A bill on civil partnership reflects a real social context in Croatia regarding the position of same-sex unions in society and it represents a democratic compromise, Public Administration Minister Arsen Bauk said the government session on Thursday.
"The bill is an attempt to reach a democratic compromise between worldviews," Bauk said.
The compromise is reflected in the introduction of civil partnership as a union between same sex people and the institution of marriage continues to be limited to heterosexual unions.
The minister added that the bill clearly reflects the awareness that it is necessary to comprehensively regulate the position of same-sex unions so as to remove the existing obstacles to their social equality and meet certain constitutional and European legal commitments.
Same-sex partners will, under the bill, be able to enter a civil partnership union before a state institution.
"The bill will secure for them concrete, practical rights, necessary for every-day normal functioning," the minister said.
Differences that exist between same-sex and heterosexual unions concerning the law refer primarily to the position of children and the bill does not enable same-sex couples to adopt children, but it acknowledges the fact that there are same sex unions with children so the bill foresees a possibility for one partner in a same-sex union to gain custody of the child of another partner in that union.
The decision on gaining custody will be adopted exclusively by the court which will protect and promote the rights of the child in question.
Prime Minister Milanovic said the said law embraces good European standards.
(Hina)
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