ZAGREB, July 12, 2019 - Parliament on Friday decided on amendments to the Law on Road Safety which foresees harsher penalties for traffic offences.

Eight of the gravest offences will incur a fine of 15,000 kuna and 20,000 kuna instead of 5,000 kuna and 10,000 kuna respectively as was the case until now. These fines apply to offences such as driving in the opposite direction on motorways, exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 kph, deliberately driving through a red light, refusing to take an alcohol or drug test or driving under the influence, driving prior to obtaining or without a licence that has been suspended or revoked.

In cases where a driver commits the same offence for the second time within three years, their licence will be suspended for at least six months and for the third and any following such offence, their licence will be revoked for at least one year.

The amendment also foresees the temporary confiscation of a vehicle for repeat offenders. Vehicles can be confiscated pursuant to a court order for drivers who have been fined twice yet commit a third grave offence.

Parliament unanimously adopted the Law on Missing Persons in the Homeland War, a single law that will protect the fundamental rights of missing persons and their families at a higher level and will contribute to retaining their dignity.

The law contains a government-sponsored amendment according to which anyone delivering information regarding mass or single grave sites which leads to any cases being resolved will be rewarded according to a regulation that will be adopted by the Veterans' Affairs Ministry.

Lawmakers adopted amendments to the Law on Credit Institutions which secures conditions to conclude an agreement on close cooperation between the Croatian National Bank (HNB) and the European Central Bank (ECB) aimed at moving closer to introducing the euro in Croatia. The law will make it possible for the HNB to honour directives and guidelines set by the ECB and that it provides all relevant information on credit institutions with their headquarters in Croatia which the ECB can request for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive supervision of credit institutions.

More traffic news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, July 7, 2019 - Croatian police on Saturday completed a comprehensive months-long investigation covering 23 suspects who had formed a criminal organisation to commit various crimes, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.

It is suspected that they have smuggled at least 15.7 tonnes of marijuana into Croatia in the last three years, making at least €11 million in illegal gain which they split among themselves according to their roles.

According to the statement, two chief suspects, identified only as a 37-year-old man and a 35-year-old man, set up an organised crime ring in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina between September 2016 and June 2019, linking up at least seven people, including a 43-year-old policewoman.

The purpose of this organisation was to acquire substantial financial gain by buying and selling large quantities of different narcotics. They bought marijuana from illegal producers and smugglers in Albania and Montenegro and transported it to the Ljubuški area of southern Bosnia and Herzegovina from where, with the help of the policewoman, one of the suspects smuggled it into Croatia. The drug was then dispatched to Zagreb and sold to other suspects who then supplied it to end users as decided by the two principal suspects.

Between December 2017 and the end of June 2019, the three main suspects formed a group of at least six persons in Zagreb who intimidated and physically attacked people and set their cars on fire. Police said that by using violence the suspects tried to enforce debt payments.

Twenty of the suspects are treated as members of a criminal organisation. Five of them are already in investigative custody or serving their prison terms, while the other 15 have been detained.

The investigation also covered three more persons, two of whom have committed crimes but did not operate within this criminal group, while one was cleared of suspicion.

The police said that 150 officers were involved in the investigation, conducting 34 property searches and 25 vehicle searches.

During property searches in Croatia, police seized 6.3 kilograms of marijuana, 25 grams of speed, marijuana plants, seven digital scales, two brass knuckles, a rubber truncheon, a baseball bat, an automatic rifle, two rifles, two pistols, two hand grenades, 112 bullets, 25,500 euros, 19,300 kuna, mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops, USB sticks and various documents. Also seized were a Mercedes S 63 AMG, a Porsche Cayenne, a BMW 740d and two vessels.

Four rifles, including three automatic ones, were seized during searches of the properties of two suspects who live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

More police news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 21, 2019 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović on Friday inspected the Grabovac border monitoring centre, telling reporters that for now no misconduct had been identified in the police treatment of illegal migrants in a mountain hut on Mount Risnjak and that an investigation was still ongoing.

"Croatian police have interviewed staff. Our reports do not confirm the events from the anonymous report on that day and place, and the police are very strict when it comes to complaints of official misconduct and such behaviour is punished," Božinović said.

He added that he could not speculate on the motives of a mountaineer who had sent an anonymous letter to the media accusing the police of inhumane treatment of migrants.

He said that "he had no idea" who had sent the anonymous letter and concluded that the police were being criticised by migrants because they had been stopped on their way to Western Europe.

The fact that they managed to enter Croatia fairly easily speaks more of the countries along the way, he said and added that Croatia is a serious country that implements its laws.

The letter sent to the H-alter website by an anonymous mountaineer notes that he saw special police on Mount Risnjak beating migrants with their rifle butts and shooting above their heads to intimidate them.

Replying to reporters regarding a new refugee camp in Vučjak near the town of Bihać in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, Božinović said that it was obvious that local authorities were sending a message to the migrants, "head toward Croatia."

