EU and Ministry of Interior
The Independent Sector for European Integration and International Affairs was founded in 2004 (as Department for European Integration and Peace Missions), and is managed by the Head of Sector.
The Sector deals with the following areas:
- European integration
- Implementation and monitoring of projects
- Peacekeeping missions
Independent Sector for European Integration and International Affairs coordinates the activities of the Ministry of the Interior in the domain of European integration and actively participates in the activities of the harmonisation of legislation and practice with the EU acquis and best practices of the EU Member States. The Sector implements and monitors EU-funded projects, monitors and analyses activities of preparation and participation of police officers in peacekeeping missions and also the work of liaison officers.
Independent Sector for European Integration and International Affairs consists of two departments: Department for European Integration, Implementation and Monitoring of Projects and Department for Peacekeeping Missions and Liaison Officers.
Department for European Integration, Implementation and Monitoring of Projects
Department for European integration, implementation and monitoring of projects conducts professional and coordinative activities regarding cooperation with EU institutions in the area of internal affairs; coordinates the work of organizational units of the Ministry of the Interior, whose representatives take part in activities of European institutions; prepares written materials and participates in activities of common bodies established according the Stabilisation and Accession Agreement; coordinates preparation of reports on achievements in conducting reforms under from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior; monitoring development of acquis communautaire under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Interior; coordinates harmonisation of national legislation with acquis communautaire concerning internal affairs; participates in preparing legal acts from the jurisdiction of Ministry of the Interior aimed at achieving harmonisation with acquis communautaire; cooperates with domestic and international authorities in the procedure of harmonisation; conducts professional and coordinative activities regarding development and improvement of international cooperation from the area of internal affairs; coordinates preparing and implementation of all projects financed from European Union funds.
For the purpose of conducting activities of the Department for European Integration, Implementation and Monitoring of Projects, the Section for European Integration and Section for Implementation and Monitoring of Projects have been established.
Section for European Integration
Section for European Integration monitors and analyses the situation regarding European affairs; it initiates amendments to the laws and other regulations which fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior and cooperates in their drafting; the Section monitors and analyses the normative harmonisation of internal legislation with the EU acquis; it gives opinions and advice, and performs other tasks regarding the European integration; implements other duties from its scope of work, coordinates the work of police officers in EU working bodies.
The Section cooperates with other governmental bodies and institutions, particularly in the field of monitoring and coordination of harmonisation of legislation under MoI’s jurisdiction with the acquis communautaire in the area of justice and home affairs.
Also, the Section for European Integration encompasses other areas such as: Information flow between relevant EU bodies and national institutions; Communication and consultation with the national Permanent Representation; analysing the impact of new policies and legislation; drafting positions and opinions; participation in Council working groups; participation in committees and expert groups; exchange of opinions and consultation with other Member States; notification and infringement procedure.
Section for Implementation and Monitoring of Projects
Section for Implementation and Monitoring of Projects, coordinates activities and provides technical support to all organizational units of the Ministry of the Interior in the field of programming, preparation, implementation and reporting on usage of funds from the European Union. The Section proposes new projects and activities which are necessary for the use of EU funds, provides for the use of European Union funds; coordinates programming, implementation, assessment and evaluation of projects funded by the European Union; works on the development of sector analysis, project proposals, logical matrix and project summaries; prepares tender documentation, evaluate tender offers, prepares monitoring reports of the implementation of projects, maintains liaison with external evaluators and auditors regarding projects, carries out other tasks in its scope.
The Section has participated in the implementation of projects from completed programmes of the European Union financial assistance – CARDS and Phare, and is in process of implementation of the projects from pre-accession fund IPA. The Section has coordinated activities and participated in programming and preparing proposal of Ministry of the Interior for implementing Transition Facility. The Program Mission of European Commission, which had mandate in December 2012, supported proposals of the Ministry of the Interior for 5 operations (projects), in total value of 4.970.000 EUR.
