Good governance / Government

Several trade unions and civil society groups announced on Monday they would start gathering signatures for a petition for a referendum against leasing the motorways, and called on citizens to support their initiative.

The government on Thursday sent to parliament a bill of amendments to the state administration law under which the current 20 state administration offices would be reorganised into five.

The government's decision on the possible lease of motorways for 30 to 50 years was severely criticised by trade unions, nongovernmental organisations and experts at a panel discussion in Zagreb on Monday.

Platform 112, a group of nongovernmental organisations, on Wednesday called on members of the executive government to refrain from verbal attacks on the judicial authority and especially to avoid direct confrontations with certain judges regarding the way they are handling ongoing cases.

The Croatian Parliament appointed a Committee on European Affairs on Friday.

The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted a law on cooperation between parliament and the government concerning European matters.

The Croatian Parliament opened its session on Wednesday with a debate on a bill governing cooperation between the country's Parliament and Government in European affairs, which is due to take effect on July 1.

Several non-governmental organisations on Thursday gathered outside the government building to express their dissatisfaction with a bill on strategic investment projects, claiming that the bill was not transparent and facilitated shortcuts for "privileged investors".

The government sent to parliament on Thursday a bill on Croatia's strategic investment projects aimed at encouraging investments by shortening and simplifying administrative procedures.

The EU-Croatia Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), a joint body of Croatian and EU civil society, which was created to monitor Croatia’s accession to the EU, held its 13^th and last meeting in Zagreb on 18 June 2013.