November 12, 2021 - Croatia women's basketball convincingly topped Bulgaria 73-84 in Botevgrad in the first qualifying match for the 2023 European Championship (EuroBasket).

After the first quarter, Bulgaria gained an advantage of 5 points (27-22). This was followed by a great opening of the second quarter for Croatia and a 10-0 series for an express takeover (27-32). By halftime, Stipe Bralić's team was up by 10 (38-48).

The third quarter was marked by the attacking play of both teams. After Andrijana Cvitković's three-pointer, Croatia was up 49-63, and Bulgaria fought back with a series of 5-0 for 54-63. Vital points were then scored by Iva Slonjšak, and Croatia entered the last quarter leading Croatia 59-70.

The minor attacking crisis at the opening of the final quarter was compensated by an excellent defense, so three minutes without points did not affect the result. Croatia had their most significant advantage during the game at 61-76. Bulgaria scored 4 points in a row and, with an aggressive defense, made Croatia nervous. However, no one could stop Andrijana Cvitković. With a new three-pointer, she took Croatia to an unattainable +14 (68-82). By the end, Bulgaria had only managed to mitigate the defeat to 73-84.

Coach Stipe Bralić: "Tough match, we practically gathered 14 players from 14 clubs across Europe with two to three training sessions and played against the home team of Bulgaria, a hugely well-coordinated team. Bulgaria has been playing in the same team for seven or eight years; most of their players are from two home clubs, they had a week of training together before this game, and that was obvious. 

They have extremely good shooters, they hit everything in the first 10 minutes, and it was not easy to get out of that situation. However, with great actions and a pretty good attack in the second quarter, we managed to break the game with counters and three-pointers and take the 10-point lead. In the second half, that advantage was maintained, but, I say, it was a very awkward game to start the qualifications against a solid and experienced team. Nevertheless, the girls died on the field, even when we were losing by a few points, they didn't lose their head, but showed their quality."

Captain Ivana Dojkić: "We played a good game; I'm proud of all the girls. I think we lost focus in just a few moments and didn't keep the game in our hands. But we are a young team, we need to work on it, and with more experience in the future, we play smart in situations like this. I am positively surprised with the new girls in the national team; all the girls who came in from the bench gave extra energy, which we need - that everyone can contribute to our game. We always gain confidence with a victory, but on Sunday, we will have a tough game. We have nothing to lose; we will play a quality game and enjoy what we are doing."

Iva Slonjšak: "The first quarter was not at our level, but then we started waking up and playing our game. Today, we were not constant, but I am happy with the larger number of players who reached a double-double. Now we have to see what things need to be corrected to prepare for Serbia."

Andrijana Cvitković: "It was quite a difficult end due to several personal mistakes, but we managed to fight and play smart without fouls, which was important to keep the rhythm of the game. Most importantly, we managed to win. Serbia is waiting for us; we all know that it will be a tough match. Every girl needs to be ready; let's do our best and hope, of course, for the best."

Source: HKS

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November 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Air Transat Toronto-Zagreb flights will finally return next summer!

Canadian leisure airline Air Transat announced it would reintroduce the seasonal route between Toronto and Zagreb when announcing next summer's flight schedule. Zagreb is among the 44 international destinations in its network, reports Croatian Aviation.

With the start of the summer flight schedule, Air Transat will gradually increase the number of operations to Europe (from Montreal and Toronto). In the summer of 2022, the airline plans to operate to almost all destinations as before the global pandemic, adding new ones, mainly in the United States.

Air Transat will operate from Montreal next summer on 19 international routes to destinations in Europe, of which 7 are in France. In addition, a new line between Montreal and Amsterdam is being introduced.

Air Transat plans to operate 13 international routes to Europe, including to Zagreb. At the peak of the summer season, Air Transat will have almost 60 weekly flights from Toronto to the Netherlands, Greece, Croatia, Great Britain, France, and other European countries.

