Meet John Rogošić, Founder of First International School in Split
March 8, 2021 - Croatian-American John Rogošić will soon open the first International School in Split!
“I feel at home in Split; my family and friends are here. Split is a beautiful city near beautiful islands, surrounded by natural beauty, good restaurants, and rich cultural and historical heritage. I like to wander around Diocletian's Palace, to feel the history and architecture for a moment. Split is truly unique.”
With these words, Dr. John Rogošić tells Slobodna Dalmacija why he chose Split and a project that will come to life this fall. The Split International School will open its doors, opening new educational opportunities in the 2021/2022 school year for primary school children, both local and foreign, who chose Split as a destination for similar reasons as John Rogošić.
John Rogošić was born in New York. His father lived in Dugopolje before moving to the USA, where his parents met.
Dr. John Rogošić completed his early education in New York and his graduate and doctoral studies at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Boston.
“My main scientific research was in the field of electrochemistry, and I also had several smaller projects in the field of biology and mechanics. In addition to lecturing in college, I spent some time doing online education at edX. When I moved to San Francisco, I taught chemistry, biology, and robotics in high school,” he said about his work in America.
He also says that he moved away from teaching for a while when he was a co-founder of a technology startup, which was short-lived.
“I quickly returned to class after realizing how much I enjoy working with students. I sincerely believe that education is my true calling,” he points out, adding that he has focused mainly on founding a new school since coming to Croatia. Still, he has cooperated with the Split-Dalmatia County Center of Excellence to plan interesting new educational projects.
When asked about why he returned to Croatia, Rogošić said that they always visited during the summer months as a family, and when he grew older, he came even more often. When he arrived in Croatia in April 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, he made an important life decision.
“I am closely connected with friends and relatives I have here. And like many other people, the pandemic prompted me to stop and think. I realized that I feel at home in Croatia. When I decided to stay here, I did not have a plan, I just felt that I wanted to spend the second half of my life here, and I am delighted that I made that decision,” says Rogošić with satisfaction.
The international school's opening was prompted by a conversation with a Croatian-American couple he met last summer.
“They decided to return to Croatia as well, but none of their children knew the Croatian language at a level that would suit their education. Although international schools were available to them in Zagreb, they wanted to live in Split, not Zagreb. When we saw no suitable option for their family in Split, we decided to work on it together; we formed a small team to start this project. We have been working together for about six months, and we are happy with the decision to establish this school,” he said.
Meanwhile, their team has grown, joined by three other parents engaged in the successful launch of the new primary school.
Rogošić also points out that they have a five-member advisory board, which has a key role in leading and supporting all logistical, financial, and business aspects of this project.
“During the next few months, the teaching staff will join us, and thus we will finalize our team for the first year,” Rogošić revealed.
What have been their biggest challenges so far?
“We are still very active in this project, as in the past six months. Although there were a few unexpected challenges and perhaps a few cultural differences that we needed to overcome, we managed to overcome all the challenges and believe we will open the school this fall. I must point out that the people we met on this journey have provided us with incredible support and help. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave us advice and dedicated their time to bring our project to life,” he said.
Rogošić explains that the new school is intended for primary education and is based on the “International Bachelorette” (IB) program. This program has three levels - for both primary and secondary school and the "Diploma" program for advanced students. The IB program was launched in 1968 and is recognized in 158 countries in more than 5,400 schools worldwide, including Croatia. The umbrella organization is the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), which ensures that every school in education offers high standards, emphasizing a high level of knowledge and personal development of students.
“The IB program has been offered in Croatia since 1991. There are three authorized schools in Zagreb and one in Varaždin, and every year a small number of Croatian and international students complete the IB program. There are currently no IB schools in Dalmatia, so we think we will be the first to offer an IB program, but hopefully not the last. We hope that more schools here will provide the IB program,” John Rogošić says.
Classes will be held in English. Dr. Rogošić explains that the IB program can be held in English, French, or Spanish, but most often in English, which, as he emphasizes, is quite understandable given the families' needs.
“Of course, students will learn the Croatian language through one of the subjects to adapt more easily to life here and to be able to communicate more easily with the local community,” says Rogošić.
