The Centre for European Integration, an umbrella non-government organisation of 22 associations from across Croatia dealing with the protection of human rights, development of civil society and preservation of the identity and cultural tradition of peoples, was opened in Zagreb on Monday.

A working meeting was held as well, at which the drawing of a Shadow Report was initiated, the centre said in a statement. The report is to be submitted to the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee which monitors the implementation of the framework convention for the protection of rights of national minorities.

The statement said the centre would focus on the protection of human rights and freedoms of the Roma ethnic minority. The centre was founded on 15 December 2009 and Anka Dalipovski is the organisation's president, the statement said.