News

Zagreb - European Parliament President Martin Schulz praised Croatia as "a pioneer with a true European spirit" which "demonstrated that through determination and hard work EU membership can be achieved" during his speech in Zagreb's main square on Sunday night as Croatia was celebrating its entry into the European Union.

Strasbourg - The flag of Croatia, the 28th member of the European Union, and the EU flag were ceremoniously raised in front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on Monday before a plenary session of the European Parliament. Before the raising of the flags, the ceremony was briefly addressed by Croatian Parliament President Josip Leko and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Zagreb - Lithuania became the first of the three Baltic states to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on Monday, July 1.

Zagreb - Croatia will become a member of the European Union on July 1 but its job does not end there; it will be faced with new challenges which it can overcome by being responsible and credible in building a shared European future, Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Saturday at a special parliamentary sitting held on the occasion of Croatia's EU entry.

Briševo - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said on Sunday Croatia would continue to strongly support the right of all refugees to return to prewar homes, notably Bosnian Croat refugees, of whom too little had returned to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zagreb - At the end of his visit to Berlin on the occasion of the ratification of Croatia's European Union accession treaty in the Bundesrat, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with the president of the German upper house, Winfried Kretschmann, with whom he spoke about cooperation between the two countries once Croatia joins the EU, the Sabor reported on Friday.

Berlin - The upper house of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, on Friday unanimously ratified Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union which marked the completion of the parliamentary procedure of the treaty's ratification in Germany, the last EU member state to confirm Croatia's membership of the bloc as of 1 July.

Zagreb - The creation of the present-day, independent, modern and democratic Croatian state began in the Croatian parliament on 30 May 1990, Speaker Josip Leko said on Wednesday at a celebration of Croatian Parliament Day.

Zagreb - Lithuania supports Croatia's forthcoming admission to the European Union and regards Croatia as an important example for other countries in the region and considers its entry into the European family as an encouragement to other countries, the Speaker of Lithuania's Seimas (parliament), Vydas Gedvilas, said in Zagreb on Tuesday after meeting his Croatian counterpart Josip Leko.

Zagreb - The Bundestag on Thursday ratified Croatia's European Union accession treaty, bringing this process only a step away from formal completion. The treaty was ratified with 583 votes in favour and six abstentions. It now needs to be technically approved by the Bundesrat at a plenary session which begins on June 7.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Zagreb on Tuesday for talks on the role of national parliaments in decision making processes in the European Union, Croatia's accession to the EU in time of a crisis, and continuation of the EU enlargement process.

Kopenhagen - Denmark on Thursday ratified Croatia's European Union accession treaty as the second last member country to do so. The Danish parliament unanimously ratified the treaty, with all 113 deputies in attendance, with the assessment that Croatia is fully ready to join the Union, having carried out the necessary reforms and meeting all membership requirements.

Split - The European Union-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) held its 17th meeting in Split's Le Meridien Lav hotel on Tuesday and adopted a proposed joint recommendation consisting of ten points which, among other things, welcomes Croatia's accession to the EU and the positive final European Commission's comprehensive monitoring report released in March.

Split - In the first months after Croatia's accession to the European Union, its preparations for entry into the passport-free Schengen zone and participation in the European Semester will be crucial, the head of the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the Croatia-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Andrej Plenković said.

Split - A delegation of the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee visited the Brodosplit shipyard on Monday and discussed with the management the situation in the dock recently purchased by the DIV company. The delegation was led by the Committee co-chairs, Croatian MP Andrej Plenkovic and Swedish member of the European Parliament Gunnar Hökmark. They were accompanied by the head of the European Union Delegation to Croatia, Paul Vandoren.

Zagreb - Members of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education on Monday visited the Croatian Sabor where they held talks with Croatian lawmakers and government members on the implementation of the Bologna Process, life-long learning and communication between education and economy and also about Croatia's participation in the EP's fight against match-fixing.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko received the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability, Shuaib Chalklen, in Zagreb on Monday. Leko said that the treatment of persons with disabilities and the need for their inclusion into society was one of the most important social issues in Croatia.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with US Ambassador Kenneth Herbert Merten in Zagreb on Thursday to discuss an annual meeting of NATO's Parliamentary Assembly which is due to take place in Dubrovnik in October.

Nicosia - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko had bilateral meetings with several counterparts on the sidelines of a conference of EU parliament speakers in Nicosia on Monday. Leko met with European Parliament Vice-President Miguel Angel Martinez, German Parliament Speaker Norbert Lammert, Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Vydas Gedvilas and Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received the Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament Jana Lassakova and expressed satisfaction that he could confirm the friendly-like and partner-like relations between the two countries.

Strasbourg - The European Parliament, meeting in a plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday, adopted by a large majority of votes the last resolution on Croatia before it joins the European Union on July 1, saying that the country is completely ready for membership and calling for further reforms so that citizens of Croatia could profit from EU membership.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Wednesday congratulated all MPs elected to the European Parliament on Sunday, wishing them success in their work and to represent Croatian citizens' interests well.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliamentary Committee on Information, Computerisation and the Media on Thursday supported a bill on Value Added Tax (VAT) with a majority vote which proposes that VAT be reduced to 5 per cent for daily newspapers.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Didier Reynders for talks on Croatia's upcoming accession to the European Union.

Zagreb - Belgium has completed the ratification of Croatia's European Union accession treaty which, after being signed by the foreign minister during the day, will be forwarded to King Albert II for signing, it was said in Zagreb on Thursday.

