STATUTE OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
(simplified text)
CHAPTER I. THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 1.
The area of the Istrian Region is a unit of regional self-government as part of the unique and indivisible, democratic and social Republic of Croatia.
Article 2.
The Istrian Region comprises units of local self-government, the territory of the following towns: Buje-Buie, Buzet, Labin, Novigrad-Cittanova, Pazin, Poreč, Pula, Rovinj-Rovigno and Umag-Umago, and the territory of the municipality of Bale, Barban, Brtonigla-Verteneglio, Cerovlje, Fažana, Gračišće, Grožnjan-Grisignana, Karojba, Kanfanar, Kaštelir-Labinci, Kršan, Raša, Lanišće, Ližnjan, Lupoglav, Sveti Lovreč, Marčana, Medulin, Motovun, Sveta Nedelja, Oprtalj-Portole, Pićan, Sveti Petar u Šumi, Svetvinčenat, Tinjan, Višnjan, Vižinada, Vodnjan, Vrsar, and Žminj.
Article 3.
The Istrian Region is a legal person.
The text "ISTARSKA ŽUPANIJA - REGIONE ISTRIANA" is written on the stamp, the seal, the signboard of the representative, executive, and administrative bodies of the Region, including legal persons with a public authority, and in the title of the acts.
The Istrian Region has its coat of arms, flag, and its day.
The look and the use of the coat of arms and the flag, the hymn and the day of the Istrian Region are regulated by special decisions of the Assembly of the Istrian Region.
Article 4.
The centre of the Assembly of the Istrian Region (hereafter referred to as: the Assembly) is in Pazin.
The centre of the Government of the Istrian Region (hereafter referred to as: the Government) is in Pula.
As a rule, solemn sessions of the Assembly are held in the Istrian Parliament in Poreč.
Article 5.
The Istrian Region is a unit of regional self-government of all its citizens.
Article 6.
In the Istrian Region, the Croatian and the Italian language are in equal official use in the work of the Regional committees in the self-governing domain.
The way of realizing bilingualism is determined by this Statute and by other regulations.
Autochthonous ethnical and cultural, as well as other characteristics of Istria are protected in accordance with regulations of this Statute and other regulations.
Article 7.
The Assembly can make the citizen of honour any person who distinguished himself/herself with special merits. The citizen of honour is awarded a special Charter of the Istrian Region.
Article 8.
The Assembly can give awards and other public recognitions to citizens and other legal persons for outstanding achievement in all fields of economy and social life of significance to the Istrian Region.
Article 9.
The Istrian Region, realizing the common interest in improving social development, establishes collaboration with other regional and local units and their associations.
The Istrian Region can join international organizations and associations of regional and local units.
The Assembly can make a decision about establishing a long-term and lasting collaboration with other regional and local units and their associations.
Article 10.
The Istrian Region especially promotes trans-border collaboration with the Istrian territories in the Republic of Slovenia and in the Italian Republic.
Article 11.
In the procedure of preparing and passing regulations at the level of the Republic of Croatia, the Istrian Region can launch initiatives, express opinions, and make suggestions to authorized bodies.
CHAPTER II. SELF-GOVERNING AND ADMINISTRATIVE DOMAIN
HEAD 1. SELF-GOVERNING DOMAIN
Article 12.
The Istrian Region is independent in deciding about activities in the self-governing domain.
Article 13.
Within limits of the self-governing domain, the Istrian Region:
- Coordinates interests and undertakes activities for a balanced social development of municipalities and towns as parts of the Region and as a part of the Region as a whole,
- Coordinates standpoints of the municipalities and towns on issues decided by bodies of state administration, and coordinates the regulation of issues of common interest decided by municipal and town committees as a part of the Region,
- Decides and provides for conditions for regional planning and zoning, planning settlements and housing, communal activities, infrastructure, the protection and the improvement of natural environment, and the health of its population,
- Decides about and provides for conditions for the development of childcare, social welfare, culture, physical culture, sports, and technical culture, and coordinates the development and the network of educational, cultural, health, social, communal, and other institutions.