"That hasn't surprised us. We are always a few steps ahead and anticipate events. We have sufficient forces and technology and are very flexible and mobile and can respond to any challenge," Božinović concluded.

He underscored that these were not asylum seekers but illegal migrants who wish to find work in western EU countries. Croatia however cannot allow illegal crossings and has no intention of becoming a "hot-spot", Božinović said, noting that refugees seeking accommodation and asylum in Croatia are being assisted.

Chief of police Nikola Milina said that there were about 600 migrants around Vučjak and about 5,000 in all in Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that the police were ready to respond should the migrant pressure increase.

Asked about the misconduct of some police officers toward migrants, Milina said that some officers had been punished, however in most cases these were false accusations, recalling a Syrian refugee who had falsely claimed that he had been separated from his daughter and who was later charged as a result.

He said that the pressure of illegal migrants was constant and that last year more than 1,000 people traffickers had been arrested.

More news about migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 18, 2019 - Security is one of Croatia's tourism brands and we are doing all we can to improve the standard that we have achieved through good cooperation between the relevant institutions, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Tuesday in Zadar, where a headquarters for the implementation of security measures during the 2019 tourism season was opened.

"We are improving year in and year out. Our picture of everything that is happening on land and on the sea is increasingly clear and increasingly good. Last year we recorded 158 million people crossing the border and we are caring for all those people," he said.

The security headquarters for the tourism season, which was established last year, has yielded good results and excellent cooperation between institutions and with international police, Božinović said.

"Last year 2,200 foreign citizens participated in more than 19,000 criminal offences and 788 foreigners were involved in more than 17,000 violations of the public order and peace, and 26 foreigners were killed in 33,000 traffic accidents. Border security is the Police Directorate's priority. We are assisting police on the sea with additional officers and equipment," he said.

This year 94 police officers from 19 countries will come to Croatia during the summer season as part of international cooperation.

The security headquarters will operate from June 17 to September 15 and will be open 24/7 for the purpose of coordinating, monitoring and implementing security measures during the tourism season.

Minister Božinović visited the National Maritime Centre which each year receives extra manpower during the season to help with incidents on the sea. This year 238 officers will be deployed, 129 regular police officers, 65 traffic officers and 12 border police.

Maritime borders are being monitored by 6 large, 19 smaller and 30 small vessels, 15 radars and 19 day/night and 7 long-range thermal cameras, helicopters and other aircraft.

More tourism news can be found in the Travel section.

ZAGREB, June 13, 2019 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović on Wednesday signed a grant agreement with United States Ambassador William Robert Kohorst setting out the conditions for the U.S. donation of two vans with top-notch equipment for the early and efficient detection of hazardous substances.

According to the agreement, the USA will donate the two vans with equipment for the early and efficient detection of hazardous substances including chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear material.

The document also defines conditions for cooperation between Croatia's Interior Ministry and the US Department of Energy regarding the prevention of illegal trade of nuclear and other radioactive substances, the Interior Ministry has reported.

The US will also conduct training courses in the use of that equipment which will improve the capacities of Croatia's police in combating that form of smuggling, the Interior Ministry said in a press release.

The value of the donation which will be implemented by the end of the year is about $ 400,000.

The ministry said that over the past two years it had developed cooperation in different security areas - combating terrorism, crackdown on smuggling rings, suppressing organised and grave crime and all with the aim of developing capacities and better exchange of information to facilitate effective responses to contemporary security challenges.

More news about relations between Croatia and the United States can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 11, 2019 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Tuesday that the placement of barriers at the Maljevac border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina was envisaged in the Schengen Catalogue, and that the Croatian police were strengthening their human and technical capacities to combat illegal migration as effectively as possible.

The Schengen acquis recommends that border crossings be separated by a barrier, Božinović told reporters.

Asked why barriers were placed at Maljevac, he said they would be placed at other border crossings as well.

A large group of migrants who wanted to illegally enter Croatia had gathered at Maljevac a while ago, he added. "We kept strong police forces there for several days and barriers would certainly help us, in the event that something similar happened again, to cut the costs of our own resources."

The minister dismissed the interpretation that the barriers were a sign that the Croatian police lacked staff, saying Croatia has one of the largest and best-equipped border police forces in the EU.

"We use our capacities depending on the situation on the ground. We have enough forces and reservists, and we'll also have reserve police who can be engaged, if necessary, for the tourist season and for other areas, including the border," said Božinović.

More news about migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 9, 2019 - Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović, Croatian Firefighting Association president Ante Sanader and Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) head Josip Granić signed in Zaprešić near Zagreb on Saturday an agreement on the modernisation of radio communication equipment for emergency services, an investment worth about 39 million kuna. Eighty-five percent of the investment is being financed with EU funding.

Thanks to the investment, the Croatian Firefighting Association and the HGSS will get 3,000 hand-held and 900 mobile radio communication devices for vehicles.

