Full Coverage: Croatia

28.04.2004 The Council of National Minorities of Croatia adopted the Report on Budgetary Expenditures for NGOs and national minorities’ institutions for 2003, and adopted the Expenditure Plan for 2004.

25.04.2004 The city of Zagreb will once again host the Queer Zagreb, a festival with unique view on identities. Through featured films and music, from April 23-30, the festival will provide a unique view on queer identities.

23.04.2004 Yesterday, on the occasion of EarthDay 2004 an Eko Market was organized on Ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb. The event, which will feature stands set up by environmental organizations, associations, organic food producers, as well as other associations and citizens involved in environmental protection.

21.04.2004 Yesterday, in Strasbourg, the European Commission recommended in its avis to the European Union to start the negotiations with Croatia on full membership in the Union. Avis is a document used by the Commission to evaluate, on the request of the Council of Ministers, the capacities of a country to start the negotiations on full membership and to accept the responsibilities and obligations charged in the full membership.

20.04.2004 Minister of Education, Science and Sport Dragan Primorac met with the representatives of the Coordination of Students’ Associations of Croatia (KSUH), in the presence of his Deputy Ministers Mirjana Polic-Bobic and Stipo Mamic. That was the first meeting of Minister Primorac with the representatives of students’ associations, states the press release of the KSUH.

20.04.2004 “The European Union expects to reach the decision whether to invite Croatia to join the Union by June,” said last Friday the Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, at the press conference he held prior to the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the expanded EU, held in the Irish city of Tullamore.

16.04.2004 “Eko Kvarner” association reacted on the publication of the environmental impact study ordered by the investor of the “Družba Adria” project, Janaf (Adriatic Oil Pipeline). “Eko Kvarner” annouced the establishment of the “Board for Protection of the Adriatic.”

15.04.2004 From April 30 to May 1, 2004, a No-Border Camp will be organized in Mursko Središće, on the very border between Croatia and Slovenia.

14.04.2004 Zelena Istra, civic associations and citizens started a campaign against endurance biking and motocross races in Istria. The two sports use the nature of Istria, the forests, tracks and roads, bicycle paths, private fields and every other available space for their adrenalin laden picnics. In the process, they destroy everything in their way, cause material damages, destroy the sown fields, and recently the first human casualty was recorded. Also, endurance motor-sports are forbidden by Article 10 of the Environmental Protection Law.

14.04.2004 Ivo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia, said yesterday that the Government of Croatia, in spite of the position and pressure by the IMF, will not give up on its social policies. Sanader is convinced that an agreement with the IMF could be reached with the preservation of the current social policies.

"We have no intention on giving up the Government’s social policies, and we are certain that, in spite of IMF’s disagreement, we should be able to reach a positive agreement with the Fund,” Sanader said in “Forum” debate programme on the Croatian Television. He commented the announcement that the IMF representatives, whom he meets today, will insist on “increasingly more rigorous” stand-by arrangement in comparison with the past arrangements.

06.04.2004 On Thursday, April 8, the VIVISECT project will be presented in Zagreb. The presentation will be held in the facilities of MAMA net.-culture club (Preradoviceva 18), at 19:00 hours. Marija Gajicki, the author of the Project, and Vesna Teršelič, peace activist of the Centre for Peace Studies, will talk about the project.

04.04.2004 Activists of Zelena Akcija (Green Action) environmental NGO protested in front of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. They demanded from Minister Andrija Hebrang, to publish the remaining results for products tested on GMO contents. The testing was conducted in a Swiss laboratory in the beginning of March.