- Performs the works that the municipalities and the towns transferred from their self-governing domain to the Region,
- Establishes public institutions and other legal persons with the purpose of realizing common objectives of municipalities, towns, and the Region as a whole,
- Encourages feasible economic development, especially the development of tourism, agriculture, and other branches of economy that do not damage and pollute the environment,
- Regulates other issues of common interest for the municipalities, towns, and the Region as a whole.
Article 14.
The Istrian Region adopts regulations in the following areas:
2. establishment of the Regional institutions and companies and the status of the employed staff,
3. protection of historic, cultural, and national heritage, typical products of Istria and its toponyms,
4. gives opinions regarding the definition and the planning of areas, centres, and names of towns and municipalities,
5. holding referendums,
6. pre-school education, elementary, and high school education,
7. roads, waterworks, and public works of local and Regional interest,
8. town planning and physical planning, the protection of the sea, the landscape, and the environment,
9. cultural, recreational, and sport institutions, museums and libraries of local and Regional interest,
10. employment and social welfare,
11. hygiene and health care, health and hospital insurance, and the rehabilitation of persons with special needs,
12. agriculture and forestry, land improvement, land consolidation, irrigation, fishery, hunting, and fishing,
13. tourism, catering, and entertainment,
14. thermal springs, mines, and excavations,
15. humanitarian and other voluntary organizations,
16. planning ports and maritime lines,
17. airports,
18. water management,
19. network of cooperatives,
20. housing construction,
21. protection of flora and fauna,
22. markets and fairs,
23. fire protection services and rescue services,
24. forecasting and preventing natural disasters and activities during and after them,
25. antiquities and figurative arts,
26. radio, diffuse, TV, and the Internet network.
Article 15.
In the process of making regulations and other acts, the Regional committees regularly confer with authorized bodies of municipalities and towns.
In cases of outstanding importance for an individual municipality or town, the Regional bodies are obliged to obtain a prior opinion of the municipal and town council.
The Istrian Region encourages efficient participation of its citizens in making regulations of public interest, and it guarantees the right of participation to all interested subjects.
The Istrian Region applies principles of decentralization and subsidiariness, simplicity of procedure, and publicity of work as a principle of its own establishment.
Article 16.
The territory and the centre of the Istrian Region can be altered.
The initiative for altering the territory of the Istrian Region can be taken by the Assembly following the especially obtained opinion of representative bodies of municipalities and towns or the citizens of Istria.
HEAD 2. ADMINISTRATIVE DOMAIN
Article 17.
For performing administrative activities in the self-governing domain, the Istrian Region establishes administrative departments.
Administrative departments are established by a special decision of the Assembly.
Administrative departments are managed by heads nominated by the Government on the basis of public competition.
Article 18.
Bodies of central state administration may, along with performing works in their domain, except for the works carried out by public authorities in accordance with the law, use the Regional administrative departments from Article 17. provided that they have a previously written agreement with the President of the Region.
Article 19.
The Istrian Region promotes efficient participation of the citizens of the Region in the realization of regulations of general interest, and it guarantees the right of participation to all interested subjects.
By the decision of the municipal and the town council, some activities in the self-governing domain of the municipality or the town can be transferred to the Region in accordance with the decision of the Assembly.
Article 20.
Centres of administrative departments, divisions, and services are defined by regulations of the assembly, which guarantee representation to towns and municipalities in the area of the Istrian Region.
The rules about the internal order of the administrative departments are defined by the Government.
CHAPTER III. PROTECTION OF AUTOCHTHONOUS, ETHNIC, AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
Article 21.
The Istrian Region promotes social, physical, ethnic, cultural, and other characteristics of Istria.
The Istrian Region promotes Istrian national customs, marking national holidays, protection of autochthonous toponyms, and the preservation of local dialects (Chakavian, Cakavian, Cokavian, Cekavian, Kajkavian, Istriorian, Istro-Venetian, Istro-Romanian, and other) through education about the homeland and other contents.
