March 19, 2022 -  Nikolina Ćaćić, an Olympian and Croatia's best female boxer, secured Croatia's first medal at the Under-22 European Boxing Championships in Poreč by qualifying for the semifinals.

Nikolina Ćaćić, who has already achieved historic achievements at the age of 21, brought the first medal to Croatia women's boxing and placed as the first Croatian female boxer in history at the Olympic Games. 

Ćaćić was the world and European runner-up in the juniors, and she added another big medal to the already impressive collection. After winning the quarterfinal fight in the category up to 52 kg against the three-time European and world champion in the junior categories Marie Moorehouse, Nikolina now awaits an even easier fight on paper. Ćaćić will fight Ukraine's Sabina Novosad for the finals on Sunday. While she came two steps away from gold, she has ensured a minimal bronze medal. 

Unfortunately, the other two Croatian boxers were not equally lucky. Dea Bolanča was stopped, while Pitbull Split member Ana Stojanović also lost in her debut performance at the European Championships in the category up to 63 kg after a great fight against Finland's Naiima Bulhan. Stojanović, a former taekwondo fighter and kickboxer with a short boxing experience and too few fights at the international level, firmly opposed the excellent Finnish boxer. 

Saturday brings an opportunity for Croatian boxers to secure three more medals. The most is expected from the World Championship quarterfinalist, Gabriel Veočić, who will face Lukas Ferneza from Slovakia in the category up to 75 kilograms. Noah Ježek will also fight his quarterfinal match against Mateusz Urban from Poland in the 71 kg category, while 18-year-old Deni Alagić will look for a way to the medal in the 63.5 kg category against Kerem Ozmen from Turkey.

Source: Fight SiteFight Site

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

March the 19th, 2022 - Croatian wood floor manufacturers have become an unlikely victim in the harsh but necessary sanctions most of the world has imposed on Russia following its unjustified invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last month.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Jadranka Dozan writes, the proverbial earthquakes triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine across global markets - primarily through supply chain disruptions, and then the prices of energy, food, various industrial raw materials and goods - aren't, of course, bypass the wood sector. Croatian wood floor manufacturers are far from immune.

In addition to an already quite complicated business environment, some new complications related to certain sectors are now beginning to arise almost on a daily basis. This is particularly the case in the wood and paper industries, when it comes to fuel chips, plywood logs and the like. A decision was prepared as a counter-sanction aimed at countries on Russia's hostile list, from the US to the European Union (EU), and is scheduled for the end of the year.

For some European companies, but also Croatian industrial companies and retailers, the related delivery problems are even greater. All of these difficulties only work to further emphasise the long-standing belief that the raw material potential Croatia boasts should be better used.

This means investing in capacities and technology that would result, among other things, in the production of greater added value. It's worth really highlighting the fact that the Croatian wood sector is one of the few industries where the country actually has all of the proper raw materials for the job.

Over recent days, Bjelin, owned by Darko Pervan and which started building a wooden floor factory in Ogulin last year, announced that the group had decided to increase and improve investments in existing facilities and speed up the completion of a new Croatian factory. The company says this should make a significant contribution to replacing part of the wooden floor production capacity that is now being lost in connection with the Russian war against Ukraine.

However, for most of the companies within the HUP-Association of the Wood and Paper Industry, the problems they're facing are currently in a stronger focus.

"Economic sanctions imposed by the EU, and thus Croatia in relation to economic relations with the Russian Federation, as well as the announced decision of Russia to ban the export of birch wood products, are causing very serious problems for Croatian wood floor producers," said Ivica Pasalic, adding that the EU's decisions should point to very high penalties for violating sanctions in any way, including through third countries.

Russia produces 75 percent of the world's birch plywood production and their manufacturers have been the dominant suppliers to a number of our two-layer parquet manufacturers. As Pasalic pointed out, practically all of them have had very serious problems when it comes to production and are in danger of being stopped entirely. Finding alternative solutions, on the other hand, is neither quick nor easy.

The Association also intends to try to arrive to a solution through social dialogue with the competent ministry, because, as he said, a large number of workers work in these factories, and they're threatened with losing their jobs, and companies are shutting down production.

Stjepan Vojinic from the management board of the Bjelin Group pointed out that the situation with the shortage of raw materials and semi-finished products caused by the war in Ukraine is serious for all European producers of various types of wooden floors, but also the wider furniture industry.

