May 20, 2021 - The hybrid conference "The new generation of the EU and Croatian path to recovery" will be held on May 25, 2021, at 1 pm in HUP, Radnička Cesta 52, and through the Zoom platform with simultaneous translation into the Italian and Croatian languages.

A series of virtual events are being organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, with the support of the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Zagreb, the Italian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Forca Digital Agency, and in cooperation with PwC Croatia.

The European Union has responded to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with an ambitious aid package to member states, opening a new chapter in European cohesion. With the adoption of the multiannual financial framework for 2021 to 2027, the EU adopted a special assistance package to member states - the new generation of the EU. At the heart of this aid package is a tool for recovery and resilience, a strong lever for the recovery of European societies, and an opportunity to strengthen resilience to any future crisis.

The guests of the conference are Zvonimir Savić, Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia; Nataša Tramišak, Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Croatia; Zdenko Lucić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Croatia; Pierfrancesco Sacco, Ambassador, Embassy of Italy in Zagreb, Hrvoje Balen, member of the Association of Croatian Employers in Croatia and Croatian and Italian entrepreneurs and investors in the Republic of Croatia.

The sponsor of the conference is Zagrebačka banka d.d. HUP - Croatian Employers' Association provides support.

The hybrid conference "The new generation of the EU and the Croatian path to recovery" will be held on May 25, 2021, at 1 pm in HUP, Radnička Cesta 52, and via the Zoom platform with simultaneous translation into Italian and Croatian.

Participation in the conference is free with mandatory registration via the link. 

To read more about news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 20, 2021 - Via Adriatica Trail is the first Croatian feature-length hiking and cycling trail 1,100 kilometers long.

From Istria to Dubrovnik, Via Adriatica is a unique hiking trail that combines the natural and cultural specifics of the Adriatic climate. To develop the “all in one” mobile application Via Adriatica on the first Croatian crowdfunding platform Croinvest, a campaign was launched under the slogan “Trails are people! "Be a part of the adventure!" The campaign will last for 30 days, and its goal is to raise funds for the development of a mobile application. 

HRTurizam reports Via Adriatica passes through national parks, a strict nature reserve, significant landscapes, and a whole range of other protected areas and cultural assets. It touches river courses and all coastal mountains and mountain massifs. It represents a new tourist-adventure concept, recognized by mountaineers and nature lovers from Croatia and abroad.

Via Adriatica Trail | Via Adriatica Trail Facebook

To facilitate the 1,100-kilometer-long adventure for future walkers and cyclists, the AktivNatura Mountaineering Association has decided to create a comprehensive mobile application, through which it will be able to access key information at any time. Creating an "all-in-one" mobile application requires financial resources and goes beyond the volunteer enthusiasm of people who have been building the Via Adriatica story for five years.

Through the app, walkers will be able to access points of interest, GPS tracks, and other key information at any time, which will help them plan and cross the trail. The development of the application is a logical step in developing the trail, which is becoming increasingly popular and well-known among mountaineers, cyclists, and nature lovers in Croatia and globally.

Apart from thru- and section-hikers, the application will also be useful for mountaineers and cyclists on one-day and multi-day excursions. It will provide information on cultural-historical and natural sights in the areas where the trail passes.

There are 22 days left until the end of the campaign, more than 52,000 kunas have been collected so far, and the goal for the realization of the first phase, i.e., the development of the basic version of the mobile application, is 85,000.

Via Adriatica was created in 2016 due to the enthusiasm of several lovers of the natural beauty of Croatia. From the very beginning, the project is under the auspices of the mountaineering association AktivNatura from Zagreb, which brings together nature lovers, recreationists, enthusiasts, and creatives with many years of experience in organizing gatherings in nature through various activities, hiking, biking, kayaking and participating in environmental actions.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 20 May 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday that he would send an inspection to Zagreb's Sisters of Charity Hospital, noting that there was zero tolerance for corruption and possible use of hospital funds for private interests and supporting efforts to uncover possible unlawful actions.