It would also be expected that the school is located in a separate building, but Dr. Rogošić says that they are opening their school in a non-traditional way. Initially, the focus is on the upper grades of primary school (6th, 7th, 8th) because many families with children in that age group have shown interest in this international school.
This makes sense because it would be more difficult for older children who do not have a basic knowledge of the Croatian language in a class school. We also hope to organize classes for first and maybe second grade next year if there are interested families. We are currently looking to locate in the Manuš district and expect to have about 15-20 students in total during our first year of operation. In the future, we hope to move to a campus-style space, somewhere outside the city, but we can expect that only in a few years,” says John Rogošić.
As far as recruitment is concerned, teaching staff vacancies are still in the process. The school's founder says that they have several promising candidates, but there are also several open positions.
“We expect to find the necessary teaching staff this spring so that each of our teachers completes the required training program for the IB program on time, which we will start this fall,” says Rogošić.
Split is a destination for a growing number of foreigners who are developing their business here.
"Many families move to Split, either for business reasons, lifestyle, or some other personal reasons. In many cases, families want to move to Croatia, but only for a few years and then return to their countries or try to find a new place to live. Often their children do not know the Croatian language well, and changing the education system can be difficult.
One of the IB system's main advantages is that the program is offered in 158 countries around the world, making it easier for families to move from one country to another without interrupting their children’s education. This is one of the main advantages of this project, and that is why I think that having an IB school in Split is very important to help these families," emphasizes Rogošić.
Students of Split International School will have the opportunity to participate in the program "FIRST Robotics," in which they acquire knowledge in robotics. The goal is to inspire them to be scientific and technological leaders and innovators.
It should also be noted that the Harkness method is used in teaching, which allows students to work in small classrooms, but in a group environment, where their interaction and the development of the ability to think and reason is expressed.
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Epidemiologist: Roll-Out of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine to Start in Croatia in Early April
ZAGREB, 8 March, 2021 - The distribution of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus single-dose vaccine can be expected in Croatia in early April, the head of Zagreb's Fran Mihaljević hospital for infectious diseases said on Sunday evening.
Asked by the commercial NOVA TV broadcaster whether Croatia is facing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital's head, Dr. Alemka Markotić, said that the developments in Croatia's neighbourhood and in Europe "are being followed with the closest attention."
"The numbers are rapidly rising. Each country is trying to take care of its specific features and act accordingly," the doctor said adding that Croatia is currently among the countries that are faring best against COVID.
Markotić recalls that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) tried to give some common guidelines, however, everybody assessed that their respective countries had too many differences and specific features.
"(Anti-epidemic) measures are important, we should adhere to them so as to keep the things at bay," Markotić said, among other things.
She added that on Monday a team of Croatian researchers would present findings of a study about the efficacy of the second shot of two-dose vaccines. The research has been conducted in Croatia.
The findings show that a high antibody titer was produced by some organisms after the they received the second dose of the COVID vaccination, she said.
Liburnia Riviera Hotels Planning to Open All Facilities by Mid-May
ZAGREB, 8 March 2021, 2021 - Liburnia Riviera Hotels (LRH) said last Friday that they were rapidly preparing for the start of the new season -- Opatija's Hotel Palace Bellevue opened on 5 March, and if the epidemiological situation permits nearly all LRH Group facilities should open in the first half of May at the latest.
The press release from LRH underscores that the hotel group has preserved business continuity and jobs and that it is entering this year with optimism, annonuncing new projects and investments, despite the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
They said that they had managed last year to get the most out of the tourist season, generating 149,824 overnight stays in accommodation establishments in Opatija.
"In order to enable stability and quality of business in the upcoming tourist season, despite a marked drop in operating income last year, the LRH preserved all jobs with the same level of wages and nearly all other material rights of workers. The government's support to the tourist industry has greatly helped us to achieve this goal and the LRH Group is thankful for that," the press release said.
At the end of 2020 and at the beginning of 2021, the LRH hired new workers, an advertisement for additional jobs in hotels was posted in February, and in accordance with the plan to open facilities, it is planned to hire up to 500 new workers.
