COUNCIL OF EUROPE MONITORING COMMITTEE ADOPTS REPORT ON CROATIA

STRASBOURG, Jan 28 (Hina) - The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly committee in charge of monitoring how member-states fulfil their commitments accepted a report on Croatia on Thursday. The Monitoring Committee will continue drawing up a draft resolution which will be forwarded to the Parliamentary Assembly as well as elaborating recommendations to the Ministerial Committee, so that they may be concluded before the April session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly. Rapporteurs for Croatia, Jerzy Jaskiernia and Marija Stojanova, said they had tried to prepare a balanced report. Their report pointed to progress made by Croatia in difficult conditions in the wake of the war. The report also referred to open issues and commitments which Croatia should fulfil in the coming period, rapporteurs added. They emphasised the Council of Europe's recommendations about the electoral law, including the representation of the Croatian Diaspora, upon which Croatia failed to act. They stressed the necessity to democratise the electronic media and privatise the third programme of the Croatian Television (HTV). According to them, Croatia is expected to strengthen the legal protection of minorities, in cooperation with the Venetian Commission legal experts. (hina) jn ms