Twinning project “Improvement of the enforcement system in the Republic of Croatia”
Basic information on the Twinning project “Improvement of the enforcement system in the Republic of Croatia”
Twinning was launched in May 1998 as an instrument for provision of assistance to beneficiary countries in the establishment of modern and efficient administration with developed organizational structures, human resources and required management skills and as one of the primary EU tools for institution building.
The aim of Twinning is providing assistance to beneficiary country through human resources development, modernization and reorganization of public administration, as well as harmonization of laws and regulations with the Acquis of the European Union.
The Twinning project “Improvement of the enforcement system in the Republic of Croatia” was financed by the European Union under the 2010 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, and was jointly implemented by the Croatian Ministry of Justice, Spanish Ministry of Justice and Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. The project involved a large number of institutions and experts. It was backed by the extensive experience of Spanish and Hungarian institutions in civil enforcement, harmonization of the judicial framework and adaptation of legislation to the laws of the EU.
Background
The key priorities underlying this project were established in the 2008 Accession Partnership with Croatia: reduction of case backlogs in courts, rationalisation of court organisation, and ensuring proper and complete execution of court decisions.
Some positive results of significant legal reforms implemented in Croatia were highlighted in the Monitoring Report on Croatia's Accession Preparations of 26 March 2013. However, further efforts were needed.
This Twinning project was aimed at providing additional support to courts, notaries and employees of the Financial Agency (FINA) in order to extend their competences and powers, simplify the enforcement procedure and raise public awareness.
Overall objective of the project
The overall objective of this project is to provide support to the development of efficient and effective enforcement system in the Republic of Croatia.
Project purpose
The purpose of the project is to improve the enforcement system in order to further contribute to the reduction of court backlogs, as well as to contribute to the Programme of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the Adoption and Implementation of the Acquis Communautaire.
Expected results
- Strengthening institutional and administrative capacities of stakeholder institutions with regards to the enforcement monitoring system
- Strengthening inter-institutional cooperation of stakeholders participating in the enforcement system
- Raising public awareness of the enforcement system
Over the course of the project, seminars, round tables, working groups, and conferences were organised that included the participation of Spanish attorneys from the justice administration, Hungarian notaries and communication technology experts in the justice area. The Croatian participants were from municipal and county courts, the Association of Notaries, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and the Bar Association, among others.
With the aim of promoting the participation of all the stakeholders, and of the public in general, various round tables were organised on a wide range of subjects. For example, there were four round tables in Zagreb, Varaždin, Zadar and Split to discuss ways of improving the system for supervising enforcement of court judgements. In addition, round tables were held to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation between the stakeholders, as well as solutions for improving communication and information exchange between institutions.
In addition, the project facilitated the creation of a series of practical guidelines for judicial agents, a protocol for information flows, and approval of a Communication Plan containing an overall strategy for increasing public awareness. Lastly, a website was designed for law enforcement, which will provide clear and concise information about the enforcement system. The website will also be easy to use and provide up-to-date content.
Project duration: 24 months, April 2014 - April 2016
Total project value: 1,302,989.08 EUR