The LRH also said that it was preparing numerous projects and investment, such as the reconstruction of the Kvarner hotel which is already under way.
Porsche Invests Further 70 Million Euros in Croatian Rimac Automobili
March the 8th, 2021 - Porsche has decided to invest a further 70 million euros into the Croatian Rimac Automobili company, owned by Livno-born entrepreneur Mate Rimac.
As Ivan Luzar/Telegram writes, Porsche has invested an additional 70 million euros in Croatian Rimac Automobili, taking Porsche's stake in the company up to 24 percent. The news of this additional investment was somewhat expected, as last week we wrote about a potential 130 to 150 million euro investment from the giant company. The same was said by the founder of Rimac Automobili, Mate Rimac to the German automotive magazine Automobilwoche.
Rimac Automobili has as such reached a value of 795 million euros, or 947 million US dollars, writes Reuters. Last week, the Croatian Rimac Automobili commented on the news of the increase in Porsche's share in the company headquartered in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb, thus confirming that the German company was set to increase its share, but that Rimac Automobili will still remain independent. Then, as now, they still have not commented on the news of the possible takeover of Bugatti, which has been talked about for months.
Porsche invested for the first time back in 2018
Porsche invested in Rimac Automobili back in 2018, when they took over a 10 percent stake in the company, and just a year later, they increased that stake to 15 percent. Now, two years later, Porsche has bought an additional 8.8 percent for the aforementioned 70 million euros.
"Rimac is well positioned for the production of prototypes and cars in small series. Rimac Automobili is on its way to becoming one of the main suppliers for Porsche, but also other manufacturers in the high-tech segment of the automotive industry,” said Porsche CFO Lutz Meschke.
Since back in 2018, when Porsche first invested, Rimac has almost doubled its number of employees to a thousand. They have also undertaken various collaborations in the automotive industry, such as the one(s) with Hyundai, Kia and Aston Martin.
Rimac: "The amount of the investment is not a priority"
Mate Rimac commented on Porsche's new investment on his Facebook profile:
Can there be a better confirmation of a successful partnership than 3 separate investments within 4 years?
Getting Porsche initially on-board was extremely important for us. Having confirmed that they did the right thing and that we have earned Porsche’s trust, makes us very proud.
This 70M Euro investment is part of our long-term strategic collaboration, where different aspects of strategic collaboration can be expected in the future. The valuation and amount raised are not the priority in this deal. We are working on some other transactions that will reflect the market value of Rimac as a company.
We are all excited to see the fruits of this ever-deeper cooperation.
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Croatian Banking in Coronavirus Era - Revenues Sank More Than GDP
March the 8th, 2021 - The Croatian banking system has had a lot on its already full plate trying to balance out the economic and financial situation caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As the situation unfolds and remains difficult to predict, it seems that the true extent of the damage done won´t be known for a few months yet.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, the first year of the pandemic for the Croatian banking system saw profit more than halved down to 2.7 billion kuna, and the decline in total income exceeded the correction of the country´s GDP. While the domestic economy as a whole sank by a deeply concerning 8.4 percent, bank inflows plunged one and a half percentage points deeper.
Operating results exceeded 7.3 billion kuna, which means that more than 4 billion kuna was frozen through various value adjustments and provisions. The director of the Croatian Banking Association, Zdenko Adrovic, went on to discuss this further.
In 2021, the growth of lending to companies and individuals is expected to accelerate in line with recovery announcements. Will moratoriums actually be enough? Moratoriums and other measures to help clients peaked at the end of August, when their value rose to almost 40 billion kuna, of which 60 percent went to companies.
"It´s the lion's share of liquidity that has remained with companies and the population through these moratoriums, which have helped keep the steep decline in GDP at these levels," Adrovic explained, noting that these currently paused repayments stand at around 32.5 billion kuna in total. Will that be enough for businesses and citizens?
Adrovic noted that according to the rules of the European Banking Authority (EBA), the length of such a moratorium is limited to 9 months and that they must end by the end of this year.
"More than 80 percent of clients whose moratorium has expired so far have continued to pay their obligations properly. If things return to normal, tourism will kick off again and then that should be enough," he said.
