Croatia
The following Justice Initiative projects are underway in, or relevant to, Croatia:
Freedom of Information and Expression
Croatia: Freedom of Information Law Adoption Campaign
On a snowy 7 January 2003, the Justice Initiative held a half-day meeting with NGOs in Zagreb, Croatia, to develop a strategy for promotion of an FOI law. The meeting was hosted by the Human Rights Centre and included the participation of Transparency International—Croatia and the Croatian Helsinki Committee. Discussion centered on adoption strategies from other countries with a view to locating an appropriate model for Croatia.
Croatia Adopts Freedom of Information Law
The Croatian “Law on the Right to Access Information” was adopted by parliament on October 15, 2003 following a ten-month campaign by civil society organizations (CSOs) led by the Croatian Helsinki Committee and Transparency International—Croatia. Since January 2003, the Open Society Justice Initiative has worked with these groups on developing and implementing a set of principles—many of which are now included in the law—and strategies for mobilizing the support of civil society, government and the international community.
Regional: Freedom of Information Adoption Strategy session
On 10 November 2002, a one-day meeting of FOI groups was organized by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Article 19 in Skopje, Macedonia, in order to develop strategies for furthering freedom of information goals in the southeast European region. Participants presented the current situation regarding the adoption of freedom of information laws in each country/territory. It was noted that although many countries have constitutional provisions on the right to information (Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia), governments give a low priority to adopting the legislation needed to make the provision operational. Furthermore, there tends to be widespread confusion between “Public Information” (mass media) laws and access to information (FOI) laws. NGO representatives from countries with FOI laws (Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia) were invited to (and attended) a regional meeting in Zagreb in March 2003, to share their experiences of campaigning for the adoption of these laws.