The newly appointed Council of the Croatian National Bank, chaired by governor Dr. Željko Rohatinski, held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday, July 19, 2000. Besides the governor, deputy governor Dr. Boris Vujčić and vice-governors Čedo Maletić, Relja Martić and Tomislav Presečan MEcon, whose membership in the CNB Council arises from their functions, the CNB Council is constituted of additional eight external members that had been appointed by the Chamber of Deputies of the Croatian Parliament: Prof. Dr. Mate Babić, Dr. Alen Bellulo, Prof. Dr. Božidar Jelčić, Dr. Branimir Lokin, Damir Novotny MEcon, Prof. Dr. Silvije Orsag, Dr. Sandra Švaljek and Dr. Branko Vukmir. Dr. Mato Crkvenac, Finance Minister of the Republic of Croatia, attended the inaugural meeting of the CNB Council as well.

At the Wednesday meeting, members of the Council were informed in detail about the constitutional tasks and operational framework of the Croatian National Bank, as well as about the authorities and procedures defining the decision-making process of the CNB Council. It was emphasized that, also under the new management and the new CNB Council, the stability of currency and prices continues to be the undisputed goal of the Croatian central monetary authority, as is the case with monetary authorities in other modern market economies. In order to achieve this goal the central bank must ensure that its policies and all its decisions are based on competence, professionalism and independence in decision-making and accompanied by a high degree of accountability and transparency in relation to the professional and general public.

The next meeting of the CNB Council is scheduled for the coming week.