GOVERNMENT SENDS SEVERAL BILLS INTO PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

ZAGREB, 24 July (Hina) - At a session held on Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatian Government confirmed and sent into parliamentary procedure a package of proposals concerning the confirmation of the Council of Europe conventions. The package includes bills on the confirmation of conventions on money-laundering, on search for and confiscation of profits made through illegal actions, of the European Convention on the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Humiliating Treatment or Punishment, of the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter on Local Self-Government. #L# It was said that these conventions should be confirmed within one year from Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe, that is, until the beginning of November this year. Explaining individual conventions, Assistant Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader said that since the establishment of its independence, Croatia had become a party to almost all international contracts and instruments which refer to human rights and which had been adopted within the United Nations. Vice Premier Ljerka Mintas-Hodak said that a convention on the use of minority languages would be sent into parliamentary procedure this summer. At the beginning of autumn, the Government would send a convention on human rights and freedoms into parliamentary procedure as well, Mintas-Hodak said. The Government had established an expert working group which was dealing with the adjustment of the national legislation with the regulations of the convention on human rights and freedoms, she added. Another package with four bills from the field of legislation was sent into parliamentary procedure today. The package includes bills on changes and amendments to the Law on Court Districts and Headquarters, Law on Public Attorney's Office, Law on Districts and Headquarters of the Public Attorney's Offices and a bill on districts and headquarters of magistrates' courts. According to the proposed changes and amendments to the Law on Court Districts and Headquarters, five new commercial courts and 12 municipal courts would be founded, while the jurisdiction of 13 municipal courts would be broadened. The Government also confirmed a bill on savings and loan cooperatives. The Government took note of the Croatian National Bank (NBH) annual report for 1996 as well as of the NBH financial plan for this year. In 1996, the NBH did a good job in securing monetary stability, Finance Minister Bozo Prka said. The Government also took note of the Report on the Work of the Croatian Public Attorney's Office in 1996. It was concluded that ministries and other administrative bodies should cooperate more closely with the State Attorney's Office. The Government sent into parliamentary procedure bills on the confirmation of social insurance contracts between Croatia and Slovenia and Croatia and Macedonia. The Government also confirmed a program on the prevention of natural disasters and decided to allocate state-owned houses and arable land to 100% war invalids. Presenting the data on the results of the first six months of this year tourist season, Tourism Minister Niko Bulic said that there had been 6,112 000 overnight stays, which was 37.5% more than in 1996. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Zlatko Dominikovic informed the session that he had visited the area of Baranja on Wednesday and that the buying of wheat in the area was proceeding as planned. Instead of the planned 60 tons, 90 tons of wheat could be bought this year in the Croatian Danube river region, Dominikovic said. (hina) rm 241601 MET jul 97