The Parliament of the Republic of Croatia today, at the Government’s proposal, adopted the Law on Restricting the Use of Tobacco Products, which prohibits smoking in all enclosed public spaces, except in psychiatric hospitals.
Public institutions, cafes, and the tobacco industry have been given six months to adapt, and the Law will begin to apply in educational and health institutions eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette. The Law also stipulates that every pack of cigarettes in Croatia must have a printed general warning about the harmfulness of smoking, as well as an additional warning that must cover at least 40 percent of the external surface of the back of the packaging.
The Law on Concessions and amendments to the Public Procurement Law have also been adopted, which incorporate an anti-corruption provision into the public procurement system, whereby the contracting authority is prohibited from entering into public procurement contracts with certain economic entities. October 18 has been declared Tie Day in Croatia, and February 14 as the National Day for Epilepsy Patients. Ante Drpić has been appointed as a member of the Management Board of Hina, while Boris Jakov Geričić and Mira Pekač-Knežević have been appointed as deputies of the Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities.
Olgica Spevec has been reappointed for another term as the Chair of the Council of the Competition Protection Agency, along with Council members Nikola Popović, Mirna Pavletić-Župić, and Milivoj Maršić. Ante Marušić has been appointed as a new member of the Management Board of the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency. The Parliament has accepted the annual reports of the Competition Protection Agency, the National Committee for Monitoring Negotiations, and the Government’s report on the progress of negotiations with the EU, and the Convention on Contact with Children has been confirmed. (H)
