ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - President Zoran Milanović's envoy and human rights advisor Melita Mulić on Tuesday opened the Centre for the Digital Literacy of Blind and Visually Impaired Persons on the premises of the Zagreb Association of Blind Persons.

The centre, the first of its kind in Croatia, is part of the "Network for all" project.

Mulić said that digital literacy would ensure new opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons that previous generations did not have.

"We put great emphasis on diversity as well as on creating new opportunities for blind and visually impaired persons. President Zoran Milanović gladly supports these socially responsible projects and is grateful for the support and love of all those involved," said Mulić.

The president of the Zagreb Association of Blind Persons, Branimir Šutalo, said that the centre needs to be an example of good practice for other associations of the blind and visually impaired.

He said that in addition to Braille, modern times have set digital literacy as a fundamental precondition for the independence of the blind and visually impaired and their full inclusion in the life of the broader community.

"Our association is faced with serious financial challenges because essential IT equipment costs up to HRK 25,000 per user. That is why we particularly want to thank our sponsors, the HEP Group and DM Croatia, which equipped this new IT centre," said Šutalo.

The director of the Apriori World agency, Danijel Koletić, underscored the importance and necessity of adapting web sites for blind and visually impaired persons according to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Unfortunately, despite a European directive, the number of WCAG programmed sites are negligible, particularly those by public administration and public companies, he said.

"The relevant law, which should have been completely adapted to the European Directive, has omitted the obligation for elementary and secondary schools to have access to those web sites," he said, noting that this posed a huge challenge in terms of young people's understanding the importance of the inclusion of people with disabilities.

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

June 29th, 2021 - The Croatian National Tourist Board in Hungary created a 20 photo exhibition of Croatian beauties, emphasizing UNESCO heritage at the popular Hunyadi Square in the center of Budapest. 

HTZ reports, the exhibition is set as part of the first Festival of Nations in Hungary, organized in cooperation with the Croatian Embassy in Hungary and the Eötvös 10 Cultural Center in Budapest, and all residents and visitors to Budapest will be able to see the photos until July 10. 

During the exhibition setting, the director of the CNTB Representation in Hungary, Ivana Herceg, pointed out that Croatia is an everyday topic in Hungary these days, primarily due to the summer vacation on the Adriatic. "With this exhibition, the emphasis is not only on the coast but also on the continental part of Croatia and the rich cultural and natural heritage that Croatia abounds in," added Herceg, inviting Hungarians to visit Croatia in all seasons.

At the exhibition's opening, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Hungary, Mladen Andrlić, and the Hungarian Parliament Lajos Oláh also addressed the audience. The entire program was enhanced by the folklore performance of students from the Croatian school and gymnasium in Budapest (HOŠIG). In contrast, in the evening, the Croatian film Comic sans directed by Nevi Marasović was shown at the open square.

CNTB Representation in Hungary last week held a presentation for members of the Hungarian Association of Travel Agencies (MUISZ). At the same time, a conference for Hungarian journalists will be organized tomorrow to present the latest rules on entering Croatia and returning to Hungary, current epidemiological measures in Croatia, new investments in Croatian tourism, airlines, the campaign "Trust me, I've been there," and the project "Safe Stay in Croatia" will be presented.

According to the eVisitor system, more than 51,000 arrivals and 215,000 overnight stays have been made from the Hungarian market in Croatia so far this year, increasing 107 percent in overnight stays compared to the same period last year.

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

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - Croatia's economy will grow by 6% in 2021, the European Reconstruction and Development Bank (EBRD) says in its forecast on Tuesday, almost doubling its previous estimate in anticipation of vaccination against COVID-19 and tourism recovery.

In October 2020 the EBRD forecast that Croatia's economy would grow by 3.5% in 2021.

In 2020, marked by the coronavirus pandemic, Croatia's GDP dropped by 8.4%, slightly less than the EBRD had forecast last autumn.

The latest forecast shows that by the end of 2021 the economy will contract by 2.9% compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019.

In 2022 the growth of economic activity is expected to slow down to 4.5%.

