September 15, 2020 - Good news for Croatian travelers looking to visit the Adriatic pearl this September, as Dubrovnik targets domestic guests in its new late-season tourist offer. 

HRTurizam reports that the promotional activities of the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board titled "Late Summer in Dubrovnik" - "Dubrovnik, where the heart is", from September 15 to 30, includes discounts and benefits for visitors to Dubrovnik on numerous tourist services from several different categories: sights, museums, galleries, accommodation providers and caterers.

In this way, they want to attract primarily tourists from Croatia, who top the tourist list in Dubrovnik this year. Namely, from January 1 to September 9, tourists from Croatia were first on the list of the most numerous tourists in Dubrovnik. Since the beginning of the year, there were 33,864 tourists from Croatia (83% of last year's tourist traffic in arrivals for the same period), and 113,453 overnight stays were realized (5% more than in the same period last year).

In addition to Dubrovnik's cultural institutions, such as the museums, Lokrum and the Dubrovnik Walls are also included in the offer, which also includes reduced ticket prices in September.

The great news is that the seventh Good Food Festival is being organized this year as well, as a gastronomic event for all lovers of good food, which will be held from September 24 to 27, 2020, following the prescribed measures due to the epidemiological situation.

This year's program will include the traditional Restaurant Week (September 21-27) with festival menus, a special breakfast offer, wine tastings, a sweet festival offer, gastro tours, culinary workshops, a festival house in Pile, a summer gastro cinema program, beer evenings with good street food at Dubrovačka pivovara, and a concert by Ines Tričković Sextet: Runjić in blue and other interesting events.

The chefs of about thirty Dubrovnik restaurants have created festival menus, especially for the Good Food Festival, at promotional prices of up to HRK 150. They will be able to taste them throughout the Festival Week.

The City of Dubrovnik and its institutions will join the action of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Croatian National Tourist Board, entitled ‘A Vacation-Worthy Week’, from October 16 to 25, 2020.

Offering half the price of all tourist products, from accommodation, transport, and sights to catering services and various experiences, this action aims to enable all Croatian citizens to visit and get to know other parts of the country, concludes the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.

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As Novac/Marina Klepo writes on the 14th of September, 2020, last week, US Ambassador Robert Kohorst presented the Croatian Government with a proposal for a draft agreement on avoiding double taxation between the United States and Croatia, a document that the two countries have now been negotiating for a quarter of a century. But just what would the Croatian-American agreement bring, and what are the details?

After the US ambassador met with Finance Minister Zdravko Maric at the Banski dvori, they reported that the long anticipated Croatian-American agreement would provide "additional legal security to taxpayers, especially those with dual citizenship, prevent double tax payments and protect them from possible discriminatory practices."

Cooperation between the Croatian and US tax services will be established in order to resolve possible ambiguities and misunderstandings during the implementation of the Croatian-American tax agreement itself. Negotiations between the two sides are scheduled for the end of the year, with Croatia being represented by the Ministry of Finance. When asked when this Croatian-American agreement could enter into force, Minister Maric was reluctant to state a time frame, emphasising that it doesn't depend only on the Croatian side.

''We've been waiting for this moment for a long time, we're going to do everything to make it happen as soon as possible,'' said the Minister of Finance. The first negotiations on the avoidance of double taxation between Croatia and the United States began back in 1995, and a year later, standard model agreements were exchanged. However, the official start of negotiations didn't take place. The most probable time for signing such a Croatian-American agreement seemed to be in 2008, just before Croatia's accession to NATO, when US President George W. Bush also visited Croatia, but it didn't happen even then.

There were several initiatives after that, primarily on the Croatian side, and the last one was launched two years ago by the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia (AmCham), which also presented the publication "Arguments in favour of signing a double taxation agreement between Croatia and the United States". The conditions for a higher phase of negotiations, both on signing an agreement on avoiding double taxation and on abolishing visas, are now clearly ripe.

Given that double taxation is the most harmful thing to would-be investors, agreements to avoid such practices are an important tool for protecting investors and foreign direct investment. In its analysis, the US Chamber of Commerce states, among other things, that avoiding double taxation would lead to increased investment between the two countries, that existing cumulative tax rates in the US are higher than in Croatia and that they have a disincentive effect on Croatian companies.

