Minister Habijan at final conference of NFM Justice and Home Affairs Programme

Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan participated in the final conference of the Justice and Home Affairs Programme of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, held in Zagreb on 7 June.

Apart from Minister Habijan, opening addressed were delivered by Spomenka Đurić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, and Helge Klouman Marstrander, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Norway to Croatia. 
  
"The results of this project have certainly contributed to the development of the judicial system in Croatia, but also to the strengthening of bilateral relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Kingdom of Norway", said State Secretary Đurić.  
  
Deputy Head of Mission Marstrander underlined the importance of a quality justice system as the cornerstone of any democracy, saying it was important to ensure that the future of the judiciary remained strong and independent. He also expressed anticipation for further cooperation and partnership with Croatia in the field of justice.  

Minister Habijan stressed that, in addition to the completion of the Programme, the conference was also organised to mark a successful partnership with the Kingdom of Norway.  

“Thanks to the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms, we have made strides in the judiciary of the Republic of Croatia. First of all, in infrastructure, digitalisation, but also in the strengthening of human resources, especially when it comes to our probation service. Last week we had a meeting with all the probation offices in Croatia and I take this opportunity to commend them for their work, which is more than challenging", the Minister said.

He highlighted that 17.11m euros were received from the Programme, but considering the changes achieved in the judicial system, its real value far exceeded that amount. The largest share of funds was spent on infrastructure investments and the purchase of electronic monitoring equipment for the probation system.  

Furthermore, funds from the Mechanism were invested in building new premises for the Municipal Court in Split.  

“The procurement of electronic monitoring equipment will absolutely contribute to addressing what we all often mention when talking about the judiciary, namely the length of proceedings and the backlog of cases”, said the Minister.  
  
"A modern judiciary is unthinkable without high quality, fast and secure electronic services", said the Minister, adding that for the first time since the country’s independence the portfolio of a ministry includes digital transformation, which extends much further than the judiciary and public administration.  

Minister Habijan also spoke about further investments in the judicial system, specifically, further improvement of the judges’ performance evaluation system and the promotion of more extensive use of court-annexed mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution in courts.  

"The rule of law is not only a common value, but also a common objective. I expect that we will continue this successful cooperation in the coming period. The doors of the Ministry are open to all stakeholders of the justice system. We are here for you, we need to maintain open communication to achieve our goals and make further progress", concluded the Minister. 

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