VZCZCXYZ0019
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #1494/01 3531423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191423Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7062
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001494 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER 
STATE FOR DRL/IL TU DANG 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID HR
SUBJECT: UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR: CROATIA 
 
REF STATE 184972 
 
¶1. Summary: Croatia has a strong institutional and legal framework 
for protecting the rights of minors and a good track record of 
taking action to prevent child labor.  Problems are isolated and 
infrequent.  Most reported abuses occur in the entertainment, 
hospitality, retail, industrial construction and media sectors.  The 
State Inspectorate has increased and strengthened enforcement of 
child labor legislation, which has led to a higher number of 
citations being issued in 2006. End Summary. 
 
------------------------------ 
Legal and Regulatory Framework 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. The Labor Law sets the minimum age for employment at 15 years; 
children ages 15 to 18 may work only with written permission from a 
legal guardian.  Children under 15 may work or participate in 
artistic or entertainment functions (such as film productions) with 
permission from the parent or guardian and the labor inspectorate, 
provided that the work is not harmful to the child's health, 
morality, education, or development.  The Ministry of Economy, 
Labor, and Entrepreneurship (MELE) enforces the minimum age of 
employment.  According to stipulations in the Labor Law and the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act, children under age 18 are 
prohibited from working overtime, at night, under dangerous labor 
conditions, or in any other job that might be harmful to a child's 
health, morality, or development.  Minors under age 18 are expressly 
prohibited from working in bars, nightclubs, and gambling 
establishments.  The Family Law contains provisions for the 
protection of the rights and welfare of children.  The Children's 
Ombudsman coordinates government efforts to promote and protect the 
interests of children and is obliged to report any findings of 
exploitation to the State Attorney's Office.  The Constitution 
prohibits forced or bonded labor, and the Criminal Code bans 
individuals from forcing children to beg.  The minimum age for 
conscription into the military is 18.  Croatia signed and ratified 
ILO Convention 182. 
 
¶3. The worst forms of child labor may be prosecuted under different 
statutes in Croatia.  The Criminal Code outlaws international 
prostitution, including solicitation of a minor, and prohibits 
procurement of minors for sexual purposes.  The law also forbids 
using children for pornography.  Article 178 (1) of the Criminal 
Code indicates that international prostitution pertains to 
"[w]hoever tempts, recruits or instigates the other person to 
provide sexual services for profit in a country other than the one 
of whose residence or citizenship that person is," and Article 178 
(2) indicates, "[w]ho compels another person by using physical 
force, or induces that person using threats, or by deceit to go to a 
country other than the country of that person's residence or 
citizenship, to provide sexual services for money..."  In July 2004, 
the Criminal Code was amended, introducing Trafficking of Persons 
and Slavery as a separate criminal act with a minimum prison 
sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 15 years, when a 
child or a minor is involved (this provision went into force as of 
October 1, 2004). In 2006, changes to the same provision provide for 
imprisonment of 3 months to 3 years for perpetrators who knowingly 
use TIP victims. 
 
------------------------------ 
Implementation and Enforcement 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. The Labor Inspectorate of Croatia implements and enforces child 
labor legislation.  The office employs 102 inspectors, who are 
responsible for enforcing labor laws and regulations.  Special 
attention is paid to the employment of minors.  In addition to 
following up on complaints of possible violations, the Inspectorate 
also conducts unannounced site inspections.  Such inspections have 
intensified since 2004, resulting in an increase in the number of 
issued violations.  The Labor Inspectorate has ordered the Ministry 
of Interior and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to search 
for and process violators more stringently and called for better 
cooperation between social agencies and police.  In a separate 
decision, the GoC ordered the Labor Inspectorate to increase 
inspections of establishments that employ minors. (See paragraph 18 
for data). 
 