"I have been informed of the personnel changes at the KBC Sisters of Charity. I am not happy with what is going on in that institution, but I am determined to have potential irregularities investigated for the sake of all employees and protection of patients' interests," the minister said after earlier in the day, the incumbent head of the hospital's radiology department, Dijana Zadravec, who claims that hospital funds are used for private interests and that corruption and crime are being covered up, was replaced.

Beroš said that he would send a team of inspectors from the Health Ministry to the hospital and also ask the Croatian Health Insurance Fund to launch an investigation and that he expected the Finance Ministry to join in with the aim of thoroughly investigating the hospital's operations.

The acting director of the hospital, Zoran Vatavuk, replaced Zadravec over poor interpersonal relations that had resulted in a large number of radiologists leaving the hospital.

Zadravec said that her replacement was unlawful and accused Vatavuk of obstructing her attempts to improve work at the radiology department.

She also said that Vatavuk was covering up crime and corruption at the hospital which she had reported to the competent institutions.

Zadravec said that she was in conflict with "the heads of hospital departments who own private hospitals and work to the benefit of those hospitals while using the resources of the public health system."

In a comment on Zadravec's allegations, Vatavuk said that he strongly supported her efforts to have possible irregularities at the hospital punished and noted that the latest report by an internal audit requested by his predecessor had revealed no irregularities in the hospital's operations.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 20, 2021 - The DUMP Association of Young Developers held another DUMP Days conference last weekend in Split.

As one of the largest IT conferences in this area, it brought together the Croatian IT community, but this time in an unprecedented hybrid edition. Partly at the Split FESB and partly online, the young 'dumpsters' successfully held a conference respecting epidemiological measures while bringing a lot of interesting content.

This year, DUMP Days, Dev, Design, Marketing, and Tech hosted all IT enthusiasts at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture. Thus, Split once again became the epicenter of the Croatian technology scene, enabling companies to meet young talent in one place.

Nebojsa Veron, DUMP alumni, and director of Blank Development said the following at Days 2021:

"As an alumni member who has been here since the beginning of the Association, I am glad that a project that has brought the Croatian IT scene together for years is still being realized. Not only is the DUMP Days conference a great way to promote a company, but it is an ideal way to connect with young talented staff. For regular Days attendees, the lack of hats from previous years is a little strange, but the team has done everything at a top level."

The program of this year's Days was rich and varied. The experts held a series of lectures and two-panel discussions that visitors watched online from their laptops from the comfort of their own homes. About how this year's online format was accepted, the numbers of dumpers can testify - 2000+ online followers and the maximum allowed number of appointments for live groups!

Obviously, people want to learn more about innovations in the world of digital technologies, and they are also interested in other people's life paths that could potentially inspire them in creating their own destinies.

Regarding the physical participation in the conference, with the support of the Crisis Center and compliance with all measures, all activities were held without incident. The schedule did not disappoint at all - from workshops led by top experts in their fields to fly talks where partly outdoors and partly online, young people would meet company representatives and thus gain insight into the necessary knowledge and skills to find a job in the IT sector. After all, numerous regional companies had their stands in the exhibition space and gave insight into the atmosphere and work in their offices.

“Congratulations to the organizers of DUMP Days 2021! Despite all the epidemiological measures, they managed to organize excellent workshops and prepare interesting lectures for us digital people. See you next year!" said the enthusiastic Lydia, a DUMP Days visitor. 

On this occasion, the Dump organization wants to thank their visitors for their participation, respect for all measures, and understanding.

For more news about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 20, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as only 11 international routes to Rijeka Airport will operate this summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Rijeka Airport has announced a preliminary flight schedule with only 11 international routes to 10 destinations in Europe this summer season from the island of Krk. The first regular international flight this year on Krk is expected on May 29.

German Eurowings will have the largest number of lines to Rijeka this summer (just like previous seasons) and is planning 5 lines: from Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart.

This year's first international scheduled flight to Rijeka has been announced for Saturday, May 29, from Dusseldorf, on an A319 aircraft.

