The head of the Agency Council, Olgica Spevec, said that the Agency's activities in 2003 mainly focused on the adjustment of Croatian laws relating to market competition to the legislation of the European Union.
Spevec cited the lack of efficiency of courts in monitoring the legality of market competition as one of the essential weaknesses in the process of protection of market competition in Croatia. She added that proceedings before magistrate and administrative courts take about three years mainly because of a shortage of specialised judges.
By way of illustration of court inefficiency, Spevec said that only in four cases since 1997 had courts collected payments for penalties for violations of the law.
Spevec proposed that commercial courts, rather than the administrative court, monitor the legality of market competition, saying that they were better qualified and equipped for the job.
Parliamentary parties endorsed the report and highlighted the need to strengthen the Agency's role in the fight against market monopolies, which they said had an adverse effect on the development of the Croatian economy.
"Croatia is a hostage to the monopolies of companies and banks that bear no responsibility for the development of the economy and the market," said Josip Leko of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), stressing the need for the Agency to take the leading role in combating corruption and bribery.
Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) deputy Valter Poropat said that the Agency should ensure that all entrepreneurs had an equal position on a market where the quality of products and services should be the key standard.
Vladimir Kurecic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said that judges overseeing the legality of market competition should be better specialised in order to raise court efficiency and guarantee legal safety.