GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION ASSESSED AS POSITIVE

ZAGREB, May 4 (Hina) - At a recent meeting of countries signatories to the GRECO Agreement in Strasbourg, Croatian government efforts to combat corruption were assessed as positive, officials of the justice ministry told a news conference on Tuesday. #L# They presented the findings of a GRECO Agreement Commission that visited Croatia last December and assessed its regulations and practice on the fight against corruption. The commission consisted of representatives of Finland, Slovenia, Hungary and the Council of Europe. The GRECO Agreement of the Council of Europe's Ministerial Committee is oriented towards the struggle against corruption, and has been signed by more than 30 countries so far. Croatia joined it in December 2000. According to the Croatian representative at GRECO Agreement, proffesor Zeljko Horvatic, members of the meeting held in Strasbourg from May 13 through 17 commended Croatia for implementing Council of Europe conventions on fighting corruption into its legislature, and its political will to combat corruption, especially in the past two years. One of Council of Europe's recommendations is that attention in the fight against corruption should be turned to organised and trans- border crime connected with government investments. Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic said that amendments to the Law on Judges' and Justice Officials' Salaries were proposed which would, in line with Council of Europe's recommendations, equalise the salaries of judges and state prosecutors. Marinovic said that the justice ministry would sent a "stricter form" of a bill on preventing a conflict of interest of state officials into government procedure so it could enter its first reading by the summer, despite varying opinions on the issue within the ruling five-party coalition. Marinovic announced a conduct code to be adopted relating to all state officials. (hina) lml sb