Saturday, 11 July 2020

Official Govt Website: Necessary Measure of Obligatory Use of Face Masks

July 10, 2020 - The official Koronavirus.hr website has published new guidelines for the wearing of face masks. 

This Decision introduces the necessary measure of mandatory use of face masks or medical masks.

Face masks or medical masks are required for: 

  • employees of health care institutions and persons visiting patients, if visits are allowed
  • drivers, other employees in public transport vehicles and public transport passengers
  • trade employees and customers during their stay in stores
  • employees in hospitality business who are in contact with guests or participate in serving and preparing meals and beverages 
  • other persons bound to do so by special instructions and recommendations of the Croatian Institute of public Health

The Decision shall apply from 13th of July. 

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Update: On July 13th, the National Civil Protection Headquarters issued a clarification of their measure of mandatory mask use in Croatia, in which they listed the groups of people who are not obligated to wear masks. Those groups include:
- children under the age of two,
- children between the ages of two and before school-age, if they exhibit strong resistance towards wearing a mask,
- children should wear masks for a limited period of time, up to an hour or two,
- people with mental health issues, where their mental health problems cause strong resistance towards wearing a mask or inability to remove it on their own,
- people communicating with hearing-impaired persons, who need to lip-read to communicate, as well as hearing-impaired persons themselves
- people with breathing problems caused by existing chronic diseases or conditions,
- people in an altered state of consciousness, or while unconscious,
- everyone else who is unable to remove the mask from their face without someone else's help.

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Saturday, 11 July 2020

Jansa: Croatia's Entry into Euro and Schengen Area is in Slovenia's Interest

ZAGREB, July 11, 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Friday that Croatia's admission to the euro area and the Schengen zone of passport-free travel was in Slovenia's national interest.

He criticised the policy of the Slovenia's two previous governments which advocated the blocking Croatia's membership of those two areas, underlining the futility of that conditionality policy.

"The recent past has shown us that Slovenia's vociferous opposition to Croatia's entry (into the OECD,  the Schengen or the euro area) has led us into this situation which we have with the (border) arbitration agreement, and there is no use of that," Jansa told the Slovenia Television on Friday evening after he met his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic earlier in the day for the talks on the bilateral relations and the latest developments surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic.

"Slovenia is a responsible member of the European Union," said Jansa explaining that Ljubljana would insist on the implementation of equal criteria for all euro area and Schengen zone aspirants.

"The adoption of the common currency (the euro) has not been only the possibility but also the obligation since 2004, and it is not about whether or not to adopt the euro but about when to do that," Jansa said adding that it would be pragmatic for Slovenia that the euro could become the sole legal tender in Croatia as soon as possible.

He explained that in such case Slovenians vacationing in that eastern neighbour would no longer need to exchange the euro for the kuna.

Considering Croatia's admission to the Schengen zone, Jansa explained that it was in Slovenia's interest that Croatia could meet the technical conditions for that area membership as soon as possible, hence it would mean that the Schengen external borderline was shifted from Slovenia to Croatia's eastern borders, and consequently, this would made it easier for the Slovenian border police to tackle the issue of irregular migrants.

Both Slovenia and Croatia face similar problems regarding COVID-19 infection sources

Asked whether Plenkovic had reassured him that due to the spread of the coronavirus infection, Croatia would impose more restrictions on passengers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, Jansa answered that Slovenia and Croatia faced similar problems regarding sources of COVID-19 infection and that there were now more local transmissions in both countries.

A majority of new infections have recently been imported into Croatia and Slovenia from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In recent days Croatia has imposed some stricter measures for entries from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, even for those who are only in transit through Croatia, the Slovenian PM said.

Jansa added that he and Plenkovic had discussed the possibility of introducing a common mobile application for monitoring contacts of the infected persons and persons who self-isolate as a means to reduce the number of new infections.

Jansa said that both of them expressed regret that at the start of the epidemic, no agreement had been reached on a joint EU mobile application solution. The Slovenian premier holds that such joint EU mobile applications in combating COVID-19 would be useful.

Saturday, 11 July 2020

Croatian Tourism Minister Cappelli Reassures Slovenian Tourists

ZAGREB, July 11, 2020 - Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli said on Friday evening that Slovenian tourists did not need to worry about their arrivals in Croatia, particularly in the coastal Adriatic area where the epidemiological situation was good.

