New Law on Associations entered into force
The new Law on Associations, adopted on 6 June 2014 at the 13th session of the Croatian Parliament, entered into force on 1 October 2014.
The new Law places great emphasis on transparency and public operations of associations and foresees that the new Register of Associations , with the statutes of associations and other information on the work of CSOs, will allow access to reports on financial operations of associations with the prescribed documentation. It is expected that greater openness and transparency of data will allow members themselves better supervision over the work of of associations, in order to be able to protect their rights and legal interests.
With the adoption of the Law on Associations essential progress have been made in the normative framework for the operation of associations in Croatia with which the obligations from National Strategy for Creating an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development for the period 2012-2016 have been fulfilled.
It should draw to attention that associations are obliged to harmonize their statutes with this Law within one year of its entry into force and shall apply for the registration of changes to the
authorized office (until October 1, 2015), and that all procedures that are initiated before the entry into force of this Law, will continue and will be completed under the provisions of the previous Law on Associations (Official Gazette no. 88/2001 and 11/2002)
Within 60 days after the entry into force of the Law, Minister of Public Administration will adopt the Oridnance regulating the content of the Register of Associations, and within 90 days from the entry into force (until 1 January 2015), Government of the Republic of Croatia will accept, on a proposal from Office for Cooperation with NGOs, a Regulation to regulate the criteria, standards and procedures for financing and contracting programs and projects of interest to the public good implemented by associations. With the entry into force of this Regulation, Code of Good Practice, Standards and Criteria for realization of financial support to programs and projects of associtaions (Official Gazette No. 16/2007) will cease to apply.