Enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the EU accession process

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EESC adopted an own-initiative Opinion on Enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the EU accession process on the EESC Plenary session on 9 or 10 July, tabled by Marina Skrabalo – an EESC member from Croatia. The Opinion outlines some of the key features and lessons learned from the EU’s enlargement policy over the past…

GRECO calls on Croatia to raise public confidence in judiciary

epa03693597 Participants compete in the European Individual Chess Championship in Legnica, Poland, 09 May 3012. About 300 participants are competing for the title and 100,000 euro prize money until 17 May. EPA/MACIEJ KULCZYNSKI POLAND OUT

Council of Europe’s Anti-corruption Group calls on Croatia to raise public confidence in judiciary and bolster anti-corruption measures in parliament. In a published report, the Council of Europe anti-Corruption Group (GRECO) gives credit to the efforts made by Croatia to fight corruption in public life. However, despite the many encouraging steps taken, Croatian citizens’ trust…

„The Mighty Handful“ facing off against SDP and HDZ on electoral reform

Zagreb, 23.07.2014 - Nakon što je 29 zastupnika i zastupnica (od njih 151) potpisom podržalo izmjene izbornog zakonodavstva na tragu GONG-ovih prijedloga, ta udruga organizirla je sastanak zastupnika pod nazivom "Kad se Vladi ne da, neka se glas Sabora èuje". foto FaH/ Dario GRZELJ /ds

„If the Government doesn’t feel like doing it, let the Parliament be heard“, or at least so it goes for those 29 MPs who have expressed support for GONG’s proposed reform of electoral legislation with their signatures. GONG has staged a meeting with the group in the Parliament in order to discuss further steps needed…

HND for striking defamation from penal code

Zagreb, 10.4.2014.- Ministri Vesna Pusiæ i Orsat Miljeniæ i premijer Zoran Milanoviæ tijekom sjednice Vlade Republike Hrvatske. foto FaH/ Denis CERIÆ/ ua

The Croatian Journalists Association (HND) requested that the Justice Ministry and the government strike defamation from a bill of amendments to the Penal Code. Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic said that amendments to the Penal Code regarding defamation were aimed at preventing the abuse of imprecise legal provisions to restrict freedom of opinion and speech. The…

Education is worth any cost!

“Education spending is an investment in our future and should not be part of the government’s fiscal balance”, said the Nobel Laureate Economist Christopher Pissarides, Regius Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics.  Primary role of education is its contribution to longer-run economic growth. It has a big role to play in the…

Juncker elected European Commission president

epa04316468 Jean-Claude Juncker, candidate for President of the European Commission, delivers his statement during the plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 15 July 2014. EPA/PATRICK SEEGER

Former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker was elected president of the European Commission by a majority vote in the European Parliament on Tuesday. Juncker received the votes of 422 MEPs, while 250 voted against. Upon forming his European Commission, he will have to receive the support of the European Parliament for it, with voting due…