Cappelli, who was in Croatia's delegation led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the talks with their Slovenian hosts in Otocec ob Krki on Friday, said that the meeting had also revolved around tourism-related issues against a backdrop of the epidemiological situation.

 "During the meeting in Slovenia we emphasised the importance of Slovenian visitors for the Croatian tourism industry. Currently, there are 92,000 Slovenians vacationing here, and 70% of them are in three Adriatic counties: Istria, Promorje-Gorski Kotar and Zadar, which are labelled as green areas that is epidemiologically safe and favourbale just as the remaining four coastal counties," the minister told Hina.

The minister said that most Slovenian guests were staying in camp-site facilities and reassured them that that they did not have to worry about self-isolation.

In the coming days, Croatian and Slovenian epidemiologists will give additional recommendations for monitoring trends in the tourist trade and other events between the two countries na daily basis, he said.

Special attention will be paid to efforts to prevent the emerging of any new hotspots of the virus in connection with public and private gatherings.

"I urge all tourists to abide by the current and new measures from the Croatian COVID-19 crisis management team. This is the only way to ensure the tourist trade and other economical activities can go on this year," Cappelli concluded.

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Saturday, 11 July 2020

Changes to the Rules for Entering Croatia: EU Citizens Welcome, Others Need Test or Self-Isolation

July 11, 2020 - In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, the Croatian Public Health Institute published yesterday evening the new set of recommendations and instructions for passengers trying to cross the Croatian national borders. 

Croatian Police Publish New Official Border Guidelines, Effective July 11, 2020

You can find the document in Croatian here (link to the .pdf document), and read the article to see what it says: 

- Nothing changes for the EU, Schengen area and associated countries passport holders, their families and the third-country citizens that have permanent residence in the EU.

- Third-country nationals are not allowed to enter Croatia, except for: health workers, people working across the border, people working in transport of goods, diplomats and other staff, passengers in transit, people coming to Croatia for tourism, other business reasons or educational purposes and people who come to Croatia for other immediate reasons (including owning property in Croatia). 

Passengers in transit need to leave Croatia within 12 hours, and then do not need to self-isolate. 

Passengers arriving to Croatia for immediate personal reasons are now obliged to go into self-isolation for 14 days after entering Croatia. The self-isolation can be reduced to 7 days, if the person undergoes PCR testing (they have to pay for it) and shows a negative test a week after they've entered Croatia. 

Passengers arriving in Croatia for tourism, other business or education are allowed to enter Croatia, but either need to show a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours, or need to self-isolate for 14 days. Even if they're not given the formal measure of self-isolation, they shall comply with the following measures during the first two weeks of their stay in Croatia:
they should exit from their accommodation only when necessary, for business purposes if that was the reason for their entry into Croatia, and they shall implement intensified hygiene measures.

The document does not state clearly when these changes will come into effect, but our understanding is that the new regime started at midnight last night, so it's already in force. PLEASE NOTE this is not 100% confirmed. We are seeking clarification. 

 

UPDATE: We received some additional information from MUP in answer to some of our questions. The new restrictions do not apply to EU/EEA/UK. The EU safe list of 15 is NOT included in the exemption (ie they need test/isolation). Tourist arrivals are an exception, so they're allowed to enter Croatia. If the tourists have proof of a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours, they're not put in self-isolation, but it is recommended they do not leave their accommodation and should limit their contacts to the necessary ones. There are no changes to the recommendations regarding the funerals. Regarding weddings, only parents, siblings, and best man/maid of honor are allowed, but they should also have proof of a negative PCR test. 
Hospital treatments for third-country nationals are allowed only if urgent and already planned (we will ask for more clarification on this) and with a negative test.

 

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Saturday, 11 July 2020

Masks Mandatory in Shops and More: HQ Announces Next Measures in Croatia

July 11, 2020 - Friday was the worst day in Croatia since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. 116 new cases were recorded, and new measures were announced.

Index.hr reported on Friday evening that a record 116 new coronavirus cases were reported over 24 hours. This is also the first time that the number of newly infected people reached triple digits in Croatia. Two people died.