¶5. Legal remedies available to government agencies for enforcing 
child labor laws are regulated by the following: 
-Labor law; 
-Regulation on work for which minors may be employed and types of 
employment allowed only after confirmation of physical ability 
(published in National gazette 59/02); 
-Law on Work Safety; 
-Criminal Law; 
-Law on Children's Ombudsmen; 
-Law on Legal Defense; 
-Law on Elementary Education 
-Law on Juvenile Courts; 
-National Program for the Protection of the Best Interests of 
Children 2006-2012; 
-National Plan for the Suppression of Trafficking of 
Children(2005-2007); 
 
¶6. Fines for violating child labor laws range from 1,000 HRK ($150) 
to 100,000 ($18,000), depending upon the gravity of the violation. 
According to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, the 
regulations are, for the most part, adequate and effective, but work 
continues on new regulations to increase the effectiveness of 
protecting children's rights.  In 2006, amendments to the Criminal 
Law included increased minimum fines for violations as well as 
increased jail sentences for crimes in connection with sexual abuse 
of minors.  The amendments were intended to send a stronger message 
to the public, particularly since the courts have frequently been 
lenient towards offenders. 
 
¶7. Croatia has reached general global standards in regard to 
addressing and investigating violations.  The National Program for 
the Protection of the Best Interests of Children (2006 -2012) 
includes proposals for developing legislation that regulates the 
types of work and employment of children to further protect children 
from economic exploitation and employment that could be harmful to 
their development and health. 
 
¶8. Increasing education and awareness of the problems of child labor 
and other children's issues is done in accordance with the laws and 
national plans.  In 2006, judges were educated about the changes in 
the courts' authority in application of the Family Law. 
 
¶9. The National Plan for Suppressing Trafficking of Children 
includes a protocol for the exchange of information between 
authorities in cases of trafficking, publication of a handbook for 
police officers and social service workers for recognizing 
threatening situations and for the creation of databases that would 
include child victims and current court cases.  The Children's 
Council of the State Institute for the Protection of the Family 
monitors and promotes the application of the Convention on the 
Rights of the Child. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Social programs and government initiatives 
------------------------------------------ 
¶10.  The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport offers high 
schools a choice of 15 prevention programs, one of which covers the 
economic exploitation of children.  Each school picks the programs 
that address problems faced by children in their communities.  A 
Ministry of Education official stated that, because exploitation of 
children for economic purposes is not statistically high in Croatia 
and is not currently seen as a threat, the topic is covered, but the 
schools do not usually include the program that covers that issue. 
According to representatives of UNICEF and Djeca Prva (a 
coordinating NGO for 30 child related issues NGOs), there are no 
programs currently offered for preventing the worst forms of child 
labor outside of the scope of the activities provided for under the 
National Action Plan for Children and the National Plan of 
Suppressing Trafficking (See paragraph 14).  Representatives from 
both organizations said this is not a problem they directly cover, 
nor is it a prominently reported problem; however, both stated that 
statistics are lacking. 
 
¶11. Based on the Convention on Children's rights and the 
Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, every child living in 
Croatia is guaranteed and obligated to receive education.  According 
to official statistics from the Ministry of Science, Education and 
Sport, in 2004 enrollment was 96.5 percent.  The Ministry's goal is 
to have 98 percent enrollment by 2010.  The Elementary Education Law 
(1990) requires eight years mandatory education for children, 
beginning at age six.  Children generally complete compulsory 
education at age 14; however, most Croatian children remain in 
school until age 18.  Enrollment statistics are based on the number 
of students formally registered in primary school and therefore do 
not necessarily reflect actual school attendance.  Recent primary 
school attendance statistics are not available. 
 
¶12. Currently, the education system provides special schooling for 
children with special needs in order to prepare them for work in the 
trades sector.  The education system also provides vocational 
education at the high school level for all students interested in 
learning a trade. 
 
¶13. Some ethnic Roma children face obstacles to continuing their 
schooling, such as discrimination in schools and lack of family 
income.  The Office for National Minorities has a special program 
for the inclusion of Roma children in the education system in 
Croatia.  According to the 2003 National Program for Roma, the 
primary obstacle to primary school is poor Croatian language skills. 
 In response, the government has committed funding to support 
additional Croatian language teachers and pre-school instruction for 
Roma children, as well as a meal program in the schools.  Croatia 
also initiated the program, "Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015," to 
better document and aid the Roma minority community. 
 
---------------------- 
Government Initiatives 
---------------------- 
 
¶14.  The Ministry of Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational 
Solidarity developed the National Program for the Protection of the 
Best Interests of Children for 2006-2012, which provides preventive 
and protective measures for children with regard to all types of 
sexual abuse, including commercial sexual exploitation.   In 2004, 
the government adopted a National Strategy for the Suppression of 
Trafficking in Persons from 2005 to 2008 and Operational Plans for 
the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons for 2005, 2006 and 2007. 
 