The Istrian Region encourages the manufacturing and the production of autochthonous Istrian products and services, and it promotes them in the Croatian and international markets, as well as protects them with the special trademark of the Region.
The Assembly defines the trademark, and it regulates its use in accordance with special regulations.
Article 22.
The Istrian Region provides for the protection against any activity that can threaten multicultural and multiethnic characteristics of Istria.
Article 23.
The Istrian Region fosters Istrianism as the traditional expression of regional affiliation of the Istrian multiethnos.
Article 24.
The equal use of the Croatian and the Italian language in the Istrian Region is realized in the following ways:
2. in the procedure before administrative bodies.
Bodies from Subsection 1. of this Article will enable the use and recognize the validity of private legal documents in cases when they are written in the Italian language.
Article 25.
The work of the Assembly and the Government of the Istrian Region is carried out in the Croatian and the Italian language.
The Istrian Region provides for the bilingual:
2. writing signboards of the representative, executive, and administrative bodies of the Region, as well as of the authorized legal persons in the same font size
3. writing titles of the acts in the same font size.
The Councilor of the Assembly, the member of the Government, or the citizen is guaranteed bilingual:
2. writing minutes and publishing conclusions,
3. publishing official notifications and invitations of the representative, executive, and administrative bodies of the Region, as well as materials for the sessions of the representative and executive body.
Article 26.
In one part or the whole area of municipalities or towns in the Istrian Region where members of the Italian national community reside the Croatian and the Italian language are in equal official use in accordance with their statutes.
Article 27.
Members of the Italian national community are guaranteed the right of public use of their language and their alphabet, the right of preserving their national and cultural identity. With this objective, they can establish cultural and other associations that are autonomous, the right of free organization of informative and publishing activity, the right of pre-school and elementary, high school and college education in their own language according to special programmes which appropriately contain their history, culture, and science, and the right of giving prominence to their national features.
In the realization of this right, members of the Italian national community and their institutions can associate with institutions in Croatia and abroad.
Along with the flag of the Republic of Croatia and the Istrian Region, facilities of the centre of the Istrian Region also display the flag of the Italian national community on special occasions and during the session of the representative body,
Article 28.
With the objective of realizing the equality of the Croatian and the Italian language, the Region employs a certain number of staff proficient in both the Croatian and the Italian language.
Members of the Italian national community have, in the procedure of first and second instance before the administrative bodies of the Region, the same rights as in the proceedings before the bodies of state administration of first instance.
Legal persons with public license to perform works for the members of the Italian national community can use only the Italian language in their direct contacts.
Article 29.
The Istrian Region guarantees its citizens bilingual issuance of public documents and forms used for the official purpose.
Article 30.
Municipalities and towns with statutory regulation of bilingualism for students of school institutions with education in the Croatian language will provide for and especially encourage the study of the Italian language as a language of social environment.
Article 31.
Regarding the issues in the self-governing domain of the Region of special interest for the members of the Italian national community, the right of consensus is guaranteed to the Committee for Issues and Protection of Rights of the Autochthonous Italian National Community, as a permanent working body of the Assembly.
The Committee from Subsection 1. of this Article has its President and four members, the majority of which are councilors from the ranks of the Italian national community.
The right of initiative and consensus of the Committee from Subsection 1. of this Article has the effect of a one-time taking an item off the agenda for the period of 90 days.
The right of consensus can be used by one third of the members of the Assembly in the case when they consider that the regulation can harm the multicultural and multi-ethnic characteristics of Istria.
The application of the consensus is defined by the Rules of Procedure and other acts of the Assembly.
Article 32.
The Istrian Region recognizes the status and the significance of the Italian Union as a representative of the members of the Italian national community.
The Istrian Region secures funds in accordance with the possibilities of its budget for the work of the Italian Union and its institutions.
Article 33.