There are currently 1,038 active cases in Croatia, according to a statement from the Headquarters. Among them, 104 patients are in hospital, of which four are on a ventilator.

Since February 25, when the first case of infection was recorded in Croatia, a total of 3,532 people have been reported to be infected with the coronavirus, of whom 117 have died and 2,377 have recovered.

There are currently 4,608 people in self-isolation. To date, a total of 91,486 people have been tested, of which 1,722 in the last 24 hours.

Headquarters announces a new decision

In accordance with the current epidemiological situation, the National Headquarters passed a Decision on the necessary measures for the organization of gatherings attended by more than 100 participants during the pandemic.

Organizers who expect more than 100 people at the gathering are obliged to submit a notification to the County Center 112 about the gathering no later than 48 hours before the planned start. Organizers who have registered a gathering following the Public Gathering Act are not required to submit this notice.

Also, all organizers of gatherings with more than 100 participants are obliged to keep written records of participants, so that in the event that someone is infected with the virus, the spread of the disease can be prevented as effectively as possible.

Control over the implementation of the decision, as well as compliance with the recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, will be carried out by teams composed of civil protection inspectors and police officers.

HZJZ has published the details of the instructions and rules for large gatherings, and you can read them HERE.

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Update: On July 13th, the National Civil Protection Headquarters issued a clarification of their measure of mandatory mask use in Croatia, in which they listed the groups of people who are not obligated to wear masks. Those groups include:
- children under the age of two,
- children between the ages of two and before school-age, if they exhibit strong resistance towards wearing a mask,
- children should wear masks for a limited period of time, up to an hour or two,
- people with mental health issues, where their mental health problems cause strong resistance towards wearing a mask or inability to remove it on their own,
- people communicating with hearing-impaired persons, who need to lip-read to communicate, as well as hearing-impaired persons themselves
- people with breathing problems caused by existing chronic diseases or conditions,
- people in an altered state of consciousness, or while unconscious,
- everyone else who is unable to remove the mask from their face without someone else's help.

Bozinovic: We will certainly introduce stricter measures at the border

Chief of the National Headquarters Davor Bozinovic explained to Dnevnik Nova TV the latest measures anti-pandemic measures and commented on Friday's record high cases.

“I can’t rule out that there won’t be some approximate number tomorrow, maybe even higher,” he said.

"As for border crossings, we will certainly tighten measures, some will have to go into a two-week self-isolation or come with a test that shows they are not infected. This applies to third countries, BiH, Serbia ... Students studying will have to go through self-isolation," he said.

If you go to a wedding in Belgrade, you don't have to go into self-isolation because we are EU citizens, and Bozinovic says that these are the recommendations of the European Commission.

"The introduction of self-isolation for passengers from Serbia and BiH is the only rational measure," Bozinovic replied.

From the beginning of the week, mandatory masks in stores

Masks in stores will be mandatory from the beginning of next week, and Bozinovic says it will be an obligation. “It doesn’t have to be medical masks, but I repeat, autumn could be a more serious challenge, and then the measures could be a little tighter,” he said.

Guests in catering facilities will not have to wear masks, i.e., they will not be mandatory. They will be mandatory for staff.

“If a gap is maintained, the virus is powerless here, but where close contacts occur, it is a situation where the virus is spreading fast and in that sense, we have made recommendations today because they are our main hotspots,” he said.

Asked if the measures should have been tightened before, he replied: "This is a long struggle, someone says up to two years. Any measure that means closing an activity, the question is whether you will open in the winter, when the conditions are even more difficult. This is not at all easy," he noted, adding that they plan to return to daily National Press conferences.

Markotic: With large gatherings, people can endanger those around them

"This is something that is dangerous. Trends say that we must be as responsible as possible and start tightening measures," said the director of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" Alemka Markotic for Dnevnik, answering the question about how she received Friday's news that we, for the first time, exceeded the number of one hundred new patients in one day.

When asked which of the measures on the table will be introduced first, Markotic said that the gatherings of over 100 people would be accompanied by a series of stricter measures and instructions and there will be controls.

"The most important thing is for people to understand that we had an ideal situation that we can restore if they adhere to simple measures. Gathering large numbers of people can endanger those around them," she said.

She also spoke about extinguishing new hotspots that have mostly spread in recent days from large private gatherings.

