Natko Vlahovic, CEUBC Director Appointed External Member to the Croatian Parliament European Affairs Committee

On Friday, 7 February 2013, the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) named Mr. Natko Vlahovic, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Croatia-EU Business Council (CEUBC), as one of six external (expert) members to the Sabor European Affairs Committee, chaired by Croatian MP Daniel Mondekar (SDP).  The Committee consists of 14 MPs and six external members.  Nominated by the CEUBC, Mr. Vlahovic will continue to promote CEUBC primary objective of building strategic partnerships between Croatia and the European Union (EU) with a focus on business development between Croatia, the EU, and EU member states. Given Mr. Vlahovic's extensive professional career in EU affairs and entrepreunerial experience, he will give a unique private sector perspective to the strategic work of the Sabor European Affairs Committee.

 The Committee exercises parliamentary authority in European affairs, except in issues relating to the common foreign and security policy of the European Union.  Some of the committee's activities include the following:

  - Consider the documents of the EU and the positions of the Republic of Croatia on EU documents, and shall have the possibility to   adopt conclusions thereon;

 - Consider the reports of the Government on the meetings of the Council of the EU

 - Verify compliance with the principle of subsidiarity;

 - Adopt a conclusion proposing to the competent authority to implement the regulatory impact assessment procedure in accordance with Croatian legislation;

 - Take part in the process of nomination of the candidates of the Republic of Croatia for EU institutions and bodies;

 - Monitor the alignment of the legal system of the Republic of Croatia with the EU acquis;

 - Co-operate with the European Parliament and European Affairs Committees of EU member states' national parliaments;

 - Propose to the Speaker of Parliament to conduct a debate on the position of the Republic of Croatia for the European Council  meeting; 

- Submits an annual report on its activities to Parliament.

- The European Affairs Committee shall have the rights and duties of the competent working body in European affairs pertaining to:

          - adopting conclusions on the application of the passerelle clause;     

          - amending the Treaties of the European Union.

The 14 MPs on the committee include: Chairperson Daniel Mondekar (SDP), Deputy Chairperson Gordan Jandrokovic (HDZ), Deputy Chairperson Jozo Rados (HNS), Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic (SDP), Davor Bozinovic (HDZ), Martina Dalic (HDZ), Peda Grdbin (SDP), Boro Grubisic (HDSSB), Romana Jerkovic (SDP), Tomislav Klaric (HDZ), Igor Kolman (HNS), Damir Mateljan (SDP), Frano Matusic (HDZ), Milorad Pupovac (SDSS), Igor Radenovic (SDP), Branko Vuksic (HL), and Dragica Zgrebec (SDP).

The Sabor appointed the following external members of the committee (with the organisation that they are representing): Natko Vlahovic (Croatia EU Business Council), Goran Bandov (University College of International Re¬lations and Diplomacy Dag Hammarskjold), Ana Gruden (Croa¬tian Association of Business Women), Zlatko Komadina (Prefect, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County), Visnja Samardzija (Institute for De¬velopment and International Relations), and Nikolina Klaic (Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia).