The bill transposes into national laws regulations of the European Parliament and Council Directive of 27 April 2016 on the use of data from the passenger name record with the aim of preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting crimes of terrorism and other serious types of crime, Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic said.
Under the directive, laws and other regulations of member-countries that need to be aligned will have to go into force by 25 May 2018.
The purpose of the directive is to strengthen and improve international cooperation so as to increase efficiency in the prevention of international crime, said Bozinovic.
The government on Thursday adopted the Annual Defence Report for 2017 with Minister Damir Krsticevic explaining that in 2017 the trend of declining defence spending was stopped, development of defence capabilities was stepped up and the quality of life for members of the armed forces was improved.
We continued equipping the army with advanced combat systems, intensified training and exercises both internationally and nationally, and launched activities aimed at revitalising the reserve component, Krsticevic underscored.
He recalled that the most important projects were the introduction of armoured combat vehicles, howitzers, Kiowa Warrior helicopters and the equipment of infantry units with locally manufactured weapons.
Krsticevic particularly underscored the decision to procure fighter jets to protect Croatia's air space.
In 2017 the army played an important role in assisting the population and civil institutions in fighting wildfires and floods, Krsticevic added.
He recalled that during 2017, 737 troops participated in 13 NATO, EU or UN missions and operations in 13 different locations around the globe, proving to be highly professional and gaining respect from soldiers of allied and friendly countries as well as from local authorities and population.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that making the army more efficient and securing appropriate financial conditions for its members was a strong message in the existing security environment.
Text: Hina