Air Transat had planned to resume traffic to Zagreb during the 2021 summer, but due to restrictive measures in Canada and weak demand, this did not happen.

Before the pandemic in 2019, Air Transat operated between Toronto and Zagreb three times a week. Two-weekly flights have been announced for next summer. The first flight from Toronto to Zagreb has been announced for Saturday, May 7, 2022. A month later, from June 7, the second weekly flight with departure from Toronto on Tuesday will be introduced. Two-weekly flights are currently announced until the end of the next summer season - October 29, 2022.

A330-200 aircraft have been announced for the Toronto-Zagreb route, with a capacity of 332 to 345 seats. Thus, Air Transat will offer more than 31 thousand seats between Toronto and Zagreb next summer. 

Air Transat introduced the line to Zagreb in June 2016, gradually increasing the number of weekly flights (from 1 to 3 in the summer of 2019). Until 2019, Air Canada Rouge operated on the same route, which retired all wide-body aircraft in the corona crisis. For this reason, Air Canada released tickets to Zagreb for the next summer season, but flights will depend primarily on passenger demand and potential travel restrictions.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

November the 12th, 2021 - Darko Pervan is set to build Hotel Slano in Slano, close to the City of Dubrovnik in the extreme south of Dalmatia, investing a massive eighteen million euros in the process.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, with the recently obtained building permit, the first greenfield hotel-tourist project of the Swedish-Croatian entrepreneur Darko Pervan is starting its full realisation in the form of Hotel Slano.

In the public eye, Darko Pervan is most perceived for having made significant investments in the domestic wood processing industry and for the successful operation of several export-oriented wood companies in Ogulin, Bjelovar and Otok, which are all now in great investment momentum. Over more recent days, the process of ownership takeover of Vinkovci-based DI Spacva into the system of Darko Pervan's Bjelin Group is coming as on as the ''icing on the cake''.

However, in parallel with these activities, Pervan's investments in the hotel, tourism and real estate business in the attractive area of ​​Dubrovnik and its wider surroundings have been taking place for more than a decade and a half. More broadly speaking for the Croatian hotel industry, in which greenfield investments in the past period were not the dominant form of investment, it has marked a significant step forward.

The Hotel Slano project otherwise covers an area of 10,000 m2 and the new facility's planned value stands at around 18 million euros. Hotel Slano, when it starts operating, will be a four star hotel, but only in the initial phase of business, since the investment project envisages new hotel construction according to the highest category standards, as was confirmed by Stjepan Vojinic, a member of the Management Board of Pervanovo Group, who is also the President of Bjelin Group.

"By the end of the year, an invitation will be sent out to the contractors," said Vojinic, adding that immediately after the selection of bidders, the Hotel Slano project will start because the goal is for the new hotel to start operating in time for 2024's summer tourist season.

At the same time, it is the second hotel in a row from the Pervanovo group. The first is the Hotel Kazbek, a restored Renaissance castle that was owned by the Zamanja family. The total investment in this part of the business together with the investment in Hotel Slano has risen to around 85 million euros.

With about 20 apartments in Dubrovnik and a number of villas (for example the Villa Riva Apartments, Villa Tereza in Cilipi, and Villa Franica in Dubrovnik), these latest operations mark the completion of the renovation of the former Ohmucevic family palace, which will operate as a residential villa.

The Bjelin Group consolidated to around 700 million kuna in revenue in 2021, and after a series of acquisitions, with the latest being that of Spacva, it completed the period of growth based on this leverage. This means, as Vojinic pointed out, that in the coming period the plan is to realise growth that is organic - by increasing production and sales, with the factors they have mastered, such as human resources and raw material base. Today, with a total of 1,750 employees, of which Spacva has 840, the Bjelin Group is the largest employer in the wood processing industry.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

November the 12th, 2021 - Croatian fuel prices have been a thorn in the side of every road user in the country for a period stretching weeks now, and although the government has stepped in to cap any further rises in price for another month, the situation is still far from pleasant for most. That said, Croatian fuel prices are still better than the EU average.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian government will, as stated, extend the measure of capping Croatian fuel prices for another month. Tportal checked whether, after the price freeze, Croatia became cheaper than its surrounding countries.

