CROATIAN PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES MEET "GREEN" ACTIVISTS

ZAGREB, Nov 29 (Hina) - Croatian Parliament deputies on Friday met representatives of "green" non-governmental organizations to discuss cooperation in environmental protection. With the organization of today's meeting Croatia has joined a circle of Western European countries and countries in transition which have already held such talks, said Radimir Cacic, president of the parliamentary Committee for Urban Planning and Environmental Protection. Environmental organizations should be ensured access to sessions of the Environmental Protection Committee and information through "formal channels", "green" representatives said, adding that regulations concerning environmental issues should be agreed upon at public discussions. They drew attention to financial problems their organizations were faced with and said that this was the reason why many initiatives had to be abandoned. "Green" activists also brought up several bills which should be discussed in Parliament, including those on the protection of autochthonous animals, such as the Istrian cattle and the Posavina horse, and the protection of soil quality. The meeting was also attended by the president and secretary of the Irish Parliament's Balanced Development Committee, Batt O'Keeffe and Kevin Kirawan. (hina) vm mm 291341 MET nov 96