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Mr Jasen Mesic, Republic of Croatia Ministry of Culture, Runjaninova 2, Zagreb, CROATIA. 03 | 06 | 2011 Proposed Law on Freelance Artist I write on behalf of the Executive Committee of the European council of Artists following its meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania. The European Council of Artists (ECA) is an umbrella body of interdisciplinary artists' councils and artists' associations from 26 countries both with in and without the EU, representing an estimated 220,000 professional artists including The Freelance Artist of Croatia (HZSU). During our time in Vilnius we met with Mr. Arunas Gelunas, Lithuanian Minister of Culture, who sends you personals regards and who informed us that two (2) amendments, improving the Status of Artists in Lithuania have recently been accepted. These amendments improve the position of artists with little or no income (up to 800 LTL or c. 230) whereby the state will pay social insurance and pension on their behalf. We are very pleased at the ECA conference in Zagreb in November 2011 to be informed of the high standards of benefits afforded to Croatian freelance. The Croatian example is a very important precedent for the promotion rights of the artist throughout Europe. We have been informed by our Croatian member [HZSU] and through the Croatian media that serious changes are proposed to the Law on the Status of Freelance Artists and that these changes will be forced through parliament by means of an express process. We hope that you will do changes to the law in line with the highest European standards and following strong public debate and in dialogue with HZSU. ECA is monitoring the position of the artist throughout Europe and especially in countries candidate to EU, and we hope that you will apply strong social, democratic and artistic values whilst changing law and that the changes you propose will follow from a strong public debate and cooperation with HZSU.

European Council of Artists | C/ Ruz de Alarcn, 11 | 28014 Madrid | SPAIN t: +34 639 022 271 | e: eca@ECArtists.org | w: www.ECArtists.org

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We hope that you will personally help to preserve those high democratic benefits that Croatian artists have and that you will not allow any reduction of artistic and democratic rights in Croatia especially for an association like HZSU with tradition from 1965. We hope Mr. Minister that, with your help, the position of the freelance artist and the status of HZSU can be preserved and improved. We look forward with great anticipation to Croatia joining the European Union. Yours sincerely,

Michael Burke president ECA

cc:

Ms. Nina Obuljen | State Secretary

European Council of Artists | C/ Ruz de Alarcn, 11 | 28014 Madrid | SPAIN t: +34 639 022 271 | e: eca@ECArtists.org | w: www.ECArtists.org