The most affected, he said, are those countries that don't have the primary raw materials at hand (mainly oak) in the flooring industry, where Ukraine, Russia and Belarus participated with approximately 30 percent of those total needs. In addition, the issue of the general dependence of the European furniture industry on HDF and plywood, primarily from Russia, is coming to the fore.

As usual, crises can be seen as opportunities. "Nobody likes to have to develop and grow at the expense of other people's troubles, but this is a situation that we didn't want and we couldn't have had any influence over it in any way, so we shouldn't be ashamed of that and we should try to use it," said Vojinic.

The Bjelin Group, he says, is working hard to accelerate its planned investments that will lead to growth in production and implementation of new technologies.

“How successful we'll be depends only on us, because we have to start our production of new Woodur wood floor coverings, which we now have in Sweden, and we'll have that here in Croatia as soon as possible, too. The new plan is to have the final finishing by the end of this year, and the complete production by the end of the next year,'' announced Vojinic.

It's worth noting that Bjelin gets all its oak raw materials from Croatia, but Russia and Ukraine are also large exporters of oak and other wood materials for the flooring industry, and have significant parquet production, which is now directly affected by the war and the accompanying sanctions.

 According to company estimates, 25 percent of oak planks produced for European markets come from Russia and Ukraine. Due to all of this, it has been calculated that many construction projects are now in danger of significant delays due to the cancellations of deliveries.

This, of course, doesn' only apply to floor coverings. Other players in the wider wood sector, from wood processors to retailers, are also facing complex supply chain problems owing to the current dire situation between Russia and Ukraine. Some will say that until recently, they "flirted" with foreign partners about prices, and now it's a much bigger challenge to even try to ensure delivery.

Mladen Jambrovic, the first man of Iverpan, says that quarterly or multi-month detailed planning no longer works, now they are much shorter due to disruptions and the general level of unpredictability of deliveries. Demand, he says, is not falling.

The construction sector is quite active, and after the preparations for the tourist season were delayed last year due to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, this year they started much earlier, which ultimately affects the demand for wood products related to interiors.

Emphasising the complexity of the overall business conditions, he noted that in the production of plywood, for example, goods today are ordered for delivery in two, three or four months. In addition, it is an energy-intensive activity, with gas being the main energy source.

For wood centres and/or furniture manufacturers, there are also problems related to the situation with some ancillary goods, products and markets, from steel (fittings, hinges) to glue, fillers or cardboard; these are all segments of considerable importance to both Ukraine and Russia. All in all, good demand today is accompanied by many "buts", and this will continue to have a very strong effect on Croatian wood floor manufacturers.

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

March the 19th, 2022 - Who exactly can apply to receive Croatian gas vouchers as we continue to experience soaring inflation and energy bill costs like we haven't seen in years? There are two important things to note.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, there is finally a bit more clarity out there for those who are waiting impatiently for April the 1st this year and the beginning of the ability to apply for Croatian gas vouchers recently approved by the government in order to cover some of the cost of rising gas prices.

Naturally, people interested in getting their hands on Croatian gas vouchers are interested in which of the conditions they need to meet in order to collect such monthly subsidies for one year. It seems, thankfully, that the Ministry of Economy won't make the requirements all that strict.

The right to use Croatian gas vouchers, as provided by the recent government decision, will be held by all micro, small and medium enterprises whose annual gas consumption doesn't exceed 10 GWh, and the condition will be that the applicant hasn't used the maximum amount of small value aid, which currently stands at 1.5 million kuna.

It is important that no bankruptcy proceedings have been instituted against a company seeking Croatian gas vouchers, a conviction cannot have been instituted or handed down for them participating in a criminal organisation or for acts of corruption, either.

“Eligibility for the subsidy isn't checked in relation to whether the applicant has debts to a gas supplier, nor whether their accounts are blocked, because the subsidy is paid through a voucher which is usable only for gas, meaning there is no possibility to use the subsidy for any other purpose in addition to reducing the cost of their delivered gas,'' they explained from the aforementioned ministry.

Much more detailed conditions will be explained on the application form itself, which will be filled out on Hamag-Bicro's website, which will operationally implement a programme for the next year for which 600 million kuna has been provided.

