The new bill defines the stay of foreigners in Croatia as short-term (up to 90 days), temporary and permanent. One of the novelties which the new law would bring is that foreigners to whom temporary residence was granted to a period of four years for the purpose of linking families is that the temporary residence status to a period of four years could be granted without a specific purpose.
A business permit would no longer automatically mean the granting of the temporary residence status.
Under the new law, foreigners whose permanent residence status has expired must leave Croatia.
The government plans to allocate some three million kuna for the implementation of the new law in 2008, and additional four million kuna for the implementation of the law in 2009 and 2010.
The government also defined the Strategy for Migration Policy for 2007 and 2008 aimed at balancing immigration, depending on the needs in active labour force, setting standards and annual quota for employing foreigners in accordance with the labour market, encourage immigration and the return of Croatian emigrants.
Members of the Ivo Sanader cabinet today officially defined a draft national programme of measures for the introduction of the compulsory high school education and announced that a law regulating this issue would be proposed in a year or two.
The government also forwarded to parliament a package of six bills, namely amendments to the laws regulating the protection of intellectual property, thus adjusting this issue to the EU standards.
Government members aslo adopted a decision on signing an interstate agreement on Croatia's joining the Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities, implemented between 2007 and 2013, the Croatian Education and Science Ministry said in a statement.
The Seventh Framework Programme is the EU's main programme for financing researches and technological development and the adjustment of national science and technology policies.
On behalf of the Croatian government, the document will be signed Education Minister Zoran Primorac in Brussels on 13 June.
The Ivo Sanader cabinet today appointed former ambassador Gordan Markotic Assistant Justice Minister. Markotic is scheduled to assume his duties at the start of July.