The Istrian Region promotes conditions for the realization of free return and acquisition of full status for all emigrants and promotes their connections with their homeland.
CHAPTER IV. BODIES AND ESTABLISHEMENT OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
HEAD 1. BODIES OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 34.
Bodies of the Istrian Region are the following: the Assembly of the Istrian Region, the Government of the Istrian Region, and the President of the Istrian Region.
HEAD 2. ASSEMBLY OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
1. Basic regulations
Article 35.
The Assembly of the Istrian Region is a representative body of the citizens of the Istrian Region.
On solemn occasions, the Assembly of the Istrian Region can use the title Istrian Parliament ( Istarski sabor-Dieta Istriana).
Article 36.
The Assembly:
2. Passes decisions and other general acts regulating the issues in the self-governing domain of the Istrian Region,
3. Elects and relieves the President and the Vice-President of the Assembly, the President of the Region and the Vice-President of the Region, elects and relieves members of the Government, working bodies of the Assembly, elects or nominates and relieves other persons defined by the laws and by this Statute,
4. Makes the Budget and the Annual financial statement,
5. Establishes public institutions and other legal persons for performing economic, social, and other activities of interest for the Region,
6. Determines the establishment and the domain of departments,
7. Considers other issues of interest for the Istrian Region.
Article 37.
Rules of Procedure on the Work of the Assembly of the Istrian Region more precisely determine the way of constituting, convocation, work, and course of the session, voting, and taking minutes, as well as maintaining order at the session.
2. Establishment
Article 38.
The Assembly consists of 41 members, out of which at least 4 members are representatives of the Italian national community.
Article 39.
The Assembly has its President and two Vice-Presidents.
The President or one of the Vice-Presidents are members of the Italian national community.
The proposal for the election of the President and Vice-Presidents has to be made by at least ten (10) members of the Assembly in written form and confirmed with their signature.
Article 40.
The President and the Vice-Presidents are elected by secret ballot.
The candidate elected by the majority of all members of the Assembly is the President and the Vice-President of the Assembly.
In case when more candidates are proposed as presidents and vice-president of the Assembly, and not one of the candidates gets the majority of votes of the total number of members, the elections are repeated for the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the first round of the elections. If two or more candidates get the same highest number of votes, the elections are repeated according to alphabetic order.
In the repeated elections, the candidate with the majority of votes of all members will be elected.
In case that the candidate does not get the majority of votes of all members in the repeated elections, the nominating procedure will be repeated.
Article 41.
The President of the Assembly presides over the sessions of the Assembly.
The Assembly is represented by its President.
Rights and duties of the President and the Vice-president of the Assembly are defined by the Rules of Procedure on the Work of the Assembly of the Istrian Region.
3. Rights and duties of the members of the Assembly
Article 42.
Members of the Assembly are councilors elected for the period of four (4) years, which is the duration of their mandate.
Article 43.
The function of the members of the Assembly is honorific.
Members do not have obliging mandate and they are not revocable.
Members have all rights and duties from the day of constitution to the expiration of the mandate of the convocation of the Assembly.
A mandate to a member of the Assembly can end before the expiration of the period he was elected for if the conditions regulated by the law are met. In that case, the deputy of the member of the Assembly takes over his/her duty.
Article 44.
Members of the Assembly take a solemn oath in the Croatian or the Italian language, with the following text:
"I swear I will conscientiously and responsibly perform the rights and the duties of the member of the Assembly of the Istrian Region, for the economic, cultural, and social progress of the Istrian Region, and that in performing the duty of the member of the Assembly of the Istrian Region I will protect and promote regional characteristics of Istria."
The chairman of the Assembly reads the text of the oath, and after the individual roll-call, each member says "I swear", after which s/he signs the text of the solemn oath.
Article 45.
In case they are threatened, the members of the Assembly have a right of protection of the opinion they expressed and of their vote at the session of the Assembly or working bodies, which is a liability of the Istrian Region.
Article 46.
