The results of the research, conducted by the Zagreb-based public institution "Human Rights Centre", were presented in Zagreb on Monday, with the chief of the EC Delegation to Zagreb, Vincent Degert, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and the author of the research, Jagoda Novak, commenting on the findings.
The general assessment is that Croatia has no major problems concerning the laws on human rights protection. However, it has been pointed out continuously that problems crop up in the enforcement of the existing laws, notably in the field of the judiciary, corruption and minorities' rights, according to Degert.
Novak said that the purpose of the initial research was to consider how human rights were protected by the existent legislative framework offered by the European Union which Croatia was adopting in its legislative system during the process of association.
Kosor said that the government wanted to arrange Croatia as a law-based democracy and welfare country.
She stressed that Croatia guarantees and respects the rule of law in compliance with the national constitution, international conventions and standards.
Kosor recalled that the incumbent government had adopted a 2005-2008 national programme for the protection and promotion of human rights with an emphasis on ethnic minorities, war veterans and war casualties, the accelerated return of refugees and displaced people and property restitution as well as with special importance being attached to the protection of the family, children, senior citizens and disabled people as well as to gender equality and the struggle against racial discrimination, humans trafficking, corruption, etc.
Novak said that although Croatia had surpassed some EU members in the economic criteria, the protection of human rights against a backdrop of war and post-war events was one of the key criteria for the assessment of the country's preparedness to enter the European bloc. She was referring to the protection of minorities' rights and the tackling of war crimes.