The aforementioned government decree halted further price growth and the burden fell directly onto the backs of distributors and they then had to reduce their margins as a result. Other European Union member states, meanwhile, have also introduced various measures to stabilise their own respective fuel prices. In addition, over the past two weeks, oil prices have stagnated, so the pressures on the growth of derivative prices have decreased.

Therefore, the relative ratios of Croatian fuel prices in relation to the surrounding countries haven't really changed significantly. Fuel in Croatia is still slightly cheaper than the EU average, but much like before and rather unsurprisingly, it is still more expensive than it is sold for in most countries in the immediate region.

When converted into euros, the average price of a litre of petrol in the EU is 1.55 euros or approximately 11.63 kuna, which is about five percent more than it costs here in Croatia. The difference in the price of diesel is smaller, and one litre of diesel in the EU costs an average of 1.48 euros, while in Croatia it costs 1.46 euros.

When we look at nine countries from Croatia's more immediate environment, the regulated price of Eurosuper 95 of 1.48 euros is higher than in the six observed countries. Only in Italy and Germany do consumers pay a higher price than we do in Croatia, as was reported by tportal.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

November the 12th, 2021 - The Croatian Greyp bikes, the largest individual owner of which is much loved entrepreneur Mate Rimac, has seen continuous and steady growth, even in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, this Sveta Nedelja-based company has grown 110 percent in recent years, this year that growth will exceed 120 percent, and the Croatian Greyp bikes company working seriously on its first city model, the electric citybike, which should be on the roads of the cities and streets by early 2024.

This was revealed on the sidelines of the first inter-industry discussion on sustainable business, launched by Nestle in Croatia, by Vladimir Karmelic, the marketing manager of the Croatian Greyp bikes company. The new model should be predestined for city driving and be more affordable, according to Karmelic. Existing models are more for mountain and trekking activities.

"With the development of technology that is our primary focus, we can see that the next step for the bike is to have it be an everyday companion to the rider, it will have navigation that warns of pollution on the route, informs the rider where there is traffic and crowding in the city and recommends green routes,'' Karmelic stated when describing the future Greyp bike, a vehicle which is set to fit even more into the story of sustainability and the eco profile that the company believes so strongly in.

This year at the Croatian Greyp bikes company they can be very satisfied indeed with the irnumbers, they have sold, all over the world, 1500 of their most popular model, the G6, the older G12 was about sixty models sold, and the latest, presented this summer, the T5, has seen about 600 copies sold. Unlike the vast majority of companies, the pandemic has actually helped them due to increased demand, but, they admit, also slowed some things down because parts factories in Vietnam and Thailand ended up being closed.

Due to global disruptions in supply chains caused by that same public health crisis, they have experienced difficulties with the procurement of certain components, especially technological ones important for connectivity, which also affects the delivery of finished products. But unlike their competitors (including “regular” manufacturers), which have also experienced significant delays, Greyp bike customers are already aware that they'll have a wait of around two months on their hands after making their purchase.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

November the 12th, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has discussed the introduction of the wider use of the Croatian covid pass which is set to come into force next week. Questions were also asked about the potential for their introduction in cafes, restaurants and other catering and hospitality facilities.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Plenkovic pointed out that today, the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate will hold a conference to talk in more detail about the previously announced introduction of the Croatian covid pass in state and public services from Monday.

“Vaccination is free, testing and obtaining a Croatian covid pass is free. The state, which is our common money, has made everything available to people, and it's now up to them to use it,'' said the Prime Minister, before adding that we have coronavirus vaccines, and that he's once again asking everyone to please get vaccinated and protect themselves and others.