Members of the Assembly have the right and the duty to:
- make proposals for regulations and make questions,
- accept the election for a member of working body,
- have their expenses covered in accordance with the decision of the Assembly.
4. Proposal and passing acts of the Assembly
Article 47.
The Assembly passes acts in the self-governing domain.
Acts are signed by the President of the Assembly.
Acts of the Assembly are published in the Official Bulletin of the Istrian Region in the Croatian and the Italian language.
Article 48.
The right of proposing acts made by the Assembly belongs to its members, the Government, working bodies of the Assembly, town and municipal councils and their governments and the electioneers in the number not less than one thousand.
Article 49.
Making, repealing, or partial repealing of regulations in the self-governing domain of the Istrian Region will be subject to referendum, if it is demanded by at least five thousand voters or one half of the municipal and town councils of the Region.
Regulations regarding the taxes and the Budget of the Istrian Region are not subject to the referendum.
All the voters of the Istrian Region have the right of voting at the referendum.
The referendum is carried out in accordance with the Decision on Declaring Referendum of the Assembly of the Istrian Region.
5. Work of the Assembly
Article 50.
The Assembly holds its sessions in case that the majority of all members is present. As a rule, the Assembly makes decisions by the majority of votes of the present members, except for the cases when other kind of majority is prescribed.
The majority of votes of all members of the Assembly applies to decisions about:
- the Statute and the Rules of Procedure,
- the Annual Budget of the Istrian Region or provisional financing,
- the Annual financial report,
- the election of the President and the Vice-President of the Assembly,
- the election of the President, Vice-President, and the Government,
- other issues when prescribed by the law, the Statute, or the Rules of Procedure on the Work of the Assembly.
Article 51.
The session of the Assembly is convoked by its President, and in the case of his/her absence, by one of the Vice-Presidents in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.
Article 52.
The President has to convoke the session of the Assembly at the proposal of at least one forth of the members or of the Government within the period of two weeks following the receipt of the proposal.
Article 53.
As a rule, voting at the session is public.
The members of the assembly make their declaration regarding the proposal, or against the proposal, or else they abstain during a vote.
Voting is secret, when specified by the Statute or the Rules of Procedure, and when the Assembly decides that some issues should be voted secretly.
6.Working bodies of the Assembly
Article 54.
The Assembly establishes permanent or periodical committees and other working bodies.
The structure, the number of members, and the work domain of individual working bodies from the Subsection 1. of this Article are defined by a special decision, and their work is regulated by the Rules of Procedure.
HEAD 3. GOVERNMENT OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 55.
The Government is the executive body of the Istrian Region.
Article 56.
The Government has up to 13 members.
The Government has its President and two Vice-Presidents.
Article 57.
The members of the Government are elected and relieved by the Assembly by the majority of votes of all its members at the proposal of the President of the Government.
The Government is accountable for its work to the Assembly.
The President, Vice-Presidents, and members of the Government hold a common responsibility for the decisions of the Government, and they hold individual responsibility for their respective field of work.
Following the proposal of at least one fourth of the members of the Assembly, motion of confidence to the President can be tabled, as well as motion of confidence to individual members, and to the Government as a whole. Taking a confidence vote to the Government can be also demanded by its President.
The decision on no confidence vote is accepted if the majority of all members of the Assembly votes for it.
In case of no confidence vote to the President or to the Government as a whole, they will resign.
Article 58.
Establishment, work, and decision-making of the Government are regulated by the Rules of Procedure on the Work of the Government of the Istrian Region in accordance with this Statute.
One member of the Government is in charge of issues of the Italian national community and other ethnic groups.
Article 59.
The Government prepares proposals of general acts, realizes, or guarantees the realization of general acts of the Assembly, directs the work of administrative bodies of the Istrian Region in performing works in their self-governing domain, and works of the state administration entrusted to the Istrian Region, monitors their work, and performs other works regulated by the Statute of the Istrian Region.