Eurowings is planning a significantly smaller number of weekly flights to Rijeka compared to the 2019 season, which is logical given the global pandemic:

The Berlin - Rijeka - Berlin line has been announced from the end of June to the end of October, twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Düsseldorf - Rijeka - Düsseldorf line will operate from May 29, once a week, on Saturdays, and from the beginning of July, the second weekly flight will be introduced on Wednesdays.

The Hamburg - Rijeka - Hamburg line is planned from the end of June, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, while the line from Cologne has been announced twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The Stuttgart - Rijeka - Stuttgart line will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from the beginning of July to the middle of October.

In 2018, the Dutch Transavia started traffic to Rijeka on the line from Eindhoven, and the same was in traffic last summer. The start of traffic is expected only in July, and from then, the company plans to travel to Rijeka as many as four times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The long-term partner of Rijeka Airport, Air Baltic, plans to introduce its seasonal line from Riga only in July. Two flights a week are announced on Mondays and Thursdays. The company announced a line between Rijeka and Vilnius in February last year, but it was not realized for obvious reasons - the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new Lufthansa line from Frankfurt was supposed to start operating in May but was postponed to early July. Lufthansa will operate to Rijeka once a week, on Saturdays.

The Munich-Rijeka-Munich route, operated by two airlines, Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines, has been announced from the end of June. Croatia will operate on it three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, and Lufthansa on Saturdays.

LOT introduced a line between Rijeka and Warsaw last summer, and flights have been announced since June 19, also once a week, on Saturdays.

Judging by the current schedule, Rijeka will have the busiest traffic on Saturdays, when as many as 9 aircraft operations are expected on international routes. Still, the other days of the week are extremely weak: only two international flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, three on Tuesdays, five on Thursdays, and no flights announced on Fridays!

Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic, Rijeka was left without several lines. This year, it will not be possible to travel directly to London (in 2019, two lines, to Stansted and Gatwick), Marseille (Volotea), Belgrade (Air Serbia), Stockholm, and Brussels (Ryanair), Tel Aviv (Arkia), and Hanover Eurowings). In the published schedule, there are no regular charter lines from Paris and Košice that operated in the summer of 2019.

In 2019, Rijeka managed to reach 200 thousand passengers in one year for the first time, but already in 2020, there was a sharp decline due to the impact of the pandemic - only 27,680 passengers passed through this airport last year. Given the preliminary schedule and the modest announcements of the airlines, it is obvious that the number of passengers at Rijeka Airport will not be large this year either.

In addition to the mentioned international destinations, Rijeka Airport also has direct routes to Osijek, Split, and Dubrovnik as part of the PSO program. These lines operate twice a week throughout the year.

Given the announced traffic in neighboring airports (Zagreb, Zadar, and Pula), the number of international routes to Rijeka, according to the schedule HERE, will be relatively small, so most passengers who gravitate to this airport will start or end their travels to the three airports mentioned above.

This will be the case until one airline decides to connect Rijeka Airport with a major European hub, such as London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Paris, at least three times a week throughout the year.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE. For everything, you need to know about Rijeka Airport, follow our Total Croatia page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May the 20th, 2021 - It isn't new information, unless you've been living under a rock of course, that the Croatian demographic picture is far from ideal. Economic and demographic issues have reigned strong since long before the coronavirus pandemic struck, and some counties are far worse off than others. Sisak-Moslavina County currently being the most worrisome.

Croatia, like many Mediterranean countries, has an ageing population. With many members of the working age population leaving en masse to other European countries, taking advantage of the borders opening and the scrapping of work permits ever since Croatia joined the EU back in July 2013, this situation has only grown worse.

Traditionally, the Dalmatian coast has always fared better economically than more or less everywhere else in the country with the exception of Zagreb. With tourism providing for as much as 20 percent of Croatia's GDP, the summer months are employment-rich (in as much as is possible in the Croatian sense) and all about earning enough money to survive the winter before doing it all over again in Croatia's seasonal employment trap in which it has been stuck for years.

Continental Croatia, and particularly Eastern Croatia, have never had the God-given luxury of the Adriatic sea at their doorstep and as such have never been able to rest easily on their laurels in the same way Dubrovnik and Split do on an annual basis. The former bread basket of not only Croatia but the region, Slavonia and Baranja, have been experiencing a brain drain for very many years, with many other locations in Eastern and Central Croatia experiencing the same.