An additional reason for this step is the fact that the current situation encourages companies on both sides to operate through subsidiaries registered in other countries, which means additional financial expenditures. The agreement would bring the greater and cheaper transfer of knowledge and experience, especially for small and medium-sized companies and companies in the IT sector, and ultimately "better tax treatment of US citizens who work, reside or own real estate in Croatia."

When rxplaining what double taxation means, for example, for a company in Croatia that is 100 percent owned by an American company, AmCham states that it must pay 18 percent income tax in Croatia and interest, fees and dividends, so the total amount paid to the American owner is significantly less than it would have been if the Croatian-American agreement had been signed. The same applies to the operations of Croatian companies in the United States.

"The burden is even greater than the above example, because in the United States, all three tax rates are 30 percent deductible for countries that haven't signed an agreement. This is especially true for Croatian IT companies, which are very much present over on the US market,'' reads the AmCham analysis.

As for the most common example of economic double taxation, it has been stated that the company pays income tax, and then the tax is paid by the shareholders on the dividend paid from that taxed profit. One country can tax income according to the criterion of its origin, and the other on the basis of residence. Agreements usually deal with the fact that the country in which the taxpayer is resident doesn't collect income tax that has already been subject to taxation abroad or grants a tax deduction in the amount of tax paid abroad. In the case of companies, a dividend deduction system, imputation systems or separate tax rates are most commonly used.

According to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatia currently has 63 double taxation agreements in place, including with all EU countries except Cyprus, most of which have been in force since Croatia's accession to the EU. The only exceptions to that, meaning agreements which came before Croatia joining the bloc are the agreements with three European countries - Portugal, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg.

These agreements differ in the scope and tax rates agreed upon, with some regulating only income tax and some covering both income and assets. Each agreement specifies exactly which taxes in the signatory countries are the subject of the agreement and defines who has the right to tax, how those taxes are distributed or what the highest amount of taxation stands at. As an example, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce cites the agreement between Croatia and the Czech Republic, which defines that a state in which a dividend is paid to a resident of another state has the right to collect tax on that dividend, but in the maximum amount of 5 percent gross dividend.

When it comes to the United States, which has 68 double taxation agreements, Croatia is the only European Union country with which it still doesn't have such an agreement.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of September, 2020, the popular Croatian Njuskalo platform has gone one step further in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) when designing the most efficient solution for its users, offering them a unique solution for submitting ads through the Njuskalo application (app).

With the help of the AI ​​model, the Njuskalo platform camera predicts the average price of an item and immediately places it in the correct category. Submitting ads through the Njuskalo platform's mobile app has never been easier, nor has it ever been quite as sophisticated.

After integrating photo recognition, an in-app plugin that places an item in the correct category immediately after taking a photo now enables Njuskalo users instantly find out how much they can sell their item for, just by clicking "Sell" and pointing the camera at it.

This smart technology, based on trained neural networks, immediately provides the would-be seller with up to date and accurate information on the price range within which the same item is being sold, as well as information on when the item was last sold, when the camera is aimed at the item for sale.

With this move, the Njuskalo platform provides users with more benefits when submitting ads and encourages them to easily submit them through the application. An instant estimate of the value and timing of a sale in just one click motivates both those who are hesitant or those who aren't sure what sort of price they'd like and for how much they should sell their item. This also saves users a lot of time and energy which would otherwise be spent researching the typical prices of the items they're thinking of selling.

The use of photo-recognition in the Njuskalo platform's app, for the integration of which, in addition to Njuskalo, the team of the software company Trikoder is responsible, received the highest user ratings and won awards at prestigious world competitions such as ICMA and Global BIGGIES Award in New York.

The experience gained with this project has now been applied to new improvements, as well as in pushing the boundaries of what user experience means in today's digital products.

The result of applying the AI ​​model within Njuskalo's app is equal to around 50 percent fewer steps, ie significantly faster ad submission, without asking for redundant information or actions from users, which makes it the fastest ad submission application on the market.