Zagreb/Marseilles - Croatia is one of the positive Mediterranean stories as in only 15 years from the end of the war and peaceful reintegration of the Danube River Region, the country is on the threshold of te European Union, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko said at a summit meeting of parliament presidents from Union for Mediterranean member-states, in Marseille on Sunday.

Zagreb - The Croatian parliamentary Committee on the Economy and a delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) on Wednesday held a joint meeting concerning Croatia's preparations to participate in the European Union internal market with its 500 million consumers which represents a great opportunity but also a challenge for Croatian businessmen and for Croatian citizens for whom this will also be an opportunity for better living conditions.

Ljubljana - Slovenia's parliament on Tuesday ratified Croatia's Treaty of Accession to the European Union, as the 23rd member in the 27-strong bloc to do so in good time for Croatia to join the EU on 1 July, as scheduled. The ratification of the document in Slovenia's 90-seat legislature required a two-third majority, and during today's sitting, all 82 deputies who attended the ratification voted in favour.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Friday extended his best wishes to all faithful in Croatia celebrating Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, the Office of the Parliament Speaker said in a statement.

Zagreb - Croatia has worked hard and it had an objective in mind so as to prepare for joining the European Union which is why it will deservedly become the 28th member of the bloc, Danish European Affairs Minister Nicolai Wammen said on Tuesday, welcoming the European Commission final monitoring report on Croatia.

Zagreb - European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said in Zagreb on Tuesday that Croatia had met all commitments and requirements for EU membership and there was no need for further monitoring.

Zagreb - Germany is not considering the possibility of monitoring for Croatia after it joins the European Union, the Bundesrat commissioner for EU enlargement, Jürgen Martens, said in Zagreb on Wednesday.

Zagreb - Croatia and Turkey have intensive political cooperation which needs to be followed by more dynamic economic and trade cooperation and the parliaments of both countries can contribute in this regard, Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and his guest, the Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey Cemil Cicek said on Tuesday.

Ulanbataar – Mongolia, the OSCE's newest participating State, has made admirable progress but should remain vigilant about sustaining its environmental resources, President Riccardo Migliori said today after a day of meetings in the capital Ulanbataar.

Zagreb - The chairman of the Croatian Parliament Committee on Home Affairs and National Security, Miroslav Tudjman, and the chairman of the Committee on Defence, Tomislav Ivic, met on Thursday with a visiting delegation of the Montenegrin Parliament Committee on Security and Defence.

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Wednesday received representatives of the Bosnian Croat association "Prsten" who informed him of the association's activities.

Bruxelles - The European Commission wants to ensure that Croatia is prepared as well as possible for the absorption of EU funds and wants preparations to be speeded up so that no time is wasted, Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn said on Thursday.

Zagreb -The chair of the parliamentary European Integration Committee, Daniel Mondekar, on Thursday received the deputy chair of the CDU/CSU group in the German parliament, Andreas Schockenhoff, for talks on Croatia's accession to the European Union, the Croatian parliament said in a press release.

Ljubljana - The matter of ratification of Croatia's Treaty of Accession to the European Union was one of the topics of hours-long consultations which Slovenian President Borut Pahor held with parliamentary parties' leaders on Thursday afternoon, and after the meeting Pahor said that they had reached consent on the ratification, which Slovenia makes conditional on a solution to the dispute over the now-defunct Ljubljanska Banka.

Zagreb - A member of the Croatian Parliament Delegation and vice president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Tonino Picula, will visit Erevan on 15-20 February at the helm of the OSCE PA mission for observing the presidential elections in Armenia, scheduled for 18 February.

Zagreb - During the two-day seminar on best practices in the national and the European parliaments on subsidiarity and scrutiny procedures over the EU legislation and policies, Members of the Sabor as well as parliamentary staff had the opportunity to exchange views and learn on best practices concerning the national parliaments' role in the EU matters.

Paris - The French parliament on Thursday unanimously ratified Croatia's accession treaty with the European Union, being the first country this year to open Croatia's entry to the Union and the 21st EU country to confirm the treaty. Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko attended the ratification ceremony which welcomed Croatia to the EU.

Zagreb - France will be the first country to ratify Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union in 2013 and the debate and voting are on the agenda of the National Assembly on Thursday.

Vukovar - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko at a commemoration on Tuesday in Vukovar marking the 15th anniversary of the completion of the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia said "we wish to build democratic standards and better living standards and that is why it is vital to avoid any nationalist outbursts".

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament will start its first session this year on 23 January, and the session will last four weeks, the Sabor's presidency decided on Monday.

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Friday issued a Christmas and New Year's message, saying that the way out of the years-long crisis in Croatia was in the messages of Christmas, which he said focused on man and his dignity, wishing Croatian citizens well-being in 2013.

Zagreb - Croatia respects directives issued by the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) and over the past few years has adopted a series of laws and strategies to protect children. Their implementation however is not up to scratch, a member of the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, Igor Kolman, said at a conference on children's rights held in the Croatian Sabor on Tuesday.

Vukovar - Over 50,000 people on Sunday morning took part in a procession in remembrance of the victims of Vukovar, marching from the town hospital to the memorial cemetery in tribute to victims of the siege and the fall of this eastern Croatian town into the hands of the besieging Serb and Yugoslav People's Army forces in the autumn of 1991.

Zagreb - Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Josip Leko received in an official visit the President of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo Hashim Thąci who is visiting Croatia.

Initiative taken by four chairmen of foreign affairs committees of the parliaments in the region, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, is not a step towards establishing a regional parliament but a way of improving inter-parliamentary cooperation, said Milorad Pupovac at the press conference.