Last year, the Croatian banking system will remember three key characteristic trends of the coronavirus crisis - monetary expansion and government wage subsidies combined with the restraint (and inability) to spend in the private sector, all of which spilled over into strong growth in deposits that have been on an upward trajectory for the past five years.
At the end of December, citizens' savings rose by 6 percent, accelerated to 7 percent in January. Banks currently have around 226.3 billion kuna, as much as 14.6 billion kuna more than before the coronavirus pandemic struck. Interest rates remained low or slightly reduced, and the margin is stable at around 2.6 percentage points.
The average price of housing loans with a maturity of over 10 years is 2.9 percent, more expensive than in neighbouring Slovenia where citizens pay 2.28 percent and cheaper than the Czech Republic, where things stand at 3.52 percent. Finally, loans continued to grow despite the ongoing crisis. Companies were accumulating liquidity when facing an uncertain future, and a proverbial hole of over 30 billion kuna opened up for the state overnight.
Total retail loans rose by 2.3 percent, and although they pulled the brake on cash loans, housing recorded double-digit growth in the last quarter due to APN subsidies and post-earthquake remediation.
The Croatian Banking Association has pointed out that a comparison of credit growth rates in European Union member states shows that "Croatian banks are in the upper half of the distribution of credit growth rates to households and companies by country, and interest rates have remained low, as if Croatia has already adopted the euro."
In the first edition of Croatian Banking Association Review for 2021, in which esteemed Croatian economist Velimir Sonje analyses business over the last year, it is pointed out that with a drop in net profit of 53 percent, net interest income was lower by 5.7 percent, and net income from fees and commissions by 10.5 percent.
Although they cut costs, this adjustment was slower, so the net result before provisions was almost 19 percent lower. The dynamics spilled over into efficiency as measured by the cost-to-income ratio, which, after a long time of approaching 40 percent, sat firmly above the 50 percent threshold.
With a capitalisation of close to 25 percent, the Croatian banking system remains stable, they have already reserved significant amounts, but we will only have a true picture of bad loans and the impact of the ongoing coronavirus crisis at the end of June, according to the aforementioned Association.
Then, the EBA's coronavirus rule is set to expire, according to which moratoriums will not count as bad loans as they would otherwise.
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New Variants Cause Rijeka Coronavirus Infection Rate to Climb
March the 8th, 2021 - The epidemiological picture in Croatia went from terrible to very favourable indeed in a short time of just a few weeks, but with the arrival of new variants of the novel virus, things could go sour yet. The Rijeka coronavirus infection rate has unfortunately started to climb once again as new, sometimes more infectious variants circulate.
As Index writes, the chief epidemiologist of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Public Health Institute told Dnevnik HTV that the increase in the number of patients in the wider Rijeka area and indeed in that county is clearly being influenced by the spread of new variants of the novel virus.
"The new variants of the virus have a higher disease transmission potential than the standard strain does. Another reason is that we went into certain concessions when it comes to our anti-epidemic measures that led people to believe that they could relax. They used less protection like maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding gatherings. We witnessed gatherings that were even publicly visible, especially among young people, but also during other various events," said Roncevic when referencing the Rijeka coronavirus infection rate´s unfortunate increase.
He stressed that vaccination against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, will continue and they are now preparing for a situation in which there will be significantly more vaccines at hand so that more people will be able to be vaccinated in a short time.
“We will probably continue to use Zamet Hall on Saturdays,” Roncevic quickly added.
In Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the number of new cases has been increasing in recent weeks, including in the more concerning setting of the Rijeka Clinical Hospital, where far more vulnerable individuals who are already in need of medical care are situated. The epidemiological situation in that county, when compared to previous months, was marked by a higher number of infected children among those attending school, as well as among young people.
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Fantastic Croatia Futsal Team Defeats Ukraine Again on Path to Euros!
March 8, 2021 - The Croatia futsal team defeats Ukraine for the second time in a week, bringing them one step closer to qualifying for the European Championship.
The Croatia futsal team is one step closer to securing their spot at the 2022 European Championship after yet another convincing away victory against Ukraine.