The Government manages the real estate and the movable assets owned by the Istrian Region, as well as its incomes and expenses in accordance with the law and the Statute of the Istrian Region.
Article 60.
Performing the duty of the member of the Government is irreconcilable with performing the duty and membership in the state representative, executive, or judicial body, and in the representative or executive body of units of local self-government.
HEAD 4. PRESIDENT OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 61.
The President of the Istrian Region convokes sessions of the Government and s/he is the holder of the executive power of the Region.
By his/her position, the President is the President of the Government.
The Region has two Vice-Presidents. The President or one Vice-President is a member of the Italian national community.
In case of his/her absence, the President is represented by the Vice-President of his/her choice.
Article 62.
The President and the Vice-Presidents are elected and relieved by the Assembly by secret ballot of the majority of votes of all members.
The election of the President and the Vice-Presidents is performed in the way and following the defined procedure for the election of the President and the Vice-President of the Assembly in accordance with regulations of the law and of this Statute.
Article 63.
In performing works in his/her domain, the President of the Region is responsible to the Assembly.
Article 64.
The President of the Istrian Region:
2. convokes and presides over the sessions of the Government,
3. manages, coordinates, and monitors the work of the Regional offices, services, and departments,
4. regarding the realization of local self-government, it regularly confers with heads and mayors of municipalities and towns in the area of the Region,
5. gives individual orders for carrying out regulations and other acts of the Assembly and the Government,
6. performs other works in his competence defined by regulations and by this Statute.
Article 65.
The President has to receive any citizen with residence in the area of the Region within the period of 60 days from the day such demand is made.
The President can authorize the Vice-President or a member of the Government to represent him/her in individual cases.
In the field of his/her competence, the Government member is obliged to receive any citizen with residence in the area of the Istrian Region within the period of 30 days
Article 66.
In performing works in the self-governing domain of the Region, the President has the right to hold the realization of a general act of the Assembly, in case s/he maintains that this act violates the law or some other regulations, and ask the Assembly to remove the observed faults within the period of 15 days. In case that the Assembly does not do it, the President is obliged to inform the body of central state administration for the surveillance of the legality of work of units of local self-government within the period of seven days.
Article 67.
The President's duty ends when s/he is relieved by the Assembly.
HEAD 5. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 68.
Administrative departments perform regulations and other general acts of the Assembly and the Government, and they are responsible for the situation in the fields for which they were established.
With their work, administrative departments are obliged to enable the realization of rights and needs of citizens and legal persons.
Article 69.
Administrative departments are independent within the limits of their domain.
Administrative departments are accountable to the Assembly and to the Government for legal and timely realization of works within their competence.
Article 70.
Funds for performing the work of the departments are secured by the Regional Budget and by other sources.
Article 71.
Special offices for performing works of state administration can be established in the Region.
Establishment and domain of these offices is defined by a special regulation.
Means for work, working conditions, and expenses for performing works from Subsection 1. of this Article are secured and covered by the State Budget.
CHAPTER V. GOODS, PROPERTY, AND FINANCING OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
1. Goods and property of the Istrian Region
Article 72.
The Istrian Region has its own goods and its own property.
All movable and immovable assets belonging to the Region, as well as its belonging rights make up goods and property of the Region.
Goods and property in the ownership of the Region have to be managed following the principle of good management.
On the basis of the general act of the Assembly on conditions, manner, and procedure of managing goods and property of the Region, they are managed by the Government.
Article 73.
Individual acts on purchasing, selling, renting, leasing, and sub-leasing the real estate, securities, and shares are passed by the Government.
The Government is obliged to obtain the agreement of the Assembly for each acquisition or sale higher than 1.000.000 kuna.
Individual acts on founding companies, corporations, public institutions, as well as on ending their work, merging or annexing a part of companies, corporations, or public institutions are passed by the Assembly.
The Assembly adopts annual plans for the development of public institutions it is the owner of.
2. Financing of the Istrian Region
Article 74.
The Istrian Region has its incomes it manages independently.