"Our health service has worked well, it has brought many hotspots under control, but not only the civil protection system and the police can operate alone. Everyone else needs to work together. The virus is there, the disease is there, it can be very dangerous and cause large numbers. If it increases, it is to be expected that there will be serious illnesses among the younger ones as well, and stricter measures will have to be taken - reducing the number of people who can gather, stricter controls will be introduced, and wearing masks will be introduced in shopping malls. It is for Croatia and for the tourists who come; and there are practically no sick people among the tourists, who are obviously behaving extremely responsibly," said Markotic.

The director of the Civil Protection of the Republic of Croatia, Damir Trut, spoke for RTL about the new measures and their implementation.

When asked when the measures on mass gatherings will take effect and how the police and inspectors will check who is adhering to them, he said:

"The decision has been approved and will take effect on Monday, so everyone has time to prepare and report all gatherings they are obliged to. So from 100 people onwards. And that inspectors can make a plan to monitor the gatherings. What is prescribed will be monitored for such gatherings. That list is important if there is an infection so that it is easier to find contacts. Basically, everything that has always been prescribed and if we have adhered to it, this would not have happened."

He adds that masks could be mandatory indoors.

"That's right, we are talking about introducing masks in all enclosed spaces. As we have introduced in public transport and it has proved to be good. We must all be aware that we must control ourselves and be the ones who adhere to the measures. There is no control that can control 4.5 million people in Croatia. We need to be aware that this is a way to protect ourselves from infection, how to stay healthy and how to protect others. "

He says that Croats from BiH will not have to isolate themselves.

The coronavirus has been spreading rapidly across the country in recent days. Weddings proved to be significant hotspots. About 15 people became infected at one graduation celebration in Kutina. Today, it was reported that four members of the band who played there were also infected.

In Zadar, the hospital is practically closed.

In the area of ​​Zadar County, there are 14 newly infected people with coronavirus, and out of that number 12, a wedding was held in Zadar last weekend, while two people became infected somewhere else, the County Civil Protection Headquarters reported.

Among the new patients, the statement said, is a health worker from the Zadar General Hospital who became infected outside the hospital, and ten doctors and three nurses are in self-isolation.

As 057info reported, the anesthesiologist of the Zadar General Hospital, indirectly connected to the wedding, was infected.

"I can confirm that due to special epidemiological circumstances, only emergency operations and scheduled operations for malignant patients will be performed until further notice. All patients will be taken care of and there is no reason for concern," hospital director Zeljko Culina told 057info.

The Zadar Civil Protection Headquarters was informed about the situation in the Zadar hospital, and the director informed Minister Vili Beros about the situation. If necessary, doctors from other cities will be temporarily hired to perform surgical procedures in the Zadar hospital, reports 057info.

The total number of infected people in the Zadar area is now 36, and as many as 22 are related to last week's wedding.

In Zagreb, the source of the infection is unknown in 13 people

There are 35 new cases in the City of Zagreb, 22 are contacts of already infected people, and the source of the infection is still unknown for 13.

There are a lot of new cases in Osijek-Baranja

Out of a total of 153 samples that were tested for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours in the Osijek-Baranja County, as many as 20 were positive. Most (12) newly positive people are from Đakovo, seven from Višnjevac and one from Feričani. All contacts are already registered patients with coronavirus.

At the Clinical Hospital Center Osijek, two people are on a ventilator, and a total of 22 patients are being monitored.

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

 

Friday, 10 July 2020

PM: It's Realistic to Promise Croatia's Entry into Euro Area in Next Four Years

ZAGREB, July 10, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday that Croatia's admission to the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) meant a lot for the country's financial stability and strengthened its reputation.

After the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission informed that the Croatian kuna was included in the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), Plenkovic told a news conference in Zagreb that it was realistic to promise that Croatia would enter the euro area until the end of the four-year term of the new government which is likely to be inaugurated in next few weeks.

The agreement on participation of the Croatian kuna in ERM II is accompanied by Croatia's commitment to simultaneously join the Banking Union.

Plenkovic recalled a well done job in the last 12 months which facilitated Croatia's admission to the ERM II.

He pointed out a high euroisation in Croatia.

