On Friday, the Croatian government approved the agreement on the establishment of the National Council for Pensioners and the Elderly, which is to be signed by representatives of pensioners and the elderly.

The Council will be an advisory body to the government, to which it will submit opinions and conclusions on issues such as pension and health insurance, social policy, protection of the elderly and other issues of interest to pensioners and the elderly.

It will consist of 12 members – four representatives of the government, six representatives of pensioners and the elderly who have signed the agreement, one representative of the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) and one representative of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute (HZZO). It will meet at least once every two months.

Package of one-off financial support for 760,000 pensioners adopted

The agreement stipulates that the government representatives will duly inform the Council of the government’s intention to issue regulations and prepare proposals for regulations that fall within the Council’s competence, while the representatives of the HZMO and HZZO will provide information and analyses on issues concerning pensioners and the elderly at the request of the Council.

The representatives of pensioners and the elderly are obliged to harmonise their opinions as far as possible and to submit their initiatives and proposals for legislation within a reasonable period of time, taking into account the economic situation of the country.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic recalled that a fortnight ago, the ninth package of one-off financial support for 760,000 pensioners totalling 76.5 million euros was adopted, bringing the total amount of support for pensioners to around 615 million euros.

“With this proposal, we want to continue our regular and constructive dialogue with pensioners’ representatives via the National Council in our third term of office,” he said.

Plenkovic: The average monthly pension has risen by 73.3% to €620

He said that the status of older people would be at the centre of government activities, adding that a declaration on older people would be proposed as a basis for further initiatives. “As I have already said, our goal is to adopt a law on the elderly that will regulate the status, responsibility and care of the elderly in Croatian society”

Plenkovic pointed out that during his time in government, the average monthly pension had risen by 73.3% to €620 and that the goal was to increase it to between €750 and €800 by the end of the legislative period.

The government has submitted a proposal to parliament to amend the law on the ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Protocols 1, 4, 6, 7 and 11, which withdraws Croatia’s reservation regarding the organisation of public hearings in administrative disputes. Since the Law on Administrative Disputes, which entered into force in 2012, introduced a public hearing in administrative disputes, the reasons for the reservation no longer apply.