Tourism and European fund

The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted significant damage on the Croatian economy in 2020, and a key channel for disruption was tourism, which normally accounts for around 20 per cent of GDP, says the EBRD.

Nevertheless, the economy inched closer to prepandemic levels in the first quarter of 2021, with GDP growth at -0.7 per cent year-on-year (5.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter) on the back of robust exports of goods, investments in construction and a partial recovery in private consumption.

The strong momentum of the economy will likely be maintained in the remaining quarters of 2021 as the vaccination campaign progresses and tourism picks up, the EBRD says.

If tourism invoices reach 70 per cent of 2019 levels, as expected, GDP could expand by 6 per cent in 2021, it says.

In 2022, incoming EU funds and post-earthquake reconstruction will boost investment, and together with expanding private consumption and recovering tourism, will continue the high-growth momentum at around 4.5 per cent.

The main risk to the outlook remains the pandemic evolution, as new variants and insufficient vaccination could lead to other infection waves, the EBRD notes.

The EBRD also significantly increased its growth estimate for 2021 for the region of Europe and the Baltics, which includes Croatia, by 1.3 percentage points to 4.8%. It expects a similar growth rate in 2022.

In the entire region where the EBRD operates, economic activity is expected to grow in 2021 by 4.2%, 0.6 percentage points more than forecast last autumn.

In 2022, economic activity in the EBRD region is expected to slow down to 3.9%.

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

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - Croatia can be satisfied with the agreement on key issues from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform package because it takes into account its most important demands, Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković said in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

At a two-day meeting in Luxembourg, EU agriculture and fisheries ministers on Monday confirmed the agreement on the reform of the CAP, reached with the European Parliament last week.

Vučković said Croatia was glad its most important demands had been taken into account, concerning the treatment of areas with natural constraints, animal welfare and certain exemptions and flexibility regarding small farmers.

The new CAP rules, to be in force from 2023 to the end of 2027, oblige member states to respect the social and labour rights of agricultural workers, encourage farmers to apply greener farming practices, envisage incentives for smaller farms and young farmers and advocate making financial support to farms more conditional on their results and performance.

Now that political agreement has been reached on the new CAP, the path is clear for both legislative institutions, the Council and the Parliament, to formally vote the new rules in.

The ministers also reached agreement on a control regulation that refers to fisheries.

Vučković said that monitoring and control in the fisheries sector were very important and that Croatia had made significant progress in recent years, notably regarding the application of innovations and new technologies in control and monitoring.

She commended the Croatian fisheries sector for undergoing a very important and difficult transformation, underlining the need to preserve the country's fishing resources, fishing fleet, small fishermen and their traditional way of life.

Vučković also called at the Luxembourg meeting for the continuation of support to wine makers, beekeepers and fruit and vegetable farmers.

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

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday the Social Democratic Party's interpellation on the government's slowness in post-earthquake reconstruction would not pass, adding that in the SDP "they have to pretend they are doing something" after losing in local elections.

Speaking to the press in Petrinja, Plenković said he had not seen the interpellation but that "when someone loses so badly in local elections, when they have a 13% rating, they have to pretend they are doing something." He added that parliament would reject it.

Plenković visited Petrinja to see the demolition of buildings damaged in December's earthquake and meet with the task force dealing with its consequences.

He said that when the reconstruction law was being passed, he said he wished to incorporate in it all constructive ideas and that no prior law included so many proposals from the opposition.

He said interpellations like the SDP's one did not serve to improve something but to show distrust in the government.

In the interpellation filed today, the SDP asks for urgently amending the reconstruction law, including local government in discussions about it, and informing the public more transparently, among other things.

Asked who was responsible for the fact that 150 damaged buildings had been torn down in the Banija region since the December 2020 earthquake and only three in Zagreb since the March 2020 quake, Plenković said the goal in Zagreb had been to first provide institutions that would be in charge of the whole process, then financing, and cooperation between the state, the city and the quake-affected counties around Zagreb.

