Fundamental documents and regulations
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia is the highest legal and political law and the fundamental constitutive state document, which was passed by the Croatian Parliament on its session held on December 21st and declared on December 22nd 1990 (the so-called “Christmas” Constitution). The House of Representatives passed the first amendments and addendums with the Constitutional law on the amendments and addendums to the Croatian Constitution on December 12th 1997; the second amendments and addendums under the title of The Amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia on November 9th 2000, after which there was another Amendment of the Constitution on March 28th 2001 [1]. The last amendments and addendums to the Constitution were passed by the Croatian Parliament on its session held on June 16th 2010. The Croatian Constitution is regarded as one of the modern democratic constitutions. Even two thirds of the Constitution contain standards on the protection of fundamental freedom and rights. It consists of ten parts (headings), and by its number of articles (152) and the size of the text, it is considered to be one of the shorter European constitutions. The Croatian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech, exchange of information, as well as the right to freedom of association for the purposes of protection of common interests or promotion of social, economic, political, national, cultural and other convictions and aims.
The Official Gazzette, 85/2010
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Offical Gazette, numbers: 135/1997, 8/1998, 113/2000, 124/2000, 28/2001, 41/2001, 55/2001, 76/2010, 85/2010
LAW ON ASSOCIATIONS
The Law on Associations regulates the foundation and activities of associations as the most numerous type of civil society organizations in Croatia. The Law elaborates on the constitutional right to the citizens’ associations, defining them as all forms of free and voluntary partnership of more natural persons, or legal entities, for the purposes of protection of their benefits or promotion of human rights protection and freedom, ecological, humanitarian, informational, cultural, national, pronatalist, educational, social, vocational, sports, technical, health, scientific or other beliefs and aims, with no intention of profit-making
The Offical Gazzete, 74/2014
LAW ON TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
The Law on Trusts and Foundations regulates the foundation and actions of a specific form of CSOs- trusts- the intention of which is to act permanently on achieving a certain generally useful or benevolent purpose, whether by themselves or via donations. The purpose of a trust is that of a general use, i.e. charitable, even if it concerns only those people belonging to a certain class, profession, national, linguistic, cultural, scientific and religious group or likewise, or to a certain group of people, i.e. people living in a certain area or who are included in the actions of a certain association, institution or other legal entity.
The Official Gazette, 36/1995
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 4/1996, 64/2001
LAW ON INSTITUTIONS
The Law on Institutions regulates the foundation and operations of institutions as organizations for permanent activities in the fields of education, science, information, sports, physical education, technical culture, childcare, health system, social services, disabled persons’ care and other activities, if they are not performed with the aim of making a profit. An institution can be founded by citizens as natural persons, so that they can be included in civil society organizations, while public institutions are mainly founded by the state or local and regional self-government units.
The Official Gazette, 76/1993
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 29/1997, 47/1999, 35/2008
LAW ON POLITICAL PARTIES
With their unrestricted foundation and permanent participation in the establishment of the citizens’ political will, political parties are the expression of democratic multiparty system as a part of the highest values of the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia. With the foundation of political parties, the citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of association for the purposes of protection of common interests or promotion of political, social, economic, national, cultural or other beliefs and aims. In terms of this Law, political parties are those associations whose objectives are expressed in their programs and statues, aimed at making and forming political will and political actions of the citizens.
The Official Gazette, 76/1993
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 111/1996, 164/1998, 036/2001, 028/2006
Unions:
Twenty-two unions of higher level have been founded in the Republic of Croatia since the enforcement of the Law on Labour and the registration of union associations, in line with the conditions determined by this Law. The functionality of union associations is determined by the Law on determining the representation of union associations of higher level in tri-partite bodies on the national level. Out of all the unions functioning in the whole of Republic of Croatia, or two and more counties, 311 unions have been registered, including 22 unions of higher level. The lists of the registered unions can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Pension System.
There are six representative union headquarters:
In the Republic of Croatia there are currently three associations of employers of higher level registered at the Ministry of Labor and Pension System, and these are: the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), the Alliance of Independent Employers’ Associations (SNUP) and the Confederation of Croatian Industry and Entrepreneurs (KHIP). The Croatian Employers’ Association is the only representative association of employers. There are also 54 associations of employers acting in the whole area of the Republic of Croatia or two or more counties, as well as six employers’ associations acting in the area of only one county. The lists of the registered associations of employers can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Pension System.
LAW ON LEGAL STATUS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
In terms of this Law, the Church or any religious community by a different name is a community of natural persons who practice freedom of religion by equal public performance of religious services and other demonstrations of their religion, enlisted in the Register of religious communities in the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, the Law on the Legal Status of Religious Communities does not specifically determine religious communities as non-profit legal entities that act for the public good, but it contains provisions implying such type of activities of religious communities.