For instance, 71% of household savings have been kept in the euro in the last eight years. Also more a than a half of loans are pegged to the euro. Foreign visitors coming from the euro area's member-states generate as many as three fifths of overnight stays in Croatia, and 57% of the value of the commodity exports are to those countries.

As for the exact date when Croatia can expect the admission to the euro area, Plenkovic did not want to speculate on the dates, having in mind that for instance Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta entered the euro area three years after joining the ERM II, whereas Lithuania had been ten years in that sort of waiting room before its adoption of the euro.

Plenkovic said that there was a high probability for Croatia to enter the euro area until the end of the four year-term of the next government provided that the country's relevant authorities continued performing a good job.

He underlined that the fact that Croatia had been accepted into ERM-2 mechanism, a mandatory stage for joining the euro, would also definitely improve Croatia's reputation among credit rating agencies.

FinMin: Croatia supposed to continue meeting Maastricht criteria

After entering the ERM II Croatia has to continue meeting the euro convergence criteria, that is the so-called Maastricht criteria, in order to be allowed to join the euro area, Croatian Finance Minister Zdravko Maric told the news conference.

Those criteria include the stability of the exchange rate, stable prices, stable interest rates alongside two important indicators considering the public finances: the budget deficit an the public debt.

Asked about a rise in the public deficit, Maric recalled that Croatia would have a high budget deficit this year instead if a surplus, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent crisis. This will also make a one-off increase in the public debt, he explained.

However, in the past three years, Croatia had managed to reduce the public debt to GDP ratio by three percentage points annually, which was four time faster than what the Maastricht criteria stipulate, Maric said.

"With the aim of achieving a high degree of sustainable economic convergence and a successful participation in the euro area, Croatia has committed to implement additional measures in reform areas and expressed its firm intention to adopt the euro, once the convergence criteria are met," the ECB and the European Commission said in the press release.

"These measures pertain to the strengthening of the anti-money laundering framework, reducing the administrative and financial burden on the economy through further simplification of administrative procedures and decreases in parafiscal and non-tax charges, improved governance of state-owned enterprises and strengthening the national insolvency framework," reads their press release.

HNB promises continuation of its stable policy

Croatian National Bank (HNB) governor Boris Vujcic recalled that the central rate of the Croatian kuna is set at 1 euro = 7.53450 kuna, which is the ECB's reference rate for today.

He added that the HNB would continue pursuing the same monetary policy.

You can stay reassured that we will continue pursuing the stable monetary policy, the central bank's governor said.

ECB today also adopted the decision on the establishment of close cooperation with the Croatian National Bank, by which the HNB has become a part of the SSM (single supervisory mechanism) even before Croatia’s joining the euro area, which means that the ECB is taking over the supervision of Croatian banks.

In the forthcoming period, the ECB will carry out its assessment and decide which Croatian banks meet the criterion to be classified as significant institutions. From 1 October 2020, the ECB will also exercise direct supervision of significant institutions in the Republic of Croatia.

With the establishment of close cooperation, HNB's  experts will become members of the ECB's Joint Supervisory Teams (JTSs) and exercise direct supervision of significant institutions in the Republic of Croatia. Less significant institutions will be supervised by the Croatian central bank on behalf of the ECB.

The Croatian National Bank will also have its representative in the ECB's highest supervisory decision-making body, having equal rights and obligations as other members, as well as a voting right.

Friday, 10 July 2020

EC Welcomes Croatia, Bulgaria's Entry into ERM II

ZAGREB, July 10, 2020 - The European Commission on Friday welcomed the decision to include the Bulgarian lev and the Croatian kuna in the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II), the key step to entry into the euro area.

"The Commission welcomes the decision to include the Bulgarian lev and the Croatian kuna in the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II). It also welcomes the ECB Governing Council's decision on close cooperation with both countries, marking their entry into the Banking Union," the EC said in a press release.

The decision of the ERM II parties represents an important milestone in Bulgaria and Croatia's efforts to join the euro area, the EC notes.

Both member states must now participate in the mechanism without severe tensions and, in particular, without devaluing their currency central rate against the euro on their own initiative, for at least two years before they can qualify to adopt the euro.

The Commission will continue to encourage and support the efforts of the Bulgarian and Croatian authorities to complete the process of joining the euro area, the EC says.