Sisak-Moslavina County, which was the victim of a devastating earthquake back at the very end of December last year, is among the most concerning of all. Now with more retired people than employed people, it's difficult to see how the future might look for this county. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Northern Croatia is a convincing national champion in terms of the ratio of total employees and pensioners, according to data from the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute.

According to this recently released data, Medjimurje County (1.66) and Varazdin County (1.54) have the highest ratio in favour of workers. By far the worst is the aforementioned Sisak-Moslavina County, which has more retirees than it does employees (the ratio is a troubling 0.95), followed by Sibenik and Karlovac (1.03) and Pozega County (1.04).

Among those cities which are also municipal county heads, Northern Croatia is again in the lead: in the top five in terms of the ratio of workers and pensioners there are three Northern Croatian cities, Varazdin (2.62), Cakovec (2.46) and Koprivnica (1.92). This data refets to figures recorded back the end of March this year, writes Danica.hr.

The average for the Republic of Croatia is 1.25 (just over one employee per pensioner), which is a long-term unsustainable situation for every sort of economy. Croatia as a whole currently has about 1.55 million employees and about 1.24 million retirees.

For more on Croatian demographics, follow our lifestyle section.

May the 20th, 2021 - The Croatian Fortenova Group and the Cotrugli Business School have teamed up to create a special educational programme to further enhance the professional competence of the Fortenova Group's employees.

As Jutarnji list/Novac writes, as part of the programme to improve the knowledge and skills of its employees (DRIVE Beyond Excellence), the Croatian Fortenova Group, in partnership with experts from Cotrugli Business School, has developed the Navigate programme.

The programme is designed to strengthen the professional competencies of the Fortenova Group's employees so that they can invest in their own development, the strategic goals of the company and more easily overcome new business challenges.

The first generation of Navigate participants consists of 35 employees of the Croatian Fortenova Group and its operating companies. Through fourteen months of training, they will go through seven thematic units through which they will have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills, think about possible improvements in the company, gain new, practical organisational knowledge and, through all this, further mobilise their teams and organisations. An integral part of the programme is a specific project from the business of the Fortenova Group, on which participants will work with the sponsorship of one of the executive directors.

In order to adapt the entire programme as much as possible to the environment in the Croatian Fortenova Group and to the projects that take place in the operating companies, the content of the DRIVE programme for future participants will be designed based on feedback, suggestions and ideas from students who have already passed through it. Therefore, the participants from the first generation of the DRIVE programme will also be ambassadors of that programme in the future.

On the occasion of launching DRIVE Beyond Excellence educational programme, Fabris Perusko, CEO and Board Member of Fortenova Group said: "We want to be not only the largest but also the most desirable employer in the region with this significant investment in expanding the knowledge of our employees. We consider this to be one of the key elements in achieving this goal.

I personally believe that building systematic support that will enable talent, personal growth and development is extremely important for what kind of employer we'll be considered as, this also goes hand in hand with achieving all of our business goals. Through a structured approach to strengthening human resources, we're going to create new value for the company and contribute to the creation of a community, which is very important for achieving the ambitious business goals of the Fortenova Group.''

"Being an educational partner in this important project is an exceptional pleasure for us and we're looking forward to the realisation of all  of theset goals. This trust motivates us to, in accordance with the mission of the school, encourage our students in their continuous development in order to contribute to the development of their organisation and society as a whole,'' said Zoran Djordjevic, partner and academic director at the Cotrugli Business School.

For more, follow our business section.

May the 20th, 2021 - The Koprivnica-made Somersby drink has been gaining international popularity as it is exported from this continental Croatian town to five continents.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, the Danish-owned Carlsberg Croatia Brewery, in addition to a wide range of its basic beer products also offers cider, a relatively new addition to the Croatian drinks scene, which is made from diluted fruit wine and based on apple juice.