He said the processing of reconstruction applications in Zagreb was "somewhat slower" than expected but that property-rights relations in the capital were "even more complex" than in Banija. "We tasked (Construction) Minister Horvat with accelerating all processes and I expect all who should help him in that to contribute."

He said Reconstruction Fund head Damir Vanđelić must be propulsive, notably regarding the reconstruction of private houses and buildings.

Citizens should be responsible and contribute by getting vaccinated

Asked if Croatia would have to resort to COVID-19 vaccination incentives, like some countries that have announced financial rewards, Plenković asked whether that meant "bribing people to be vaccinated?"

"What will we give to the 44% who have been vaccinated? If we give HRK 100 to someone who hasn't been vaccinated but is waiting and calculating, what about the million and a half who have been vaccinated? Give them money retroactively?"

Plenković said people were "fully informed" about all key matters and that every citizen had the responsibility to contribute to society by getting vaccinated.

Recalling the number of COVID deaths, he said everything should be done to motivate people to be vaccinated, adding that Croatia had 670,000 doses available.

If they were administered, he said, "we would practically solve all problems" and stop the virus from spreading. He said it was a matter of common sense and that, perhaps, young people should be motivated to attend concerts and big events with COVID certificates.

Asked what message inconsistencies in enforcing COVID restrictions sent to those undecided on vaccination, Plenković said that "everyone who is responsible will contribute, who isn't, won't."

He said Croatia had been applying mild restrictions out of respect for its citizens, considering them smart and responsible. He said the Croatian mentality would not accept tough restrictions. "We didn't decide in vain that we would not be a country with a curfew. That wouldn't have been well-accepted and I think we did the right thing."

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

June 29, 2021 - After a one-year delay, the 8th Pink Day was held - the International Festival of Rose Wines, Sparkling Wines, and Champagnes.

In addition to socializing with winemakers and olive growers, this favorite wine event was marked by top workshops, awards, and a new location, MSU, a modern space that filled Pink Day with optimism and joy.

This year, Pink Day was held for the first time on the covered open terrace of the MSU Museum in Novi Zagreb. Although the location and date of the event were changed several times due to epidemiological reasons and the consequences of the Zagreb earthquake, the festival, despite the high temperatures, successfully gathered many domestic and foreign producers of rosé wines, about fifty of them, with more than 100 labels of rosé wines. There was, of course, an important part of the Festival - Green in Pink, which hosted a dozen of the best Croatian producers of extra virgin olive oil.

For the first time, in cooperation with the Miva Wine Gallery, an impressive Masterclass - World of Pink Champagnes by Moët Hennessy Group powered by Premium Visa was organized at the festival, which aroused the huge interest of connoisseurs and was sold out in just a few days. The presenter was brand ambassador Ted Lelakas. Visitors attended two more workshops: Pink Austria, powered by Austrian Wine, organized with the help of the Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions, and Tourism at the Embassy of the Republic of Austria, dedicated to Austrian rosés, and the workshop of extra virgin olive oils, Istria: Queen of Olive Oil powered by Catering Lisak, under the leadership of the famous Istrian olive expert Edi Družetić, who last year celebrated 40 years of work in olive growing.

For the first time, Pink Day had an official partner country - the Republic of Austria - and the opening ceremony was joined by the Austrian Ambassador, His Excellency Josef Markus Wuketich, accompanied by Consul Gerhard Götz and EBRD Director Croatia, Ms. Victoria Zinchuk, as well as Rada MP Borić, while the festival was officially opened by the president of GSGZ, Joško Klisović.