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

March the 19th, 2022 - Two Croatian towns, one on the coast in Kvarner and one inland close to the City of Zagreb, pay out the highest Easter bonuses for Croatian retirees in the entire country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, while the amounts for Easter payouts for Croatian retirees are mostly symbolic and depend on a rather low pension income threshold as a basic condition, these two Croatian cities still loosened up their purse strings in order to make Easter a little better for Croatian retirees living there, as reported by Mirovina.hr/Pension.hr.

The City of Velika Gorica will pay up to 800 kuna to Croatian retirees who are drawing a monthly pension of up to 2,000 kuna over Easter. Those who are receiving a pension of up to 1,000 kuna will also be paid an Easter bonus in the amount of 800 kuna, and Croatian returees who receive a monthly pension of 1,000.01 kuna to 2,000 kuna will be paid an Easter bonus in the amount of 400 kuna. Croatian retirees from Velika Gorica are also paid out the exact same amount for the Christmas period.

The picturesque town of Opatija close to Rijeka in Kvarner isn't lagging very far behind Velika Gorica either. It does have a slightly lower final amount, but a much higher threshold. Thus, all Croatian retirees drawing a pension of up to 4,000 kuna per month will receive an Easter bonus, and the amounts range from 500 to 700 kuna.

Croatian retirees with pensions of up to 2,000 kuna per month are entitled to an Easter bonus of 700 kuna, while those drawing a monthly pension of 2,000 to 3,000 kuna will receive 600 kuna on their bank accounts for Easter. 500 kuna is paid out to Opatija's resident pensioners who are drawing monthly pensions ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 kuna.

For more on retirement in Croatia, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

March the 19th, 2022 - Croatian Post, which is 100 percent state owned, and Finland's equivalent, have found common ground in the fact that they are both involved in a new initiative, The Climate Pledge.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian Post has joined The Climate Pledge initiative - an international, cross-sectoral community of companies and organisations founded back in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism. Along with the Finnish postal service, Croatian Post has become the only postal operator to join this initiative in achieving zero carbon emissions by the year 2040 - ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement target.

Currently, The Climate Pledge has more than 300 signatories across 29 countries, and includes 51 different sectors such as transportation, aviation, energy, real estate/property, and information and communication technologies. The signatories of the initiative generate more than 24 trillion kuna in global annual revenue and have more than 8 million employees. Companies and organisations joining the initiative have a key role to play in encouraging investment in the development of low-carbon products and services.

The signatories of The Climate Pledge initiative must agree the following:

That they will regularly measure and report on greenhouse gas emissions
That they will implement decarbonisation strategies in accordance with the Paris Agreement by introducing real business change and innovation, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, reduction of material consumption and other carbon elimination strategies
That they will offset all remaining emissions with additional, measurable, real, lasting and socially beneficial compensations to achieve net zero annual carbon emissions by 2040 - a decade ahead of the 2050 Paris Agreement target
That they will undergo a digital business transformation

All of the signatories are taking high-impact science-based actions to combat the ongoing threat of climate change, such as innovation in supply chain efficiency, sustainable transport, the circular economy and clean energy.

Croatian Post, as part of the wider Posta2022 Development Strategy, is intensively implementing the digital transformation of all of its business operations, about which we've written quite extensively and which is closely related to increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. Back in April 2021, the Sustainability Management Strategy entitled "Growing Green and Sustainable" was adopted, which includes doing green business and corporate social responsibility and corporate governance.

The strategy defines key areas with specific goals that need to be acheived, and by implementing the Sustainability Management Strategy, the company can ensure long-term stable growth that will also have a positive impact on the environment and all of its stakeholders.

There are more than 200 electric vehicles which make up the fleet of Croatian Post, which include 40 electric four-wheelers and almost 30 electric mopeds. In addition to the continuous expansion of the green vehicle fleet, Croatian Post also set up charging stations for electric vehicles in Velika Gorica, Zadar and Osijek, which laid the foundations for further expansion of its fleet of electric vehicles.

Last year, an alternative delivery channel was opened that will work to further reduce harmful emissions - a network of parcel machines (Croatian: paketomat). Parcel machines increase the percentage of successful deliveries on the first attempt, and delivery vehicles need to visit fewer locations, which significantly reduces emissions.