This type of drink has been very popular in recent years in Croatia, despite having always been popular in Northern European countries such as the United Kingdom, and Carlsberg's cider brand Somersby is the leader on the Croatian market. It is produced in several flavours in the company's brewery in Koprivnica and from there it goes all over the world.

Koprivnica-made Somersby is enjoyed from distant Australia to Asia, and Marcin Burdach, President of the Management Board of Carlsberg Croatia, has been talking about the cider category, Croatian production, consumer trends as well as, of course, the beer market and expectations for the upcoming season.

You recently boasted that Somersby, produced in Koprivnica, is exported to 20 countries on 5 continents. What are the main markets?

Yes, you're right, we definitely did brag about it! We believe that consumers generally don't know that we produce Somersby in Koprivnica and export it. For us, it's a great source of pride. We’ve exported Koprivnica-made Somersby to different continents and countries around the world, and we don’t talk about it much. Back in 2020, Carlsberg Croatia regularly exported Somersby to eighteen markets.

As such, Koprivnica-made Somersby travelled to Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, Austria, Tahiti, Taiwan, the Bahamas… However, it should be noted that this list is only relevant for last year - the list of countries to which Somersby has travelled from Croatia in recent years is much longer and includes Australia, the United States, the Congo, China, the Caribbean, Laos and many other places.

Isn’t that impressive and something to brag about? Our main export markets are Hungary and Germany and I think the fact that we export so much to Germany is a clear sign of quality, because everyone knows how crucial quality is in the German market.

How much Somersby was produced in the factory in Croatia last year? Have sales figures gone up?

Although we're still unable to release the full data for last year because the financial report hasn't yet been released, we can say that Somersby’s exports are increasing every year. If you want a picture of our exports, I can tell you that last year we exported 867 trucks of Somersby in bottles and more than 200 tanks of it. And yes, export numbers are better for 2020 than they were for 2019.

You've decided to further strengthen the visual of this drink with Croatian characteristics, why is that so?

We made a limited edition of the ''Croatian'' logo Somersby because we wanted to send the message that Somersby is not only a global, but also a local Croatian brand. Yes, the cans on our market are produced elsewhere, but we don't produce Somersby in bottles only for Croatia, that Koprivnica-made Somersby goes all over the world.

This is the merit of the Croatian mind and hardworking people in Croatia, who produce this drink for consumers around the world. We thought it would be easiest to convey that message visually and the feedback from consumers and our business partners about that has been great.

Your predecessor at the helm of Carlsberg Croatia told me that you would like to make Somersby from home-grown raw materials (apples), but that apple juice producers in the Republic of Croatia produce cloudy juice, and you need it to be clear. You've also expressed a desire for that to come to fruition, what does that happening depend on?

This is a logical question that always arises when we talk about the production of Somersby in Croatia - the question of the use of locally grown apples. The thing is that for the production of cider we need high quality apple juice which has certain characteristics, which allows us to produce apple wine.

Every time they ask us this question ''do you want to get those apples in Croatia'' the answer is simple - yes, we would like to get them from Croatia. But if there are no manufacturers who produce this product, it is simply not possible.

The first association to cider for Croats is Somersby, a recent Ipsos survey showed. Some respondents, as I've since foundd out, stated that this drink is more for younger people, they also said that the unit price in stores and bars is still too high. What actually is the target audience of Somersby cider in Croatia, and why is it more expensive than, for example, beer?

The truth is that Somersby is considered more of a drink for a younger audience, and its optimistic because consumers think of Somersby when they talk about cider. We found that consumers love the fact that we offer them a variety of flavours at Somersby, and that they consider it a refreshing summer drink.

Since Somersby is in a different price segment than beer, for example, we had feedback that consumers aren't the happiest with Somersby's prices in some cafes. But pricing in bars is something we can’t influence much, because it’s a matter of the owners and their business decisions.

After all, you know from personal experience that some locations in Croatia, especially those that target tourists, simply have higher prices than the average Croatian consumer considers affordable anyway.

Carlsberg is primarily a beer producer, how are things in Croatia in that regard? How much of a market share do your beer brands hold, given their wide range? How much do you produce?