He also commented on whether covid passes will be introduced in private companies as well as public and state bodies.

"We have to take care of everything, we need to make sure that people can continue to go to work, that production continues, that traffic works and that educational institutions remain in operation. These are the fourth elements that are most important to the government at this moment in time. Everything else that is economically important, from catering and hospitality to shopping malls, are all important but they aren't the same as the above. It's the choice of each of us as individuals whether to go where there are a lot of people around, where it could be crowded, stuffy and loud,'' he said.

To the announcements and speculation circulating that the Croatian covid pass could be introduced in cafes, Plenkovic replied that "that will certainly not be the case''.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

ZAGREB, 11 Nov, 2021 - The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched a probe and proposed pre-trial detention against four suspects in Croatia: a former minister Gabriela Žalac, the SAFU Agency's director and two businessmen on suspicion that they embezzled €1.8 million from the EU and Croatian budgets.

The EPPO issued a statement on the matter on Thursday without revealing the identity of the four suspects.

The statement reads that the EPPO "has initiated an investigation against four Croatian citizens, as well as two companies, for the criminal offences of trading in influence and the abuse of office and official authority."

Among the suspects are the former minister of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds (MRRFEU) and the Director of Croatia’s Central Finance and Contracting Agency (SAFU), Tomislav Petric and the businessmen Marko Jukić and Mladen Šimunac.

All four suspects were arrested on Wednesday at the request of the EPPO.

Based on the results of the preliminary investigative activities, carried out in cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Croatian National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime and the Independent Financial Investigation Sector of the Tax Administration of the Croatian Ministry of Finance, the EPPO has now officially initiated an investigation.

The Croatian police specify that the former minister is suspected of abuse of office and influence peddling, SAFU director Petric of abuse of office while the businessmen Šimunac and Jukić are suspected of having encouraged the office-holders to commit wrongdoings.

EPPO says in its press release that "it is alleged that the first suspect, in her joint capacity as Minister of the MRRFEU and President of the Governing Board of the SAFU, took actions aimed at ensuring a privileged position for the second and the third suspects, as well as the companies linked to them."

"These activities occurred in 2017 and 2018, in the process of the public procurement of an information system for strategic planning and development management. During this time, the former minister was responsible for both the lawful conduct of public procurement procedures at the MRRFEU, and for proposing the appointment and relieving of duties of the Director of the SAFU. "

Adjusting ministry's procurement plan to benefit suspects

"The privileged position of the second and the third suspects was ensured by: adjusting the MRRFEU Procurement Plans for 2017 and 2018 to benefit the second and third suspects and the companies linked to them; inflating the estimated value of the procurement of that information system; changing the type and manner of procurement; and adjusting the technical specifications of the software required for the MRRFEU’s purposes to the software that the suspects and their companies had at their disposal.

The former minister decided that the MRRFEU would make this purchase at a price much higher than the market price for the development of software with such technical specifications and functionalities.

It is alleged that, in order to carry out what was agreed, the former minister first decided, in 2017, to conduct a negotiated procurement procedure without prior publication of a public invitation to tender, with an overestimated procurement value of HRK 9,860,000.00 (EUR +/- 1.31 million); and in that process, the companies linked to the second suspect were invited to submit their bids.

"In order to ensure the continuation of the negotiated procurement procedure without prior publication of a public invitation to tender, and by using her joint authority as Minister of the MRRFEU and President of the Governing Board of the SAFU, the former minister requested that the fourth suspect, the Director of the SAFU (the agency responsible for the ex-ante control of EU-funded MRRFEU public procurement procedures) made sure that the SAFU, in the ex-ante control of the documentation of the procurement of software licences unduly estimated at HRK 9,860,000.00, did not dispute the negotiated procurement procedure."

As this request came from the President of the SAFU and the minister who was in a position to propose, to the Croatian government, the appointment and relieving of his duties, the director agreed, and instructed the SAFU administrative and professional services to be as lenient as possible in their comments referring to the procurement documentation.