In the fourth round of the new qualification cycle, Croatia recorded its fourth victory. Two rounds before the end of the competition, Croatia holds the top spot in Group 1, which confirms direct placement at the Euros in the Netherlands.
After winning 3:2 in the final minutes of the match in Osijek, Croatia took the lead away against Ukraine. In the ninth minute, Suton found Matošević, but a quick reversal from Ukraine soon followed. Šoturma scored from 6 meters, and less than a minute later, Zvaryč scored from a distance for 2:1.
However, in the 15th minute, Marinović cheated the goalkeeper Cypun with a brilliant move to equalize at 2:2. Ten seconds before the half, Ukraine's goalkeeper received a red card for playing with his hand outside the penalty area.
Croatia did not use the numerical advantage, but Marinović quickly returned Croatia's advantage for 2:3, and Jelovčić made it 2:4 with a fantastic goal from his own half. Kanjuh punished Ukraine with a new long-range goal for 2:5.
Marinović increased Croatia's lead to 2:6 by breaking through the Ukrainian defense, and a Suhov own goal a minute before the end of the match made it 2:7.
Croatia will play against Albania (April 7, Tirana) and welcome Denmark (April 10, Varaždin) in the last two qualifying matches. Croatia can lose first place only if they are left empty-handed, and Denmark wins in all three remaining matches, including the one against Croatia, with a better result of 4:1.
The European Championship is scheduled from January 19 to February 6, 2022, and the 16 best national teams will play in Amsterdam and Groningen.
Futsal EURO Qualifiers, Group 1:
1. Croatia 12 (4)
2. Ukraine 3 (3)
3. Denmark 3 (3)
4. Albania 3 (4)
Source: HNS
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HNL Round 24 Recap: Dinamo Tops Rijeka 2:0, Osijek and Gorica Draw
March 8, 2021 - The 24th round of the Croatian First League was held from March 5 to 7, 2021. In this round, Dinamo tops Rijeka 2:0, and Osijek and Gorica draw at City Garden Stadium.
Istra 1961 v. Sibenik (3:2)
Istra and Sibenik opened the 24th round on Friday, March 5, 2021, in Pula.
Sahiti put Sibenik in the lead with one minute to go in the first half (0:1). Grzan scored a penalty for Istra 10 minutes later to equalize, and Ivancic put Istra in the lead two minutes after that for 2:1. Hara gave Istra the 3:1 lead in the 63rd minute, and Sibenik's Bulat scored for 3:2 in the 75th minute for the final result.
Istra is currently in last place with 17 points, while Sibenik is in 6th place with 26.
Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (0:0)
Belupo and Lokomotiva met in Koprivnica on Saturday, March 6, 2021.
Neither team was able to score, and the match ended at 0:0.
Belupo is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 20.
Hajduk v. Varazdin (2:0)
Hajduk and Varazdin met on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Poljud Stadium in Split.
Colina opened the match with a goal for Hajduk in the 8th minute (1:0). An own goal by Memija just before the half made it 2:0. Hajduk's Fossati and Varazdin's Guera Djou were given their second yellows and sent off the pitch in a dramatic end to the match.
Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 22.
Osijek v. Gorica (1:1)
Osijek and Gorica met on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.
While the first half went without goals, Dieye gave Gorica the 0:1 lead in the 55th minute. Osijek didn't equalize until the 88th minute when Bohar scored a penalty for 1:1.
Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 52 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 47.
Dinamo v. Rijeka (2:0)
Dinamo and Rijeka closed out the 24th round on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium.
Ivanusec scored Dinamo's first goal in the 27th minute for 1:0 at the half. Orsic increased Dinamo's lead in the 65th minute for 2:0, which was the final result.
Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 54 points, while Rijeka dropped to 5th with 32.
You can see the full HNL table HERE.
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Croatian Driving Licenses Can Now be Delivered to Your Door
March the 8th, 2021 - When one thinks of having to deal with the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), one shudders at the thought of taking numbers, standing in lines for hours in oxygen-deprived rooms and explaining what you need repeatedly to people who are supposed to be qualified. Is that becoming a thing of the past? As Croatian driving licenses can now be delivered to your home address - it´s a possibility.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as a more digital Croatia, slowly weaning itself off its masochistic love of paper emerges, Croatian driving licenses can now be delivered literally to your doorstep. Of course, it is still possible for you to simply do it the old way and go and pick up your Croatian driving license at the competent police administration, ie the police station where you submitted the application, but there is also an option for you to skip the waiting and the boredom by having the document delivered.
