Associations Protest Unequal Treatment

22 May 2008

The group of civil society organizations, provoked by an article published by `Globus` weekly magazine of May 9, 2008, expressed, in an open letter to the Government of Croatia, its discontent with Government`s actions that violate the principles listed in the 2006 National Strategy for Creation of Stimulating Environment for the Development of Civil Society.

In the letter, they demand from the Government to present its positions in the negotiations with the EU in public, believing that Croatian public is entitled to know what is it that the Governmetn negotiates and that there are no valid reasons that the Government could invoke to justify the secrecy of negotiations.

Having in mind the fact that every country is given little leeway in terms of the acceptance of the EU acquis communautaire with few options to demand exhemptions from the EU`s legal norms, it is unclear, say the CSOs, why the Government demanded to seek permanent exhemption from VAT only for religious communities, and not for all CSOs and non-profit organisations.

-We believe that the Government, through failure to publish its positions in the negotiatiosn, causes suspicions with the citizens in terms of its intents and the work it does, and doesn`n contribute, in any way or fashion, to strengthened public trust in the institutions of power, comment the CSOs in their letter.

They add that the Government has to explain why it sought exhemption for just one type of non-profit organizations, in spite of its 2006 National Strategy, which promotes equal treatment for all non-profits. They demand urgent meeting in which they will get answers to their questions.

The letter is signed by ACT, B.a.B.e., Cenzura Plus, CMS, DIM, Fade In, Forum za slobodu odgoja, GONG, Koordinacija udruga za djecu, Protagora, TI Hrvatska, ZamirNet, Zelena akcija, Zelena Istra i Zenska soba.