One of the priorities of the Republic of Croatia is its accession and membership in the European Union. For this reason, in 2004, within the Ministry of the Interior, a new organizational unit was founded, the Department for the European Integration and Peace Missions, which is managed by the Head of the Department. Concerning the exceptional significance of this Department, an assistant minister was appointed as the head of it and he also carries out the function of the intermediary coordinator for the Department, the position held by Mr Filip Dragović.
The Department deals with the following areas:
The Department for the European Integration and Peace Missions puts forward the proposals for the measures related to the approximation of the EU standards concerning the affairs of the Ministry of the Interior. It also cooperates, on behalf of the Ministry, with the EU institutions, the national coordinator for the approximation to the EU as well as with all Ministry’s organizational units and all the government administration authorities whose activities are related to the association of the Republic of Croatia with the European Union.
The Department develops the documents needed for the harmonization of Croatian regulations with the EU regulations. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations, it coordinates the implementation of the CARDS projects, sets out proposals and tunes up the development of the aid projects from the PHARE and other preaccession funds and provides for the expert and other kinds of support to the MoI organizational dealing with the implementation of these projects. The implementation of the projects funded through the preacession EU funds is being carried out by the Central Unit that coordinates all the MoI project activities funded by the CARDS and PHARE programs.
You will find the overview of the MoI List of Projects, the status of the projects and the areas of aid, on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration website.
Together with all other organizational units, the Department conducts analysis of the possible needs of the MoI (drafting of the regulations proposals, training programs, investments into infrastructure, equipment and other) and, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, it sets out the project proposals to the EU authorities, to the EU Member States and to other countries and international organizations.
The Department for the European Integration and Peace Missions coordinates all the international activities of the MoI and carries out the selection, trainings and the coordination of secondment of police officers to the peace missions and to the tasks abroad. It provides for the logistic support to the police officers in peace missions and abroad and follows up and analyses their reports and supervises their work.
Peace mission within the NATO
Since 6 January 2005, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior takes part, with two of its police officers, in the NATO / ISAF Peace Mission in Afghanistan within the German PRT, and in August 2005, it seconded the third one. The MoI police officers in Afghanistan are in the capacity of police advisors for the establishment of the police service infrastructure.
Peace missions within the UN
UNMIK – Kosovo
Since May 2005, the Republic of Croatia Ministry of the Interior takes part in the Mission at Kosovo with two police officers, Davor Javorski, in the capacity of the neighbouring countries liaison officer and Kornelija Jakupec, the coordinator for the issues of child abuse.
For their exemplary and professional work in the Missions at Cipar, Kosovo and East Timor, the MoI police officers were conferred decoration for their becoming work and contribution to the UN peace missions.
Since June 2005, three MoI police instructors have been seconded to the International Police Training Centre in Jordan (JIPTC). The JIPTC has been continuously asking for more Croatian police instructors.