For more, check out our business section.

March 19, 2022 - Palm Tree Crew has announced a new destination experience at Zrce Beach on Pag! Taking place from August 27-September 1, Palm Tree Music Festival: Croatia Edition is a follow-up to the sold-out Cabo edition that took place between Palm Tree Crew last year in Mexico. The series is now expanding to unique new locations in far-reaching corners across the globe.

Palm Tree Music Festival: Croatia Edition will include pool parties, open-air venue takeovers, a huge international lineup, a variety of accommodation packages that include hotels and catamarans, and exclusive cultural Add On experiences.

Beyond a headlining performance from Kygo, guests can witness phase one sets from beloved South African-Swiss DJ and producer Nora En Pure, multi-platinum and award-winning artist Sam Feldt, Dutch future house pioneer Don Diablo, fellow Dutch favorite Oliver Heldens, Canadian electronic musician Frank Walker, and German house producer Felix Jaehn. Additional highlights include Yotto, Melé, The Stickmen Project, Arielle Free, Forester, Melé, Jonas Blue, and more, plus more to be announced.

Zrce Beach is located on the picturesque Adriatic island of Pag and is known for being one of Europe’s finest party destinations. Palm Tree Music Festival: Croatia Edition will be taking over the famed complex of venues that sprawl along this unmissable coastline, which promises paradisiacal weather and views. Legendary venues on the island include Papaya and Aquarius, which are home to some of the most famed festivals and events in Europe. Their open-air structures allow revelers to watch the sunrise from the comfort of the dancefloor in a destination location.

Guests also have the ability to purchase additional Add On items that will include a variety of unforgettable journeys and experiences. This will include trips to iconic locations like Plitviče Lakes National Park, the largest national park in Croatia which features terraced lakes plus waterfalls, and Olive Gardens of Lun with its 80,000 olive trees. Other Add On for guests to choose from include a Zrmanja River Canoe Safari and a boat party.

Packages for this experience include a variety of hotels, hostels, apartments, and catamarans for guests to choose from, each featuring its own unique style of accommodation. This includes options located on the beachfront and a variety of amenities based on guest selection like outdoor pools, balconies, kitchenettes, exclusive access to pool parties, modern furniture and decorations, air conditioning, full-service check-in, WIFI, sun decks, and much more.

Guests can also choose to stay on a catamaran as well. All accommodation packages include a free shuttle bus pass for the island of Pag, saving customers money and time getting around.

For more information about the experience, including payment plans, package upgrades, and FAQs, visit Pollen’s website to stay up-to-date with the latest in the lineup, pricing, and news.

Headlining Performance
Kygo

Lineup (A-Z)
Arielle Free
Don Diablo
Felix Jaehn
Forester
Frank Walker
Jonas Blue
LP Giobbi
Melé
Nikki Chong
Nora En Pure
Oliver Heldens
Sam Feldt
Secondcity
The Stickmen Project
Yotto

About Palm Tree Music Festival
Palm Tree Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind festival experience, bringing the dream of the tropics to lush locations around the world. Curated by Kygo’s Palm Tree Crew, these experiences capture the unmatched feeling of summer in paradise, with majestic beach vibes, unmissable sets by global icons, curated food & drink offerings, unique brand activations, and exclusive VIP experiences. To date, Palm Tree Music Festival has come to the Hamptons and Cabo San Lucas with the goals of expanding across the globe.

About Palm Tree Crew
Founded in 2020 by Kygo, Myles Shear, and Austin Criden, Palm Tree Crew Holdings (“PTCH”) is a diversified holding company that owns and operates a consumer brand, global live events business, and investment arm, all within one unified ecosystem.

Through Palm Tree Festivals, PTC produces immersive experiences that bring together business builders, entrepreneurs, investors, and all lovers of the PTC lifestyle. PTC Brand creates unique products that capture the PTC way of life, promoting happiness and community. PTC Investments is PTC’s investment arm and is highly active in the venture and growth community. PTC Investments provides capital to early-stage business builders across the consumer and technology industries in addition to its crypto strategy focused on web3 and the creator economy.