This year, Pink Day accentuated the sale of wine since last year was extremely difficult for winemakers, and each winemaker received pink bags with the Pink Day sign as a gift from the festival for the sale of their wine. Also, to the delight of the exhibitors, Pink Day continued to award the most imaginative and creatively decorated exhibition table. Last year's award, pink Jimmy Choo shoes, was won by the Italian winery Bottega, and this time as many as 4 awards were given. Ciri with Vlasta Pirnat, academic painter; Maja Kuzmanović, B.Sc. in Architecture; Ivica Mamić, IMC agency, Sanja Muzaferija, journalist and founder of WOW and Pink Day, decided that the main prize, again pink Jimmy Choo shoes - this time model Smokey - worth a thousand dollars, would be won by Enosophia from Feričani. In contrast, the other three prizes were equal. The artwork "DESIDERIO N ° 1 ART MUST BE TASTED" by Austrian artist Andrew Stix, made especially for Pink Day, went to the Kutjevo winery, the collection of Priveé cosmetics Nikel, Croatian innovator Mirjana Brlečić received the Buršić oil mill. The Belje winery won the ingenious Coravin bottle cap worth 300 euros.

Within the mini-project "Drink Pink," which was conceived independently of Pink Day as part of the iVino concept, the founders of journalists Ana Rogač and Iva Kozarčanin, a multi-member distinguished expert jury, evaluated the best rosé wines of their choice and, logically, decided to present - right on Pink Day. In their opinion, the two best calm rosés are, both with 87 points, Trs Franka 2020 from Ilok and Poletti Rosella 2020 from Višnjan, and Kurtalj Brut Rosé is the best sparkling wine.

All visitors received pink glasses as a gift to look at the world more brightly and optimistically after a long pandemic period. They found shade in these hot days in the WOW corner powered by Kraš, where they relaxed in comfortable Meblo Kare furniture - with fine chocolate.

Support for this most-visited one-day wine festival was provided by: PBZ Card Premium Visa, Austrian Wine, Peugeot, Kraš, and Catering Lisak; then Jana, Kare, Jimmy Choo, 21 Production, LU events & Decorations, Hotel Esplanade, Nickel, Print Shop, Eviplast and Solana Ramova.

Media sponsors of Pink Day are Jutarnji list, Telegram, Radio Laganini FM, Journal, Wish.hr, Menu.hr, Vinum.in. 

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - Croatia can be a green energy transition leader, Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry state secretary Ivo Milatić said on Tuesday at a conference on  Croatia's energy future organised by Lider weekly.

He said Croatia was preparing legislation and all the prerequisites for "as good and successful an energy transition as possible."

Milatić said Croatia had a 2030 energy strategy with an outlook on 2050, a national climate energy plan and amended laws on energy efficiency and biofuels, and that it was in the process of amending laws on renewables and the electricity market.

The latter amendments, he said, will significantly help with green transition as it will allow market development. "There will be no more random development projects without any physical plans."

Milatić said the National Recovery and Resilience Plan envisages HRK 5 billion for energy, of which three billion to digitalise and enhance the electricity network.

"That will help to achieve the main goals, as we committed to installing in Croatia 1,500 new megawatts by the end of 2024. Croatia's plan is to install 2,500 megawatts by 2030."

Milatić said the National Recovery and Resilience Plan also envisaged large sums for heating and energy efficiency in industry.

He said HRK 1 billion was envisaged for a Sisak biorefinery project, a facility that would produce major quantities of fuel, which could make Croatia influential in this part of Europe as well as develop agriculture.

"Our goal is for Croatia not to import 40% of energy and in order to achieve that, we must have many renewable energy source capacities. Croatia can be a green energy transition leader, but it's up to us."

Neven Duić of the Zagreb Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture said Croatia's energy transition policy had changed for the better.

"The European transition hurricane that started brings big changes: 55% less greenhouse gasses by 2030, climate neutrality by 2050, we are heading towards 38 to 40% renewable energy sources by 2030, and the EU's green recovery plan brings money which can be used to push new technologies," he said.

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

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - In the past 24 hours, 70 coronavirus cases and three deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Tuesday.

There are 418 active cases, including 181 hospitalised patients, 11 of whom are on ventilators, while 3,679 persons are self-isolating.

Croatia has registered 359,736 coronavirus cases to date, including 8,205 deaths and 351,113 recoveries, 74 of which in the past 24 hours.

To date, 2,143,600 persons have been tested for the virus, including 5,506 in the past 24 hours, and 2,545,040 vaccines have been administered, with 1,482,581 persons having received one and 1,062,459 both doses.

For more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.