in Vienna on Tuesday.

Zagreb - Croatia's Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and the President of the Austrian National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, confirmed in Vienna on Monday that the Bleiburg commemoration would be held this year as planned but warned that Austrian law would have to be strictly adhered to, particularly a ban on displaying fascist insignia.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said in Vienna on Monday Croatia would continue to insist that the European Union keeps focus on Southeast Europe, so that it too could be integrated with the EU system once aspirants meet the membership conditions. Jandroković is taking part in a conference of European Union parliament speakers which is being held in Vienna on Monday and Tuesday.

Zagreb - Parliament on Friday amended the law on the prevention of illegal drug abuse which now defines new psychoactive substances, enables the minister of health to order that they be banned, and enables legal entities to grow and produce hemp for medicinal purposes.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday rejected the Social Democratic Party's interpellation on government work on the implementation of structural reforms.

Zagreb - The government on Thursday forwarded to the parliament a bill of amendments to the Companies' Act and the Court Registry Act which will facilitate setting up a company as well as erasing it from the court register.

Zagreb - Croatia's lawmakers will convene on Wednesday to discuss a bill of amendments to the law on the police powers and responsibilities.

Bucharest - On April 1 and 2, 2019, Chair Domagoj Ivan Milošević and members of the European Affairs Committee Joško Klisović and Davor Ivo Stier took part in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Future of EU.

Bruxelles - Committee on the Foreign Affairs (AFET) at the Interparliamentary Committee Meeting on "Current challenges for EU Foreign and Security policy". 

Zagreb - Croatia on Friday marked the 10th anniversary since joining NATO, with senior officials saying that the alliance's defence umbrella ensured long-term stability for the country. Croatia became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on 1 April 2009. Since 2003, over 6,700 Croatian soldiers have participated in NATO-led operations, missions and activities.

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. 

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.

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 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 - 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 - 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.