Yes, beer is our main business, and it's something that isn't going to change, and you're right, we offer a wide range of beers. Last year we expanded our range to Pan, to which we added Pan Pilsner, so now we offer an even better choice in our main segment of stock.

So, now we have an offer for every taste - from Golden and Lager, through Pilsner, to Pan Dark and Pan Free. And that's just the beginning - Grimbergen, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Blanc 1664… Our portfolio of international brands provides even greater breadth to our consumers. Looking at last year’s data, we hold about 17 percent of the market and of course we want to grow that share even more.

What are your results for 2020 like? Most people's income was limited due to the pandemic, with closed bars and bans on larger gatherings...

We're unable to provide complete data for 2020 because the financial report hasn't yet been published. But of course, the pandemic influenced our results.

Everyone’s lives changed in 2020 and it’s hard for me to remember an industry or sector that hasn’t been affected by that change. Certainly, our partners in the HORECA segment have been hit hard, not to mention the situation with the event industry… these segments are still suffering and of course this is affecting us. It's hard to say when things will get better. In these circumstances, however, we're satisfied with our results.

Of course, we planned for bigger results, but we ended 2020 without any need to stop production and we managed to protect our employees and our business, which is certainly a success.

Carlsberg Croatia employs 300 people - how did you continue to organise production and the entire business with regard to the epidemiological measures?

Now that we've entered the second year of the pandemic, things are already well established and we've adapted to these new ways of working. But yes, at first it was difficult. There was so much that was unknown about this virus… I remember at one point we had a paper quarantine because we didn’t want to endanger our colleagues who deal with export paperwork.

Then came the shortages of protective equipment - in the spring of 2020, at one point we even used Somersby’s wine base to make disinfectants, so we could protect our employees. We teamed up with a small distillery and a disinfectant manufacturer and produced quantities that allowed us to give each employee half a litre of disinfectant so they could take it home and protect their families.

We donated the rest to the City of Koprivnica. We did this because it was so hard to get that protective equipment back then, and we wanted our employees to feel safer. Now it's all far simpler. We're applying various safeguards and we haven't relaxed, but now that is just another part of our health and safety rules. It's much easier psychologically.

Did you ask for state support to preserve jobs?

No, in 2020 we didn't use state aid, given the fact that we believed we could protect our business and that we could get help from the Carlsberg Group.

What do you expect from this year, especially from summer as the main period of consumption of your products?

We're optimistic about 2021. We think that globally as a Group, and locally as Carlsberg Croatia, we're strong, capable and in a good position to take advantage of opportunities. Of course, our success will depend on market trends and the development of the ongoing pandemic.

We hope that the season will be successful and that warmer weather will bring normalisation, as it did last year. I don't think you could find a person in Croatia who isn't looking forward to summer and I hope that people will welcome it with a cold Pan or Somersby in hand.

Carlsberg is also known for its promotion of drinking responsibly - in the workplace, while driving… How do you view the proposal for new regulations to repeal the provision on how much alcohol a driver can have in their blood?

We always promote responsible consumption. Through various programmes, and through the Association of Brewers, and within our company. In all our official vehicles, for example, we have a built-in Alcolock system.

The system is actually simple for the user, when sitting in the car it's necessary to blow into the test until it stops giving an audible signal. After a few seconds, in case the amount of alcohol is within the allowed limits, the system allows the car to be started. In this way, we motivate our employees to live in scope of the company rule of ''zero irresponsible consumption'' on a daily basis.

There are countless reasons why you shouldn't get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol and as a brewer, we're particularly sensitive to this topic. We believe that we need to make our employees aware of the importance of not driving at all when they drink.

When you think about what the regulation of the Labour Law is, then we don't even need such a measure. But we believe that promoting responsible behaviour and awareness is much more powerful than just relying on regulations. This is how I look at the proposal to change the regulations you're asking me about - yes, legal regulations are important, but I think it's even more important to educate and influence the consciousness of individuals.

Changing the law is a relatively easy and fairly quick process, but the effect that will be achieved as a result is questionable. Changing people's consciousness is a long-term job and a lot more effort needs to be put in there, but it is certain that positive change will happen.

For more, follow our business section.