Precisely for the purpose of determining the exact amount of "delivery of the driver's license to the doorstep" at the end of January this year, the Decision on determining the price of forms, registration, trial, portable and export license plates came into force in Croatia.
It clearly states that the price of a Croatian driving license form (via a regular procedure) can be delivered to the home address at the request of the applicant and comes with a price tag of 181.00 kuna. The price of the Croatian driving license form that you have to go to the police station to pick up yourself via the regular procedure costs a little less - 151.00 kuna, so the difference here isn´t too large at all.
The cost of delivery should not be forgotten, and the writing on the wall when it comes to Croatian driving licenses is quite clear indeed here. The delivery of a Croatian driving license to the home address of the applicant is performed by a legal entity authorised for the technical preparation of driving licenses through a delivery service for a fee agreed with that particular delivery service.
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Croatia's Viticulture to be Impacted by EU strategy for Reducing Pesticides
ZAGREB, 7 March, 2021 - A new strategy for sustainable development of agriculture in the European Union announces a drastic reduction in the use of pesticides, which will significantly affect a large number of farmers, especially winegrowers.
One of the key goals of the Farm to Fork Strategy, proposed by the European Commission in May 2020, is to cut by half the use of pesticides by 2030.
The implementation of this strategy could have important implications for crops that are largely or completely dependent on pesticides, and winegrowing could be especially affected, given that the activity is one of the largest consumers of pesticides.
The head of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, Darko Preiner, told Hina that "according to some information, despite the fact that vineyards in EU countries rarely exceed 10% of total agricultural land, over 70% of all fungicides are used on them".
"Conventional viticulture relies heavily on pesticide use and viticulture in the EU, which is the world's leading wine producer, is a major polluter, and the link between pesticides and diseases of people working in this industry has been proven," Preiner said.
The reduction in pesticide use envisaged by the new EU strategy could therefore have a significant impact on Croatia's wine-growing sector, and especially on the future of indigenous varieties. One of them is, for instance, pošip, an indigenous vine variety from the island of Korčula, from which pošip wine is made, the first Croatian white wine with protected designation of origin. Pošip received the label in 1967.
More ecological production possible
It is possible to produce this variety in a more sustainable, environment-friendly way, using less invasive agents, which some producers are doing, but some still use chemical pesticides. Thus, the reduction to the extent envisaged by the Farm to Fork Strategy -- if no adequate alternative is found -- could lead to a reduction in production.
However, given the long tradition of pesticide use in viticulture, the question arises as to what extent it is possible to reduce the use of pesticides in this activity, while satisfying both the environmental and the commercial aspect.
Preiner said that by combining several methods it is possible to reach a long-term sustainable solution.
Replacing classic pesticides with environment-friendly ones is one of the methods, but the problem is that latter are less efficient, and when it comes to copper-based agent, the problem is that it is a heavy metal that accumulates in the soil, Preiner said.
This method can thus be combined with the method of growing vines in positions less suitable for the development of the disease.
"This has always been an approach to growing vines, and it was only with readily available pesticides that vines began to be grown in unfavourable positions where large quantities of pesticides had to be used to keep diseases and pests at bay," Preiner explained.
A possible solution is the development of resistant varieties, by traditional cultivation, without genetic engineering.
According to the data from the Viticulture Register of the Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, about 83,000 tonnes of grapes and 525,000 hectolitres of wine were produced in Croatia in 2019.
Together with fruit growing, viticulture participates in agriculture with about 2 to 3 percent, while agriculture itself accounts for about 3% of domestic GDP.
About 18,600 hectares of vineyards are currently registered in Croatia, and in the EU a total of 3.2 million hectares are covered in vineyards, with Spain, France and Italy, as the biggest producers in the EU, account for 74%. The vineyards in EU countries make up 45% of world's vineyards.