"When, in October 2017, the Croatian State Commission for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures annulled the public procurement procedure due to the breach of the law on public procurement, the former minister and the second suspect continued, in 2018, to take action to award the contract to the companies of the second suspect.

"Finally, after having conducted an open public procurement procedure, the MRRFEU concluded a purchase contract for this information system with the companies linked to the third suspect, a business partner of the second suspect, with the price unrealistically set at HRK 12,991,000.00 (EUR 1.73 million) – although the realistic price of that system would have been approximately HRK 2,000,000.00 (EUR 265,000). "

As much as 85% of the procurement of that software was financed by the EU’s Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion grant.

"The above amount, inclusive of VAT (HRK 16,238,750.00 in total, or EUR 2.16 million), was paid to the account of the company of the third suspect, after which a part of the money was transferred to the accounts of the companies of the second and third suspect, and a part was withdrawn in cash."

The EPPO concluded that "In the end, the financial interests of the European Union and the Republic of Croatia were damaged by the total amount of EUR 1.8 million."

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ZAGREB, 11 Nov, 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Thursday responded to criticism by President Zoran Milanović, saying that unlike Milanović, he did not want to use insults and lies and then said that apart from being Armed Forces' Supreme Commander, Milanović was also a supreme liar.

Addressing the press in Parliament House, Jandroković said that even though he had not intended to make any statements today, responding to Milanović "is a matter of dignity and honour after the insults he has hurled at me."

Responding to Milanović's accusation that he used his mobile phone during a recent meeting of the National Security Council and the Defence Council, Jandroković said that he did not do anything that was not allowed.

"I accidentally kept my mobile phone after a pause between the meetings of the Defence Council and the National Security Council. At the start of the National Security Council meeting, my mobile phone was indeed with me and after being warned, I took and left it in the same spot where it had been during the Defence Council meeting. No one considered it problematic because it happened at the very start of the meeting but I see that attempts are being made to exploit even such a situation to defame the other side," said Jandroković.

He also denied any disrespectful treatment of the Armed Forces' Chief-of-Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj, underscoring that he could not reveal any details of the meeting and claiming that Milanović "was continually interrupting and patronising Hranj."

"Milanović described the situation in the army as being very difficult, which shocked me. I then asked Admiral Hranj what his opinion of Milanović's statement was but Milanović would not let him reply even though Hranj wanted to. Then he began interrupting me because I insisted on the Admiral's opinion. That led to a very unpleasant debate between Milanović and me, that's true," said Jandroković.

He can hurl insults at others, but I will retort

"There was no swearing but angry words were used. He is used to insulting others and some may tolerate it, but I get even, particularly during closed meetings," Jandroković said.

He added that it was evident from Hranj's statement that Milanović would not let him speak, saying that responded to all the questions. "After about five, six, seven minutes of that exchange between Milanović and me, Hranj was able to briefly say something and Milanović is indeed the last person who can accuse anyone of truculence," said Jandroković.

"The day before that, when I attended a meeting between the Prime Minister with the military commanders, he questioned my right as the parliament speaker and member of the Defence Council, to participate in that meeting. This is some sort of pathological obsession, I don't know why he is constantly trying to drag me through the mud with the most vulgar insults against me," said Jandroković.

"I will not respond in kind because apart from being the supreme commander he is also a supreme liar, there is no point in trying to compete with someone who insults everyone standing in their way," Jandroković added.

Jandroković also rejected allegations in the media that he is the person behind Defence Minister Mario Banožić and that he is the one instigating conflicts between Milanović and Banožić, claiming that the allegations "are ridiculous and untrue."

Asked whether former minister Gabrijela Žalac, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of embezzling money from the EU and Croatian budgets, would stay on the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidency and the party in general, Jandroković said that the HDZ was waiting for a court decision, after which party bodies would take a stand and make a decision.

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