The Official Gazette, 83/2002
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 9/2003
The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia is the highest legal and political law and the fundamental constitutive state document, which was passed by the Croatian Parliament on its session held on December 21st and declared on December 22nd 1990 (the so-called “Christmas” Constitution). The House of Representatives passed the first amendments and addendums with the Constitutional law on the amendments and addendums to the Croatian Constitution on December 12th 1997; the second amendments and addendums under the title of The Amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia on November 9th 2000, after which there was another Amendment of the Constitution on March 28th 2001 [1]. The last amendments and addendums to the Constitution were passed by the Croatian Parliament on its session held on June 16th 2010. The Croatian Constitution is regarded as one of the modern democratic constitutions. Even two thirds of the Constitution contain standards on the protection of fundamental freedom and rights. It consists of ten parts (headings), and by its number of articles (152) and the size of the text, it is considered to be one of the shorter European constitutions. The Croatian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech, exchange of information, as well as the right to freedom of association for the purposes of protection of common interests or promotion of social, economic, political, national, cultural and other convictions and aims.
The Official Gazzette, 85/2010
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Offical Gazette, numbers: 135/1997, 8/1998, 113/2000, 124/2000, 28/2001, 41/2001, 55/2001, 76/2010, 85/2010
LAW ON ASSOCIATIONS
The Law on Associations regulates the foundation and activities of associations as the most numerous type of civil society organizations in Croatia. The Law elaborates on the constitutional right to the citizens’ associations, defining them as all forms of free and voluntary partnership of more natural persons, or legal entities, for the purposes of protection of their benefits or promotion of human rights protection and freedom, ecological, humanitarian, informational, cultural, national, pronatalist, educational, social, vocational, sports, technical, health, scientific or other beliefs and aims, with no intention of profit-making
The Offical Gazzete, 74/2014
LAW ON TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
The Law on Trusts and Foundations regulates the foundation and actions of a specific form of CSOs- trusts- the intention of which is to act permanently on achieving a certain generally useful or benevolent purpose, whether by themselves or via donations. The purpose of a trust is that of a general use, i.e. charitable, even if it concerns only those people belonging to a certain class, profession, national, linguistic, cultural, scientific and religious group or likewise, or to a certain group of people, i.e. people living in a certain area or who are included in the actions of a certain association, institution or other legal entity.
The Official Gazette, 36/1995
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 4/1996, 64/2001
LAW ON INSTITUTIONS
The Law on Institutions regulates the foundation and operations of institutions as organizations for permanent activities in the fields of education, science, information, sports, physical education, technical culture, childcare, health system, social services, disabled persons’ care and other activities, if they are not performed with the aim of making a profit. An institution can be founded by citizens as natural persons, so that they can be included in civil society organizations, while public institutions are mainly founded by the state or local and regional self-government units.
The Official Gazette, 76/1993
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 29/1997, 47/1999, 35/2008
LAW ON POLITICAL PARTIES
With their unrestricted foundation and permanent participation in the establishment of the citizens’ political will, political parties are the expression of democratic multiparty system as a part of the highest values of the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia. With the foundation of political parties, the citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of association for the purposes of protection of common interests or promotion of political, social, economic, national, cultural or other beliefs and aims. In terms of this Law, political parties are those associations whose objectives are expressed in their programs and statues, aimed at making and forming political will and political actions of the citizens.
The Official Gazette, 76/1993
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 111/1996, 164/1998, 036/2001, 028/2006
Unions:
Twenty-two unions of higher level have been founded in the Republic of Croatia since the enforcement of the Law on Labour and the registration of union associations, in line with the conditions determined by this Law. The functionality of union associations is determined by the Law on determining the representation of union associations of higher level in tri-partite bodies on the national level. Out of all the unions functioning in the whole of Republic of Croatia, or two and more counties, 311 unions have been registered, including 22 unions of higher level. The lists of the registered unions can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Pension System.
There are six representative union headquarters:
- The Croatian Association of Unions
- The Independent Croatian Unions
- Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia
- Workers’ Trade Union Association of Croatia
- Trade Union in Printing and Publishing Industry of Croatia
- Association of Croatian Trade Unions
In the Republic of Croatia there are currently three associations of employers of higher level registered at the Ministry of Labor and Pension System, and these are: the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), the Alliance of Independent Employers’ Associations (SNUP) and the Confederation of Croatian Industry and Entrepreneurs (KHIP). The Croatian Employers’ Association is the only representative association of employers. There are also 54 associations of employers acting in the whole area of the Republic of Croatia or two or more counties, as well as six employers’ associations acting in the area of only one county. The lists of the registered associations of employers can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Pension System.
LAW ON LEGAL STATUS OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
In terms of this Law, the Church or any religious community by a different name is a community of natural persons who practice freedom of religion by equal public performance of religious services and other demonstrations of their religion, enlisted in the Register of religious communities in the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, the Law on the Legal Status of Religious Communities does not specifically determine religious communities as non-profit legal entities that act for the public good, but it contains provisions implying such type of activities of religious communities.
The Official Gazette, 83/2002
Amendments and addendums / by-laws:
The Official Gazette, 9/2003