The Section also participates in the preparation for the implementation of funds from General Programme "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows" – SOLID for budget period from the time of accession to EU until the end of 2014. The Section will participate in preparation and implementation of projects from EU funds in the scope of internal affairs for budget period from 2014 to 2020 – Internal Security Fund and Asylum and Migrations Fund.
The Section contributes to programing, and will participate in the activities implementing Schengen Facility Fund allocated for financing protection of external borders of EU, i.e. for preparing Republic of Croatia to access Schengen Area. Allocated funds for that purpose, which will be available after accession of the Republic of Croatia, amounts to 120 million EUR.
So far, the European Commission approved total of 44 CARDS, Phare and IPA projects for the Ministry of the Interior. The total value of EU-funded projects in the Ministry of the Interior that have been implemented, or are in their implementation or preparation phase, amounts to 86.860.428,75 EUR. National projects amount to 65.228.124,75 and regional 21.632.304,00 EUR. The final approval of the IPA 2012 and IPA20 13 projects is accepted in total value of 5.212.000,00 EUR and the first programming mission of the European Commission supported the proposals for Transitional instrument in the total value of 4.970.000,00 EUR. Up to now, over 30 projects in the Ministry of the Interior have been finished in the total value of 89.437.095,75 EUR.
Department for Peace Keeping Missions and Police Liaison Officers
Department for Peace Keeping Missions and Police Liaison Officers is organisational unit of the Ministry of the Interior competent for monitoring and analysis of activities of preparations and participation of police officers in peace keeping missions, as well as monitoring of the work and conduct of police liaison officers. Basic tasks of the Department are coordination of international activities of the Ministry of the Interior in the field of peace keeping missions and all activities regarding secondment of police liaison officers of the Ministry of the Interior abroad, selection, education and coordination of secondment of police officers in peace keeping missions; providing logistic support to police officers who are seconded to peace keeping missions and surveillance, monitoring and analysis of their work, the work of police officers deployed in peace keeping missions and police liaison officers.
Police officers are seconded to peace keeping missions on the basis of the Law on participation of members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, police, civil protection and civil servants and employees in peace keeping missions and other activities abroad, i.e. on the basis of the Rulebook on deployment of police officers in peace keeping missions and other activities abroad (Official Gazette No. 118/2012). Conditions, way of selection, preparation and secondment of police officers of the Ministry of the Interior abroad, as well as their rights and commitments are regulated by the Rulebook on police liaison officers (Official Gazette no. 107/2012).
Starting from 2005, the Department for Peace Keeping Missions, in cooperation with other organisational units of the Ministry of the Interior, organises the basic UN course for education of police officers for participation in UN peace keeping missions (UNPOC). From that year the training is being conducted in Valbandon, near Pula, in organisation of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia. So far, 139 police officers of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, Military police, as well as police officers from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Iraq, Lithuania, Sweden, Malawi, Uganda, Yemen and Israel completed the mentioned international course.
Procedure of secondment of police officer to peace keeping mission:
- The Government of the Republic of Croatia upon the proposal of the minister of the interior and with consent of the minister of foreign affairs, brings a decision on participation of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia in certain peace keeping mission, in which the number of police officers is defined, who, at some point, are eligible for secondment.
- Police officer is seconded to the peace keeping mission on the basis of the minister’s decision. After that a Contract is being signed on participation in peace keeping mission.
- Candidates who pass selection procedure continue with further preparations for secondment.
- Medical checks and interview with a psychologist.
- Possible necessary vaccination
- Issuing the official passport and obtaining of possible necessary visas through the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
- Equipment with parts of uniforms and equipment and possibly with some specialist uniform and equipment necessary for certain missions.
- Candidates are nominated for secondment of UN according to regular procedure based on rotation within the contingent, and for an EU mission in accordance with published tenders.
The Ministry of the Interior participates in the following peace keeping missions:
- EUPOL-police mission of the EU in Afghanistan
- EULEX-EU Mission for establishment of the rule of law in Kosovo
- UNMIK-Kosovo
- UNFICYP-Cyprus
- MINUSTAH-Haiti
- NATO/ISAF
