State Property Ministry being set up

The government on Thursday sent to parliament amendments to the law on the organisation and scope of ministries and other state administration bodies, proposing the transformation of the State Property Management Office into the State Property Ministry in order to improve management.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said this would give special significance to state property management as an essential factor of economic growth.

Over the past 25 years, Croatia had different institutions and models for state property management but none fulfilled the goals and the property remains insufficiently exploited, and the new ministry is expected to put unused property to use, he added.

As previously announced, the ministry is expected to be headed by Goran Maric.

Also,  at Government session on Thursday, Government formed task forces to draw up a law on a system of homeland security and to prepare a strategy of national security, to be headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic, and it formed a council for cooperation with the International Criminal Court and other international courts, to be headed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

Plenkovic said that the documents were of exceptional importance for Croatia considering the atmosphere in Europe and globally.

"The documents are very important, notably in light of the fact that one of them, the National Security Strategy, is rather outdated and should be adjusted to our membership in the EU and NATO, as well as to many other security challenges," said Plenkovic.

Krsticevic said that the part of the government's platform concerning national security and defence read that Croatia needed a comprehensive, combined and proactive approach of all state institutions to reduce society's vulnerability and bring to life the concept of homeland security.

The existing strategy of national security dates back to 2002 and is not in line with current internal and external circumstances, he said.
 
"There are new threats, as evidenced by the latest developments (arrests of members of Bosnian Croat forces). There are hybrid actions, information actions, terrorism, cyber terrorism, refugee crisis, unemployment, demographic trends, natural disasters...," said Krsticevic.
 
He added that this called for redefining the concept of national security and the related institutions and defining a security system that "in line with recent internal and external political and economic changes, will protect vital national interests and promote the fundamental values of the Croatian society, protect the integrity of the state territory and the security of all our citizens."
 
"The new security model we want to build will be based on respect for human rights and freedoms, the rule of law, development of democracy, dialogue and tolerance, system transparency, solidarity and an integrative approach. This will change the current security model from a reactive to a preventive one," said Krsticevic.
 
The task forces to be chaired by Krsticevic will include representatives of all ministries, a large number of state offices, security services, the central bank, the national protection and rescue service, etc.
 
By 20 May 2017 those task forces have to make draft strategies and laws, said Krsticevic.
 
The government also decided to form the Council for Cooperation with the International Criminal Court and Other International Courts.
 
Justice Minister Ante Sprlje recalled that the Constitutional Law on Cooperation between Croatia and the International Criminal Court from 1996 allowed for the possibility that the government may form special bodies in charge of cooperation with that court.
 
Since Croatia has a new government, it is necessary to make a new decision on the establishment of the Council, Sprlje said.
 
The Council will be chaired by Prime Minister Plenkovic and its members will be Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier, Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic, Minister of the Interior Vlaho Orepic, Justice Minister Ante Sprlje and War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved.
 
Plenkovic said that by chairing the Council he would "give the strongest possible priority to this topic", notably in light of the recent arrests of ten former members of Bosnian Croat forces in Orasje.

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