Environment and Nature Protection Minister Mihael Zmajlovic said a motion to set up a National Park Agency was not justified in terms of social, economic and political costs.
The bill is also aimed at improving the preservation and management of protected areas and introduces additional mechanisms to control public institutions which manage them. It was drawn up because of the shortcomings in the current law and to align regulations with international protocols.
The minister said the European Commission had praised the nature and environment protection bills which parliament was discussing.
He said the state of the environment in Croatia was better than in the EU and that Croatia wanted to keep it that way. The nature protection bill respects high environmental standards, prevents the negative impact on the environment and creates prerequisites for sustainable development, he added.
The bill also clarifies the position of investors and simplifies the issue of permits, Zmajlovic said.