This Law regulates the entire system and operation of civil protection; rights and obligations of state administration bodies, local and regional self-government units, legal and natural persons. This text further defines: training and educational issues for the needs of civil protection systems; civil protection financing; administrative and inspection supervision over the effective implementation of these rules; and other issues important for the Croatian civil protection system. Civil protection is a system of organizing participants, operational forces and citizens for the protection and rescue of people, animals, material and cultural goods and for the protection of environment in major disasters and catastrophes and for elimination of the consequences of terrorism and war destruction. Civil protection is of public interest for the Republic of Croatia and for its overall security.
This text is divided into sixteen main Chapters and a total of 101 articles. Titles of Chapters are listed as follows: I. General provisions; II. Civil protection system; III. Participants in the civil protection system; IV. Operational forces of the civil protection system; V. Citizens in the civil protection system; VI. Measures and activities in the civil protection system; VIII. Special authorities in the implementation of immediate civil protection measures; VIII. Sign, dresses, identity cards and records of members and operating forces of civil protection; IX. Participation of civil protection system operating forces in international activities; X. Training in the civil protection system; XI. Public information; XII. Awarding of recognitions and awards; XIII. Financing the civil protection system; XIV. Supervision of law enforcement; XV. Misdemeanor provisions; XVI. Transitional and final provisions. Article 93 lists all Regulations adopted under the terms of the previous Law on protection and rescue, and still valid under this Law.
This Law prescribes several restrictions on property and other rights regarding real estate and movables in order to protect the interests and security of the Republic of Croatia, protection and rescue of people, animals, material and cultural goods and of environment. The Law further transposes into the legal order of the Republic of Croatia the terms of the Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directive 96/82/EC.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia, at the proposal of the Head of the State Administration, in accordance with the terms of this Law, shall adopt the following thematic programming national documents: Disaster risk assessment; Disaster risk reduction strategy; Civil protection system development strategy; and National Civil Protection Action Plan.