Njuskalo's application has so far been downloaded by more than one million and two hundred thousand users and is ranked second on the list of free lifestyle applications in the Play Store (source: Appfigures August 2020), and high fourth on the list of free lifestyle applications in the App Store (source) : appfigures August 2020).

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of September, 2020, Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blazenko Boban, President of the Management Board of Hrvatska elektroprivreda Frane Barbaric and Mayor of Split Andro Krstulovic Opara put the jubilee 200th HEP electric car charger in Split into operation. The new electric car charger in Split is located in the car park at the intersection of Varazdinska Ulica (Varazdin street) and Ulica Domovinskog rata (Homeland war street).

HEP's network of ELEN car chargers covers the area of ​​all 20 counties and the City of Zagreb, as well as all motorways and other important road routes across Croatia, city centres and tourist destinations, including several islands. At HEP's electric car charger stations, more than 400 electric cars can be charged at the same time, ie half of all of the registered electric cars in Croatia.

"Our charging station network enables all Croatian drivers, users of electric cars, to travel unhindered to any destination in Croatia. In the last year alone, we've set up more than a hundred electric car charger stations. And this is an indicator of how much we've accelerated the realisation of investments in HEP. Thanks to such an approach, we estimate that this year, we'll have a record realisation of investments, over 4 billion kuna,'' said Frane Barbaric, President of the Management Board of Hrvatska elektroprivreda d.d.

The ELEN car charger station in Split, with a total power of 93 kW, enables the simultaneous charging of two cars. The electric car charger has all three standardised ports so that it can be used by all available electric vehicles on the market. In addition to this charging station, HEP, in cooperation with the City of Split, has set up charging stations on Ulica Antuna Branka Simica and Put Brodarice. Based on the signed cooperation agreement, another 22 charging stations for electric vehicles will also be set up.

"The City of Split is a green city that wants to be part of a green society, and the installation of electric car charger stations in the city is part of that idea. Also, this isn't possible without cooperation with various stakeholders in the Republic of Croatia, and HEP is one of the most important of them all. These three newly opened chargers, as well as an additional 22 that will be put into operation by the end of the year, are a pledge for even better cooperation between HEP ​​and the City of Split in other areas, primarily on development projects that are part of Smart City direction in which we want to go,'' said Andro Krstulovic Opara, Mayor of the City of Split.

In addition to the 200th electric car charger in Split, the wider Split-Dalmatia County, HEP has so far set up a total of 19 electric car charger stations, including two on the nearby islands of Hvar and three on Brac, with plans to set up another 27, including two on the island of Vis. In total, this investment cycle of installing electric car charger stations in Split-Dalmatia County is worth 12 million kuna.

"With the most hydroelectric power plants in its area, Split-Dalmatia County has always been at the forefront in the use of renewable energy sources in Croatia. A further step forward was made on Vis, where, thanks to the solar power plant, the island became self-sustaining in regard to energy. I'm glad that HEP is going in that direction on the island of Hvar as well. In addition, thanks to HEP, we have the opportunity to be among the leaders in terms of infrastructure for electric vehicles,'' said Blazenko Boban, Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County.

HEP financed the installation of the 200th ELEN car charger in Split, as well as the previous ones, throughout Croatia with its own funds and funds from EU funds through the EAST-E, NEXT-E and bigEVdata projects. The use of HEP's ELEN stations is still free, and the commercialisation of services will follow after all the possibilities of customer service have been tested and billing models have been developed. HEP strongly promotes the concept and concrete advantages of e-mobility, as it is an indispensable part of Croatia's energy transition towards a low-carbon society and one of the key parts of the European Green Plan.

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September the 14th, 2020 - The Croatian Constitutional Court has been given the task of deciding on whether or not the instructions being given by the National Civil Protection Headquarters during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are constitutional and legal.

The National Civil Protection Headquarters have been the subject of a lot of conversation over the months since the coronavirus pandemic found its way to Croatian territory, with some claiming the decisions they make are illegal and unconstitutional. As such, the formal body competent for such matters has been given the final say on whether or not Vili Beros and company are allowed to set the rules as they do.