"It is our ambition to act as a service for those who rescue lives and property all around Croatia - firefighters, members of the HGSS, police and army," Božinović said after the signing ceremony, adding that that was the role of his ministry and the newly established Civil Protection Directorate.

The Ministry of the Interior will continue equipping emergency services because security is one of the most important conditions for all citizens and guests in Croatia to feel well, said the minister.

HGSS head Granić said that the latest agreement built on the very good cooperation that had started with the establishment of the Civil Protection Directorate.

The donation will help the HGSS and the firefighting service be more coordinated in their activities, Granić said, thanking the Ministry of the Interior for the project.

Croatian Firefighting Association president Sanader stressed that owing to efforts by the government, Minister Božinović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, on January 1, 2020, the Croatian Firefighting Association would start operating as a central state office, whereby it would be depoliticised.

More news on the Interior Ministry can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 8, 2019 - US Ambassador William R. Kohorst on Friday handed over rescue equipment to Croatia's Civil Protection Directorate worth 170,000 dollars, as a donation from the US European Command.

The donation is yet another example of the excellent US-Croatia cooperation and it is especially important because this is humanitarian equipment that will help in providing security for Croatian citizens, Kohorst said.

Thanking the US ambassador for the donation, Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that the cooperation between the two countries was traditionally good and was being constantly advanced.

Civil protection is an area with great potential in the US-Croatia cooperation. The newly donated equipment is very valuable and builds on previous donations. The newly donated sensors for search and rescue operations in collapsed structures are state-of-the-art equipment for which we are very grateful to the USA, Božinović said.

More news about relations between Croatia and the United States ca ne found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 4, 2019 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović on Tuesday held a meeting with county and municipal heads and ethnic Roma representatives in Međimurje County following a recent rally at which about 1,000 people gathered to raise public awareness of what they labelled irresponsible, dangerous and criminal behaviour in their community, pointing the finger at state institutions which, they said, had failed with regard to the local Roma community.

"Only when we define the problem together with all its aspects, we can seek right solutions," said Božinović today and insisted that education is the key to making efforts aimed at Roma integration successful.

If a mere four out of 318 secondary school students (of the Roma background) manage to finish school, then something is seriously wrong, he explained. By dropping out of the school young people are disadvantaged on the labour market and that needs to be solved, Božinović said. Occupations which Roma members traditionally pursue are not competitive in the 21st century, he said.

During his visit to Čakovec he said that additional staff would be added to the local law enforcement authorities, and also promised stepping up inter-departmental coordination and cooperation with the county and municipalities concerned. Thus, a higher number of community police officers is expected.

County Prefect Matija Posavec said he expected the local social welfare services to be sufficiently staffed so that they can check how welfare vouchers are spent. Posavec expects the education and justice ministries to be more engaged in solving the problems.

The deputy head of Pribislavec municipality from the Roma minority, Željko Balog, reiterated his criticism of the work of ethnic Roma parliamentary deputy, Veljko Kajtazi in the parliament. He said that Kajtazi cannot represent Međimurje Roma as he does not understand them.

The parliamentary deputy of the Roma ethnic minority, Veljko Kajtazi on Tuesday said that he was surprised that ministers were going to visit Međimurje and the Roma community in Pribislavec without being accompanied by him, as he represents the minority and when asked why he was supporting the government, Kajtazi said, "now we'll see about that."

"I'm surprised that all the ministers are going to Međimurje, to the Roma community without a Member of Parliament, we could say that was sad," Kajtazi told reporters ahead of a meeting of ruling coalition partners when asked for his opinion of Interior Minister Davor Božinović's visit to Međimurje just three days after a protest was held there.

He said that it was true that after President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović had relocated her office to Međimurje County, she sent a memorandum about the situation and the problems surrounding the minority however the government has still not responded.

"That's correct, but I also know that 90% of the population in Međimurje voted for the president. I recall that; however, I cannot remember the president having invited the Member of Parliament to come to Međimurje," Kajtazi said.

More news about the Roma in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 2, 2019 - State civil protection units demonstrated in Zagreb on Sunday their skills and equipment for rescuing citizens after a devastating earthquake, with Interior Minister Davor Božinović saying Croatia's civil protection was among the best in Europe.

About 40 search and rescue team members held demonstration exercises as they did in a big international exercise in Portugal in which they participated last week with teams from France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and Portugal.

Božinović said the Portugal exercise showed Croatia "has people who train on a daily basis at national and international level" and that its civil protection teams were among the best in Europe.

He said the civil protection system was integrated at national level this year in terms of regulations, adding that successful absorption of EU funds had raised Croatian teams' readiness.

Croatia has modules for protection and rescue from rubble, for radiological-biological-chemical-nuclear action, and for water rescue.

Božinović said the system would be upgraded on a daily basis as the EU plans to triple safety funds and quadruple them for protection and rescue in the next multi-annual budget.

"We have made serious steps forward in manpower and now we will provide them with the best conditions they can have," he said, adding that a new civil protection bill would soon be put to public consultation.

More news about Interior Ministry can be found in the Politics section.