EXPERTS END MEETING ON HARMONISING CRO LAWS WITH EURO STANDARDS

( Editorial: --> 9236 ) DUBROVNIK, Sept 9 (Hina) - A working group for inspecting the concordance of Croatian legislation with the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Basic Liberties, which included Council of Europe experts, on Wednesday ended its three- day meeting in Dubrovnik. Croatia's Minister for European Integration Ljerka Mintas-Hodak said the group had discussed several laws which are still in the legislative procedure, especially the Law on Associations and a draft law on humanitarian organisations. "We have agreed that there has been a certain lack of understanding among the Council of Europe representatives due to insufficiently precise information and the content and scope of individual regulations on associations. "We have also agreed to propose that the Government form an expert group which would improve those regulations so that they contain the concept of freedom of association, as well as provide for limitations which are necessary and are in line with the convention on certain forms of association-building," Mintas-Hodak said. The meeting in Dubrovnik also included representatives from the Constitutional, Supreme and High Magistrates' Courts and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Social Welfare, Education and Sports, Justice, Administration, Interior Affairs, Privatisation and Property Management, and Defence. (Hina) rml jn /mbr 091708 MET sep 98