About Pollen
Pollen is a technology company building, curating, and delivering the best experiences for members all over the world. Members enjoy these experiences together with the people they love, creating stronger relationships and unforgettable memories. Members immerse themselves in multi-day itineraries that combine live entertainment, parties, and relaxation time in more than 50 popular destinations. Members can discover and book these experiences exclusively on pollen.co and the Pollen app. Pollen has already launched experiences with megastars like J Balvin, Diplo, Justin Bieber, and Ozuna.

For more, check out our lifestyle section 

March 19, 2022 - The Split City Administration building has no place in one of the city's most attractive locations. While many Split mayors had the same conclusion, Ivica Puljak assures that he has a plan for change. 

The plan is to convert Banovina, and the city officials will move to a building that has not been built yet, reports RTL.

Banovina could become a hotel in a few years. Serious plans are being made to move the Split City Administration building from the attractive location along the West Coast.

Split Mayor, Ivica Puljak, says:

"The city administration has no place in the attractive location of the West Coast and that is why we have made a plan for the conversion of Banovina. We believe that this location can be used much better for a hotel or other commercial content that will generate funds, and with the money that the City will earn from long-term rent, we will cover the cost of building a new, more favorable building for Split administration.

Detailed plans will be fully completed by the end of the year so that we can start construction next year and move to a new building in two years at the latest.

I call on all state and local institutions to move out of locations that can be much better used for another activity from which revenues can be generated. Banovina would be leased on a long-term basis, and the money would be used to build a new city administration building," Puljak said on his Facebook page.

Dražen Pejković from the City of Split Department of Urbanism said:

"It seems to me that this is the first example in Croatia when, moving from one attractive location to one that is less attractive, and putting this attractive one in a special tourist function, justifies the entire financial construction."

Most citizens have nothing against the plan. The Croatian Fraternal Union Square near the court and the police administration is a location chosen by some citizens, answering the question of where it would suit them to have a new city administration building.

"Well, let's say there is a court that would put all those buildings in one place. When a person needs to go to Banovina, to the court, that would be ideal," replied one Split local. 

This is exactly the location for which the preliminary design will be done, and it is predicted that it would cost around 120 million kuna. Relocating the city administration building was also a wish of Puljak's predecessors. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section 

March 19, 2022 - The countdown to the biggest BSH Island 2022 begins as the first wave of headliners is announced.

Playing the world-renowned Noa Beach Club on Croatia’s Zrce Beach from June 29th to July 3rd will feature Archie Hamilton, Ben Sterling, Blackchild, Dennis Cruz, Paco Osuna, and wAFF with many more to come.

BSH Island is one of the jewels in the Croatian festival crown and has been leading the way in the local scene in recent years. Its first edition in 2020 brought something new to the region, and the follow-up in 2021 made a mark on the international stage and now it returns to the Island of Pag for the bigger than ever third edition. This follows two much-talked-about festivals on Zrce Beach - BSH Island, which included a legendary party in the breathtaking 17th-century Fortress overlooking the sea hosted by Amnesia Ibiza, and the epic Amnesia takeover Croatia festival. It was a truly unique experience that offered something completely fresh away from the clubs on Zrce beach, and when you add in the fact that accommodation came in the form of a beautiful yacht docked at Noa Beach Club, it's no wonder BSH Island has made such a special impact. 

All this magic goes down at Noa Beach Club, one of the best in the region, right on the edge of the glistening Adriatic. As well as those amazing views, the dancing decks are all tastefully designed with lush palm trees and a killer sound system that makes it something like Croatia's answer to Ushuaia in Ibiza. It is once again set to be the scene of some steamy afternoon dancing, sunset sessions, and plenty of late-night mischiefs. 

Providing the scintillating sounds will be Spanish techno titan and long-time pioneer Paco Osuna and Cocoon's always up for it wAFF, who always lays down big rolling grooves. Then comes cutting-edge tech house from UK stars Archie Hamilton and Ben Sterling, Italian Hot Creations associate Blackchild, assured Spanish hit-making machine Dennis Cruz and a host of local support. This is just phase one, with much more to come.​​

As well as this first wave of names, you can expect off-site events like boat sessions, and secret pop-up parties that add another dimension to the festival this year. Move quickly to secure your ticket as they will sell out.​​

Tickets: https://www.noa-zrce.com/en/events/bsh-island-2022

Location: Noa Beach Club, Zrce Beach, Croatia

Date: 29th June - 3rd July 2022

For more, check out our lifestyle section