Bill on enforcement sent to parliament

The government on Thursday sent to the parliament the draft bill on enforcement aimed at ensuring cost-saving and efficient procedures for enforcement as well as at a well-balanced protection of dignity of debtors, and the new legislation reinstates the jurisdiction of courts over enforcement  procedures.

Presenting the bill, Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic said.enforcement proceedings would be thus aligned with the EU acquis.

The centralised implementation of enforcement over pecuniary resources would be introduced, with the FINA agency being in charge of that process, under court supervision.

Bailiffs would be supposed to fill in necessary forms and forward to courts and debtors will be asked either to solve their overdue liabilities or contest the claims in 15 days upon the receipt of the notice. In the event that the debtor challenges the enforcement proceedings, a lawsuit will ensue.

Some of the measures to protect the dignity of debtors will be the suspension of a debtor's eviction form their property during winter that is from 1 November to 1 April.

The costs for the procedure will be also reduced.

Furthermore a list of pecuniary items that cannot be enforced will expand to include Christmas bonuses, holiday bonuses and other bonuses which the debtor can receives due their work.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said today that the the new law sent a clear message that his cabinet approached the problems of the citizens with blocked accounts in a comprehensive manner and that the government would like to help those most needy.

He noted that the government took note of the fact that 87% of enforcement cases referred to debtors with small debts.

He recalled that his cabinet had already adopted laws on the write-off of debts to individual citizens and consumers' bankruptcy and enforcement of pecuniary claims.

The results are palpable, the number of 325,000 citizens with blocked accounts has fallen to 259,000, he added.

Croatia-Hungary airforce cooperation agreement to be ratified

The Andrej Plenkovic cabinet on Thursday sent a bill to parliament on the ratification of an agreement between the Croatian and Hungarian governments on cooperation in the field of the airforce and air defence which was signed in Budapest on 8 April this year.

The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of Hungary on Cooperation in the Field of Military Aviation and Air Defence Activities defines the relevant institutions for its implementation as well as the responsibility of the parties to the agreement, the use of national air space and air bases, rescue and search missions as well as investigating air accidents, training and visits, servicing aircraft on the ground and in the air and the exchange of data related to surveillance and protection of air space.

Implementation of the law falls in the remit of the Defence Ministry.

The agreement defines the rules for cooperation and air defence activities within the framework of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System, NATINAMDS and regulates issues related to conducting surveillance including cross-border operations as well as defining training for air-force personnel.

Croatia set to ask 3-year-extension of moratorium on selling farmland to aliens

The Croatian government on Thursday dismissed allegations from the interpellation submitted by the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) and Democrats parliamentary group over the government's failure to extend a moratorium on the sale of farmland to aliens.

The government states that it will submit the request in a timely manner to the European Commission for an extension of an additional three years to the 7-year moratorium on the sale of farmland to aliens.

The deadline for submitting the request expires on 1 July 2020, seven years after Croatia's admission to the EU.

Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolusic said today that the request would be most probably sent to Brussels this September.

Tolusic said that for that purpose, the government had already held talks with officials of the Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union to discuss technical aspects of the lodging of the application.

He also informed the government about long-term leases of state-owned farmland in local municipalities and towns.

By this move, we have practically enabled several generations of Croatian farmers to use state-owned agricultural land, he said adding that the government enabled the sale of that land to local farmers.

Gov't for free ferry transport of disabled children on islands

The Croatian government on Thursday adopted a conclusion whereby Adriatic passenger liners are requested to enable free transport for children with impaired development on islands, persons who accompany them on trips to the mainland and for certain categories of disabled persons, until the adoption of the amendments to the legislation on maritime transport.

Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic said that two shipping transport companies -- Jadrolinija and Rapska plovidba -- would be authorised to give 100% discount on fares for ferry transport for the above-mentioned categories of citizens, as an interim solution until the the adoption of the amendments to the maritime transport legislation.

A a bill with the amendments has been ready and will be put up for public consultation next week so that it can be on the government's agenda in September and parliament's in October.

An association of parents of disabled children on islands on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with the conclusion branding it as a partial solution.

Text: Hina

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