Aware of the importance of European policies for the lives of citizens, and the insufficiently active role of parliament in shaping national positions that guide European policies, Gong will monitor the work of the Parliamentary Committee on EU Affairs in order to bring European affairs closer to citizens and civil society.
Last week's session of the Committee on European Affairs of the Croatian Parliament was dedicated to two key topics related to Croatia's activities within the European Union. At the session held on 27 June 2025, the European Commission's Work Programme for 2025 was presented to the public, while the Proposal for a Work Programme for the Consideration of the Position of the Republic of Croatia for 2025, as in previous years, was adopted without a public debate, which will be held when individual legislative proposals are submitted to Parliament.
Adoption of the Proposal for a Work Programme for the Consideration of the Position of the Republic of Croatia for 2025
The Work Programme is the basis for considering and adopting national positions on European Union documents, which include proposals for legislative and non-legislative EU acts. The Committee on European Affairs adopts this programme at the beginning of each year, based on the Commission Work Programme, the programme of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the priorities submitted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
Unlike the Commission programme, the Work Programme for the consideration of the position of the Republic of Croatia for 2025 was voted on without debate and without presenting the key guidelines and priorities to the public. This lacked transparency in terms of informing the public about the activities of this Committee and the legislative proposals that will arrive at the sessions of the European Parliament during 2025 and, after being voted on, will be transferred to Croatian legislation. The European Shield for the Protection of Democracy and the EU Strategy for Supporting, Protecting and Empowering Civil Society are of particular importance in the current Gong programme. Other civil society organisations may find various other legislative acts scheduled for 2025 of importance, such as the new Gender Equality Strategy, the European Strategy for Migration and Asylum, the Consumer Strategy until 2030, the Amendment of the European Climate Law, the Ocean Pact, etc. The entire Work Program for the Consideration of the Position of the Republic of Croatia for 2025 can be found at the LINK.
The role of the Parliament in European affairs
The Parliament participates in the decision-making process in the European Union by supervising the activities of the Government in the institutions of the European Union. It does this by adopting conclusions on the positions of the Republic of Croatia and the European Union documents based on which the Government acts in the institutions, by conducting debates on meetings of the European Council and the Council of the European Union, and by participating in the process of proposing candidates for the institutions and bodies of the European Union. The main committee for exercising these powers of the Parliament is the Committee on European Affairs, which in this convocation of the Parliament is chaired by Jelena Miloš from the Možemo! (We Can!) party.
By considering positions on European Union documents, the Parliament exercises supervision over the activities of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in the decision-making processes of the Council of the EU. The positions of the member states are the official positions that their governments take and represent in the bodies of the European Union during the decision-making process. They reflect national interests and policies, harmonizing them with the objectives and legislation of the EU. Most often, these are proposals for legislative acts of the European Union, adopted by the Government or another body designated by the Government and submitted to the Parliament. The position is the basis for the Parliament's supervision of the Government's activities in European affairs, i.e. the indirect participation of the Parliament in European affairs.
As the parent body for European affairs, the Parliamentary Committee for European Affairs plays a key role in overseeing the work of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in the EU institutions. At the beginning of each year, it adopts a Work Programme for considering the position of the Republic of Croatia, which is drawn up based on the European Commission Work Programme, the Council Presidency Programme, and the list of priority proposals for legislative acts of the European Union submitted by the Government to the Parliament. Proposals for documents to be included in the Work Programme are submitted to the Committee for European Affairs by the parent working bodies, either at the proposal of the working bodies or on its own initiative. The Committee for European Affairs may subsequently amend the Work Programme during the year. The Government, or a working body of the Government, immediately upon adoption submits to the Parliament the positions of the Republic of Croatia on the documents from the Work Programme.
Presentation of the European Commission Programme
The European Commission Work Programme for 2025, entitled "Forward Together: A Bolder, Simpler and Faster Union", was presented by Dubravka Šuica, Croatian Member of the European Commission and Commissioner for the Mediterranean. It highlights the ambition to further simplify European procedures, accelerate decision-making and strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the Union, especially in the context of global challenges and security threats. The same document was presented to the European Parliament on 11 February 2025. Neither the Parliament nor the Committee vote on the Commission's Work Programme, but take note of it.
At the beginning of her presentation, Šuica mentioned that the presentation of the Programme had been delayed due to the geopolitical situation. The Programme consists of 51 initiatives aimed at three key objectives: strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy, security and defence, and preserving social cohesion and the quality of life of citizens. Due to the limited time allocated for the session, the Croatian Commissioner did not have time to fully present what she had prepared, and the Committee members took questions. Most of them focused on Šuica's portfolio, with a number of questions on Palestine, Israel and migration from the southern Mediterranean, while some were on other European topics, as well as the crucial Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034, the proposal of which the Commission will present on 16 July, followed by a long period of negotiations and harmonisation throughout 2026 and 2027. The formal approval of the new MFF requires unanimous agreement by EU Member States and the consent of the European Parliament.
The presentation provided insight into the Commission's legislative priorities and highlighted the importance of the active participation of Member States in shaping European policies. It is in this context that the Croatian Parliament, through its Committee on European Affairs, plays an important role in participating in European affairs, as well as in supervising the decisions of the executive branch, i.e., the Government.
The session highlighted the importance of parliamentary oversight of European affairs, as well as the need for greater transparency, particularly regarding national plans and positions within the EU, and increased public involvement. In addition to members of the Committee on European Affairs, the session was attended by other chairmen of working bodies and interested MEPs, members of the European Parliament, and external members of the Committee. There were no representatives of civil society or other guests. With an increasingly dynamic environment, effective and inclusive action at the European level, as well as the involvement of citizens in work, remains a key challenge for Croatian institutions.
As we have warned in GongG's previous works, improving the openness, inclusiveness and transparency of the management of European affairs in the Member States is crucial for stimulating citizens' interest and engagement in EU policies, as well as for strengthening their competences and knowledge about the Union, but also for advocating for the values it represents. However, the democratization of the process of managing European affairs as a basis for strengthening European democracy is also necessary at the level of EU institutions, as is the transparency and inclusiveness of the design of European public policies.