From remarks about needing to wear masks when using public transport or going shopping to all out protests in the very heart of Zagreb, the National Civil Protection Headquarters have faced a barrage of complaints from irritated citizens who would, for their own respective reasons, either prefer to not take any anti-epidemic measures or simply dispute the alleged politicisation of the team involved in passing those decisions.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of September, 2020, the Croatian Constitutional Court ruled on the constitutionality of several laws and a package of 27 different constitutional complaints against measures passed by the National Civil Protection Headquarters related to the coronavirus pandemic.

At its session held on the 14th of September 2020, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia made a  decision on the constitutionality of the decisions made by the National Civil Protection Headquarters and as such the measures being prescribed by them.

The Croatian Constitutional Court clarified in a statement that it had decided that the Nationl Civil Protection Headquarters had not violated anyone's constitutional rights by making the series of decisions that they have been given the means and power to do since the outbreak of the pandemic within Croatian borders.

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September 14, 2020 – 10 minutes from the centre of bustling Makarska, blending traditional Dalmatia with incredible 5-star facilities, My Home Adriona is a blissfully secluded paradise and one of the most singular luxury villas Croatia has

My Home Adriona sits in the foothills of Biokovo mountain, just 10 minutes drive from the centre of bustling Makarska

Not everyone knows exactly what kind of holiday they want. Taking to the crystal clear waters on a pristine beach and soaking up the atmosphere of winding old town streets and their taverns are essentials of every holiday in Dalmatia. But, sometimes you need to break off from the crowds. They are not who you chose to spend your precious holiday time with. Neither are the all-too-near neighbours in the crowded apartment complexes or the town's full capacity hotels.

Views from the first-floor bedrooms show the wild nature which surrounds the custom-designed pool, the Adriatic close by and Brač island is the distance

A handful of houses are the villa's only neighbours, the only sound you hear all day is the crickets in the trees and the splashes you make in the pool

Luxury villas Croatia are the best way to make sure you and your fellow travellers get the most out of your vacation, and each other. Located in Kotišina, a small village in a Makarska neighbourhood, My Home Adriona is one of the most singular luxury villas Croatia has. Balancing traditional Dalmatian architecture with 5-star luxury, the villa is surrounded by the indigenous flora of the region and breathtaking views of the Adriatic and Brač island. Out of sight, but less than 10 minutes drive by car, the beautiful beaches and vibrant tavern and town life of Makarska await. Like the salty waves, they are on your doorstep any time you feel like dipping in.

Olive, citrus, fig and pine trees surround the villa.

The scent of wild rosemary, lavender, citrus and other Mediterranean plants and herbs fill the air on the ample terrace of My Home Adriona. Gazing across the custom-designed pool and down into the tree-filled valley below, only the sounds of crickets fills the air. The village is quiet. Many of its quaint, traditional houses lie empty, used for a week or two as holiday homes. A car or moped might travel through the single road in the village once every hour. Or maybe none will pass through all day.

The 17th-century Kotišina castle is carved into the mountainside, just 10 minutes walk from the villa, before it, the Botanical Gardens, dedicated to local plants and herbs

Shade from the sun by the side of the pool or soak up the rays in the morning or late afternoon

Sitting elevated from the shoreline, in the foothills of the mighty Biokovo mountain, it's all too easy to become captivated by the seascape from Adriona. But, of all the coastal luxury villas Croatia boasts, this is one where the breathtaking view surrounds completely. Olive and fig trees line the property boundary. Beyond them, the handful of traditional dwellings sit on gentle slopes before, suddenly, the karst rock shoots up towards the sky. At dusk, you can watch the colour shadings on the mountain change spectacularly every minute in response to the waning sun. Carved into the mountain, 10 minutes walk from Adriona, a 17th-century castle dominates the view behind. Below it, 300 wild plants grow in the Kotišina Botanical Gardens, each of them indigenous to this specific area, just like those surrounding Adriona.