¶15. The trafficking operational plans for 2006 and 2007 call for the 
implementation of all goals and objectives that are listed in the 
National Program for the Suppression of Trafficking from 2005 to 
2008, as follows: legislative framework, identification of the 
victims, prosecution and penalization of perpetrators, prevention, 
education and help and assistance to the victims, inter-ministerial 
and inter-sectoral cooperation and international cooperation. 
Police screen all illegal migrants for TIP evidence.  Local social 
welfare centers provide assistance to all minor TIP victims. 
Croatia has legislation in place that establishes special procedures 
for cases where victims or perpetrators are minors. In 2004 the 
government established a shelter for victims of trafficking; IOM 
provides assistance and support to victims.  The government also 
conducted in-service police training on trafficking-recognition, 
funded a national hotline for victims of trafficking and 
anti-trafficking awareness campaigns, and co-sponsored with several 
NGOs a number of prevention programs on the trafficking of persons. 
 
¶16. In June 2004, a working group on child trafficking was 
established. The GoC adopted the National Plan for the Suppression 
of Trafficking in Children from 2005 - 2007, which also covers areas 
already mentioned in the GOC National Programs and Operational 
Plans. The National Plan for Children takes into consideration 
special needs of children and is based on principles from the UN 
Convention on the Rights of Children.  In 2006 the GoC organized and 
funded training in cooperation with local NGOs that targeted social 
workers in reception centers responsible for assistance and 
protection of illegal minor migrants. The Child Trafficking 
Prevention Program is implemented by the Center for Social Policy 
Initiatives, a national NGO, in partnership with the Ministry of 
Labor and Social Welfare, the Ministry of the Interior, and IOM. 
Modules have been developed on child trafficking, child 
exploitation, sexual exploitation of children, child pornography, 
and the worst forms of child labor.  Teachers have been trained to 
use the program, and a pilot project is underway in five elementary 
schools in Zagreb.  The government also works with international 
organizations to assist trafficking victims and cooperates with 
other governments in the region.  According to the Ministry of 
Justice, through 2007 Croatia will be participating in a regional 
program implemented by ILO-IPEC on combating child labor in the 
Stability Pact Countries, with a special focus on the worst forms of 
child labor. 
 
----------- 
Recent Data 
----------- 
 
¶17. Statistics on the number of working children under age 15 in 
Croatia are unavailable.  Children are employed in the hospitality, 
retail, industrial, construction, and media (film and reality 
television) sectors.  Roma children reportedly are being forced to 
beg and are also vulnerable in the agricultural sector.  Reports 
indicate that Croatia is primarily a transit country and, to a 
limited extent, is also a source and destination country for 
trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation. 
 
¶18. The most recent data available for the worst forms of child 
labor are for 2005 and include seven persons reported for exploiting 
children for pornography, seven persons charged and 16 sentenced 
(this includes cases from previous years) of which five were 
sentenced to jail and 11 received a suspended sentence.  For the 
period between January 1 and September 30, 2006, the Labor 
Inspectorate reported 38 inspections, during which a total of 103 
violations of legislation that covers child labor were discovered. 
Employers in the fields of hospitality, tourism, retail, industry 
(bakeries), construction and trades services were inspected.  Minors 
(between the ages of 15-17) were found working as waiters and 
assistant waiters (30 minors, 6 male and 24 female), a hairdresser 
(female), cooks (two males), a kitchen assistant (female), bakers 
(three males), salespeople (three males), assistant construction 
workers (two males), and a baggage carrier, pastry maker, and server 
(male).  The violations include the employers withholding work 
contracts, not being in possession of individual permission for 
employing minors, not granting proper break times (daily and 
weekly), endangering the health of a minor, employing a minor under 
the age of 15, keeping minors over-time, scheduling minors to work 
during night hours and not properly registering minors for health 
and pension benefits. 
 
¶19. According to analysis of violations during this and previous 
years, the Labor Inspectorate has determined that violation of 
children's rights in employment is not a common occurrence.  Embassy 
Zagreb's conversations with government officials and NGOs support 
the conclusion that the worst forms of child labor are infrequent in 
Croatia and that the state mechanisms to address them are 
effective. 
 
BRADKTE