Full Coverage: Croatia

30.11.2006 Transparency International Croatia reacted today to the draft-Law on Financing of Political Parties that entered parliamentary procedure earlier this week. TIC believes that the Law is an important step forward in creation of legal framework for fight against corruption, but that this draft has one great defect – it doesn’t regulate the financing of election campaigns.

28.11.2006 The SEE Youth Network annual assembly, held earlier this month in Montenegro, decided, by unanimous decision, to accept the Croatian Youth Network for associate membership. CYN may become full member of SEEYN in a year’s time, if it proves, through its activities and engagement, itself worthy of it.

26.11.2006 Compared to the other countries in SEE, the Croatian telecommunications sector is very well developed. The liberalization, i.e. the formal elimination of monopolies, was implemented in all segments of the market, while the state ownership in the incumbent operator is below 50 percent. Furthermore, a stable regulatory and policy framework was established, providing satisfactory levels of autonomy for the Telecommunications Agency (according to the European Commission) and the Central Administrative Bureau for e-Croatia, which has done strong work to increase public access to information and communication technology. Finally, the availability and quality of telecommunication services, as well as the percentage of population that uses them are among the best and highest in the region (according to the comparative report on telecommunications sector in SEE, prepared by Cullen International).

19.11.2006 Under the auspices of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the Croatian Women Network organizes the “Forgotten Femicide” commemorative gathering, to be held in Zagreb, November 23, 2006.

16.11.2006 According to a report released earlier today, the Ministry of Interior adopted a decision to grant asylum to a seeker, for the first time in Croatia. Asylum was granted to a female Sudanese national who sought asylum on basis of violation of religious freedoms and sexual mutilation.

03.11.2006 The 2006 Croatian Open Society Index, a survey conducted by Institute for Democracy (iDEMO), was released yesterday in Zagreb. The Index is based on the assessment of openness of society in six major areas: education, economic and entrepreneurship rights and liberties, rule of law, transparency of political processes, rights and freedoms of minorities and marginalized social groups.

01.11.2006 Last Thursday, October 26, 2006, the ACT association organized a public debate in Cakovec, to discuss the financing of independent and youth culture from local and regional budgets. This was the second of a series of debates implemented by ACT under Clubture’s “Kultura aktiva” project.

01.11.2006 Last Monday, October 30, a round-table discussion was held at the Journalists’ Club in Zagreb, to discuss the topic of facing the past in Croatia and the interpretation of results of a recent public opinion survey.

01.11.2006 Transparency International Croatia and the Osijek-Baranja County organized a lecture in Osijek, Conflict of Interest and How to Prevent It?, for representatives of all self-government units in the county.