The spacious open-plan living room and dining area sit next to a monster-sized, modern and fully-equipped kitchen. There's an additional eating area on the terrace, perfect for dining in the evening

Bedrooms come with king-size beds and ensuite bathrooms. Each double bedroom is individually named after locally growing fruits and herbs - the natural bathroom products of each room hold a corresponding scent

The games room and its bar are a proper man cave, with snooker table and poker table. Like the rest of the villa, it is furnished with fully restored antique furniture

The traditional white stone of Dalmatian houses forms the exterior to Adriona. Inside, restored antique furniture maintains the authentic feel, but it's combined with jaw-dropping luxury features that are wholly contemporary. On the ground floor, a spacious living room and dining area sit next to a fully equipped kitchen. A games room comes complete with snooker table, poker table and a fully stocked bar (although it's not as well-stocked as the wine cellar which, like the rest of Adriona, displays exquisite taste). In the basement, a spa and wellness area boasts a gym, sauna and a jacuzzi. Each of the four double bedrooms is huge, with kingsize beds, ensuite bathrooms and incredible views which perfectly welcome each day. All floors are accessible by lift and one bedroom is designed to accommodate those with disabilities or mobility issues.

The wine cellar is stocked with exemplary Croatian wines. Some of the best red wine from the country comes from this region and all feature within this connoisseurs collection

What a view to wake up to in the morning!

When it comes to luxury villas Croatia has more than a small share. But, among them, Adriona is quite unique. Neighbourless and remote, yet just 10 minutes from the centre of a town brimming with people, beaches and nightlife, it's a luxurious base perfect for exploring the Makarska riviera and wider Dalmatia. Beautiful beaches, the Biokovo nature park, islands Hvar and Brač, adventure sports on the Cetina river, traditional taverns and Michelin-starred restaurants are all within very easy reach. This is a luxury villa at which every day can be different, and at which you can take your holiday at your own pace.



The view of Biokovo mountain and the castle from the upstairs terrace of My Home Adriona. The colours of the rock face seem to change every minute at sunset

All photos © Marc Rowlands / My Home Adriona

You can check out more photos of My Home Adriona on their Instagram page

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ZAGREB, Sept 14, 2020 - Croatians in Austria have got their Croatian Hall in Vienna well ahead of the Christmas deadline, and it will host the first meeting of Croatian associations on September 17.

The building, located in the city's 23rd district, is currently being renovated. It stretches over 2,000 square meters and has two large halls, offices, and multifunctional rooms.

"I am proud and very happy. The building is just concrete now, but it is our Croatian Hall. Tireless people, enthusiasts, and professionals believed that we can achieve this and now it is up to us to move on in a spirit of unity," said the president of the Croatian Hall Vienna, Andrej Lucic.

Speaking at the first convention of Croatian associations in Austria last December, which brought together over 2,000 guests, Lucic said that their goal was to realize the Croatian Hall Vienna project before Christmas this year.

"After intensive searches and meetings, this goal has now been accomplished," the Croatian Hall said.

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ZAGREB, Sept 14, 2020  - HND protests against the Constitutional Court's decision not to allow reporters to attend its session discussing decisions of the national COVID-19 response team.

"The Croatian Journalist Association strongly protests against the Constitutional Court's decision which prevents media from covering its session focusing on the lawfulness of decisions made by the national COVID-19 response team on epidemiological measures during the coronavirus pandemic," the umbrella journalists' association said in a statement.

It noted that the court's decision was contrary to democratic standards, media freedoms, and the right of the public to be informed of all court decisions, notably the latest one.

Earlier in the day, the Constitutional Court decided that its session discussing the legality of measures introduced to fight the coronavirus epidemic would not be attended by media representatives.

Court secretary-general Teodor Antic said that once the court made a decision, it would issue a statement, and once its decision was published and sent to the parties that had put forward the proposal for a public debate, the court president would hold a news conference.

The HND said it did not believe the Constitutional Court's promise that all questions from the press would be answered fully and in a timely manner, noting that preventing reporters from following the court session "leaves one with a strong impression that the Constitutional Court is hiding something from reporters and the public."

"And all of that is happening in an EU country which until recently chaired the EU," the HND said.

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