"The euro is a tangible symbol of European unity, prosperity and solidarity. This decision recognises the important economic reforms already undertaken by Bulgaria and Croatia while confirming the continued attractiveness of Europe's single currency. We will continue to stand with both countries as they take their next and final steps towards joining the euro area," said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that works for People, said the step was "a testament to the attractiveness of our common currency - still relatively young but highly successful globally."

Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for the Economy, said: "In a time of crisis and uncertainty, this decision sends a message of confidence in the euro and clarity that Bulgaria and Croatia will be the next countries to join." He also noted that Bulgaria and Croatia had made huge efforts to prepare for entry into ERM II and the Banking Union.

"As they take this key step towards our common currency, we as Europeans take a new step towards ever closer Union," said Gentiloni.

The last enlargement of the euro area happened in 2015, when Lithuania adopted the common European currency.

The euro area currently has 19 members. All EU countries, except Denmark, have the obligation to introduce the euro. Denmark participates in ERM II.

On June 10 the EC published a convergence report evaluating the progress member-countries outside the euro area had made on the path towards the introduction of the euro.

Under the report, Croatia has met all criteria to join the euro area except for membership in ERM II.

Of the seven countries covered by the report, which is published every two years, only Croatia meets all the conditions except for the minimum two-year membership of ERM II.

In order to join the euro area, it is necessary to meet the convergence criteria, also known as the Maastricht criteria. They are price stability, sound public finances, exchange rate stability and durability of convergence. Also examined is the compatibility of national legislation with European Monetary Union (EMU) rules.

Croatia and Sweden fulfil all of the economic convergence criteria, and only Croatia has legislation fully compatible with EMU rules.

Friday, 10 July 2020

Croatia Stays on Slovenia's Yellow List, Countries to Continue Close Cooperation

ZAGREB, July 10, 2020 - Croatia will remain on Slovenia's yellow list for the time being, it was concluded after a meeting on Friday of the two countries' prime ministers, Janez Jansa and Andrej Plenkovic respectively, at which they agreed to step up the exchange of information in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The two officials said they had a successful meeting focusing solely on the epidemiological situation in the two countries and measures adopted by their governments in the fight against the virus.

The meeting was held in Otocec ob Krki, Slovenia.

Jansa said that he was glad about the measures which Croatia was introducing to contain the epidemic and which it was applying on the EU's external borders, as well as about the fact that it was preparing a mobile application to track the disease which Plenkovic said would be ready in about ten days.

The two countries' epidemiologists and institutions have been exchanging information and experience and now we have agreed to cooperate even more closely on a daily basis, Jansa said.

"Only coordinated action can yield results," the Slovenian PM said, stressing the importance of cooperation at the expert and political level.

The Croatian prime minister said that Croatia's seven coastal counties were in a green zone, "which is a message of confidence and safety to all Slovenian tourists."

According to Croatia's eVisitor system, 92,000 Slovenians were staying in Croatia on Friday.

Jansa said that the two countries had similar experience and information on environments that are the most dangerous in terms of the spreading of the disease but that according to their experience, the tourism sector was not among them.

He said that he was glad to learn that in Croatia a mobile application was being prepared that would enable the tracking of potential contacts of already infected persons, which, he said, was the crucial instrument in enabling all activities to resume, including in the summer time, when people go on holidays.

"It is good that our measures to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus are converging because that will make the epidemiological situations in both countries converge," said Plenkovic.

As for the possibility that Slovenia could put Croatia on a so-called red list of risky countries with a large number of new infections and a poor epidemiological situation and the related media speculation, Plenkovic said, answering a reporter's question, that Slovenia had its own criteria and mathematical calculations.

"It is up to us to slow down the rate of spreading and the number of infections," he said.

Plenkovic would not talk about stricter controls on the border with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying he would inform the national COVID-19 response team of the matter when he returns to Croatia.

The two prime ministers agreed to be in touch on a daily basis with regard to COVID-19.

"It is only by joining forces that we can achieve success," Jansa said, adding that preventing infection was the most important in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The three magical words are hygiene, disinfection and distance, said Plenkovic.

The current epidemiological situation was the sole topic of today's meeting and other topics, including border arbitration, were not discussed.

"There are topics that can wait and there are those that cannot," said the Slovenian PM.

