Minister Habijan at JHA Council meeting in Dublin

Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan participated in the Informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, which took place in Dublin on 16 and 17 July 2026

Among the topics of the meeting were children's rights in judicial proceedings, with Croatia presenting the implementation of the joint EU and Council of Europe project for "Implementing the Barnahus model in Croatia", aimed at establishing the Children's House for child victims and witnesses of violence or abuse.

Justice ministers discussed the right of the child to be heard in private family law proceedings and how to provide information to children before, during and after proceedings. Particular attention was paid to how to adapt the information to the age, maturity and needs of the child so that the child can understand the final court decision.

Croatia presented the national legislative framework that ensures the right of children to information, consultation and expression of opinions in proceedings relating to their rights and interests, while also highlighting the important role of special guardians in the protection of children's rights.

One of the central topics of the meeting was the discussion on the retention of electronic communications data for criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Data apart from the content of communication, such as subscriber data, IP addresses, device location and the time and duration of communication, can be essential to identify or locate suspects and accused persons, to locate victims and to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the commission of criminal offences.

The discussion focused on the need for a possible legislative regulation of this area at European Union level and on aligning effective criminal investigations and prosecutions with the protection of fundamental rights, in particular the right to privacy and the protection of personal data. Croatia supported the establishment of a clear and precisely defined European legislative framework and a uniform approach to data retention.

In conclusion, ministers exchanged views on the role of the criminal justice system in countering the harmful effects of violent or extreme pornography, the need for a coordinated response at European Union level and the strengthening of preventive measures and coordination of public policies.

Croatia stressed the importance of Article 5 of Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence and the need to put in place measures to remove or disable access to violent or extreme pornography where removal is not possible. Existing criminal justice solutions related to child pornography were also presented, including the criminalisation of its possession, production and distribution.

PHOTO: Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026

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