The income of the Region is proportional to the works it performs.
The incomes of the Region are particularly the following:
2. incomes from companies and other legal persons in its ownership, and incomes from concessions it approves,
3. incomes from the sale of immovables and movables in its ownership,
4. gifts, inheritances, and bequests,
5. taxes and fees,
6. help and donations planned by the state budget, or by the special law,
7. fees from the state budget for performing works of state administration transferred to the Region,
8. monetary fines and revoked property benefit,
9. other incomes.
Article 75.
The Budget of the Istrian Region is related to the calendar year, and it is valid for the year for which it was made.
The Budget is made before the beginning of the year it regards.
In case that the Budget is not made before the beginning of the year, the Decision on provisional financing is made, for the period of three months at the longest.
After the expiration of the year for which the Budget was made, the Assembly makes the annual statement of accounts of the Budget.
The Proposal of the annual statement of the Budget is determined by the Government and submitted to the Assembly by 15 May of the current year.
CHAPTER VI. ACTS OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
Article 76.
On the basis of rights and competences determined by this Statute, the Assembly of the Istrian Region makes: the Statute, decisions, the Budget, the Annual Financial Report of the Budget, recommendations, resolutions, conclusions, instructions, suggestions, declarations, charters, and scrolls of honour, and it provides authentic explanations for the acts it makes.
In the procedure before making individual decisions adopted by the Assembly, there can be a public debate about them.
The proposal of the Decision on Recommending a Public Debate is determined by the Government, while the debate is carried out by the authorized department, in collaboration with departments in municipalities and towns of the Istrian Region.
The authorized administrative department has to make a report about the results of the public debate, and the report makes up a part of the proposal of the decision submitted to the Government and the Assembly.
As a rule, public debate lasts for 15 days, and the objections and comments to the proposal of the decision are submitted to the proper department of the municipality or town within the period of 30 days from the beginning of the public debate.
The notice about the beginning of the public debate must be published in the newspapers, on the radio or TV stations.
Article 77.
The Government makes decisions, recommendations, resolutions, conclusions, instructions, and it provides authentic explanation of the acts it makes.
Article 78.
Working bodies of the Assembly make conclusions, recommendations, and resolutions.
Article 79.
The Government guarantees the realization of general acts from Article 76. of this Statute in the way and in the procedure prescribed by this Statute, and it supervises the legality of work of the administrative bodies performing activities in the self-governing domain of the Region.
Article 80.
Administrative departments established for performing works in the self-governing domain of the Region directly perform and supervise the realization of general acts of the Assembly and the Government.
In performing supervision from Subsection 1. of this Article, administrative departments can, in the case of failed realization of the general act, take measures prescribed by the act.
Article 81.
In performing general acts from Article 76. of this Statute, administrative departments pass individual acts with which they regulate rights, duties, and legal interests of natural and legal persons.
There is a guaranteed right of complaint and court protection against individual acts from Subsection 1. of this Article.
CHAPTER VII. TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL REGULATIONS
Article 82.
Amendments to the Statute of the Istrian Region are made in the same way as the procedure for its passing.
In case that the amendments to the Statute change articles regulating the rights of the Italian national community and other autochthonous, ethnic, or cultural characteristics of the Istrian Region, amendments of the Statute are passed by a two-thirds majority of the councilors of the Assembly of the Istrian Region.
Article 83.
This Statute replaces the Statute of the Istrian Region of 30 March 1994.
Article 84.
The Statute of the Istrian Region, and its amendments take effect 8 days following the day of its publication in the Official Bulletin of the Istrian Region.
Article 85.
The President of the Region is obliged to, within the period of 8 days from its passing, submit the Statute and/or general acts passed by the Assembly to the proper authority of the central state administration.
Class: 012-03/03-01/02
Administrative number: 2163/1-01/4-03-1
Pazin, 19 May 2003
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ISTRIAN REGION
President of the Regional Assembly of the Istrian Region
Stevo Žufić