Friday, 10 July 2020

Croatia Enters ERM II

ZAGREB, July 10, 2020 - Croatia has entered the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), a key step towards the introduction of the euro, and the Croatian National Bank (HNB) has established close cooperation with the European Central Bank, the ECB and the European Commission said on Friday.

"At the request of the Croatian authorities, the finance ministers of the euro area Member States of the European Union, the President of the European Central Bank, and the finance ministers and central bank governors of Denmark and Croatia have decided, by mutual agreement, to include the Croatian kuna in the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II). The Commission has been involved and the Economic and Financial Committee has been consulted," a press release said.

The central rate of the Croatian kuna is set at 1 euro = 7.53450 kuna.

The standard fluctuation band of plus or minus 15 percent will be observed around the central rate of the kuna. The compulsory intervention points in the exchange rate mechanism will be communicated by the ECB and the HNB in time for the opening of the foreign exchange markets on 13 July.

The agreement on participation of the Croatian kuna in ERM II is accompanied by Croatia's commitment to simultaneously join the Banking Union.

A member state which wants to introduce the euro must spend at least two years in ERM II, which means that Croatia may enter the euro area in 2023 at the earliest.

The press release said Croatia completed the measures described in its letter of intent to participate in ERM II dated 4 July 2019. "These measures pertain to banking supervision, the macro-prudential framework, the anti-money laundering framework, the collection, production and dissemination of statistics, public sector governance and the reduction of the financial and administrative burden on the economy."

"The agreement on participation of the Croatian kuna in ERM II is furthermore accompanied by a firm commitment by the Croatian authorities to pursue sound economic policies with the aim of preserving economic and financial stability, and achieving a high degree of sustainable economic convergence. The Croatian authorities have committed to implement specific policy measures on the anti-money laundering framework, the business environment, state-owned enterprises and the insolvency framework," the press release said.

The ECB today adopted a decision to establish close cooperation with the HNB, whereby the HNB became part of a Single Supervisory Mechanism even before accession to the euro area. This means that the ECB takes over the supervision of Croatian banks.

The decision on close cooperation will apply 14 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Starting from 1 October 2020, the ECB will be in charge of the direct supervision of the significant institutions in Croatia. In the meantime, the ECB will carry out an assessment to determine which banks fulfil the criteria to be classified as significant institutions.

Croatia will also participate in the Single Supervisory Mechanism.

Friday, 10 July 2020

Sinj Summer Music School 2020 Kicks Off!

July 10, 2020 - The opening of the Sinj Summer Music School 2020 was opened with a concert by a professor lecturer, and followed by the first of three student concerts. In the beautiful ambiance of the summer terrace of the Alkar Hotel, on July 9, 22 participants performed.

The Sinj Summer Music School is held from July 6 to 18, 2020. The project is designed for musicians of all ages who want to improve existing and adopt new artistic skills in a friendly and stimulating atmosphere. It is intended for teachers, students and pupils: violins, violas, cellos, flutes, clarinets, pianos, trombones, trumpets, trumpets, horns, guitars, saxophones, solo singing and chamber music. This summer school offers the possibility of musical training in working with internationally renowned professors.

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Namely, renowned professors participate in the work of the Summer Music School, offering a variety of professional approaches and educational methods. The first week of the summer school features prof. dr. Karolina Šantl Zupan - flute, prof. Bruno Philipp - clarinet, prof. Boštjan Lipovšek - horn, prof. Gordan Tudor - saxophone, prof. Dušan Kranjc - trombone and prof. Dario Teskera - trumpet.

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The second week features prof. Đorđe Stanetti - piano, prof. Anđelko Krpan - violin and prof. Wladimir Kossjanenko - viola. Classes are held in the morning and early afternoon at several locations in the city center (Alkarski dvori, Sikirica Gallery, Galiotović Gallery, OGŠ Jakov Gotovac). Evening hours are provided for joint music and sports activities and socializing.

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After the opening of the first and second week of the summer music school, there will be concerts by professors, while at the end of each week, there will be concerts by students. The organizer of the Sinj Summer Music School 2020 is the Sinjska Alka Cluster.

Respecting the epidemiological guidelines, the Sinj Tourist Board invites you to join them at tonight’s concert of the attendees, which takes place on the summer terrace of the Alkar Hotel starting at 7 pm.

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