Politics
Thursday, 19 August 2021
"Proven Quality - Croatia" Label Soon to be Introduced for Local Food Products
ZAGREB, 19 Aug, 2021 - The agriculture ministry strongly supports fruit growers in efforts to cut production costs and standardise their products and thus boost their competitiveness, which is why the ministry will soon kick off a system of awarding the "Proven Quality - Croatia" label, the ministry said on Thursday. On Wednesday, Minister Marija Vučković and other officials held a meeting with fruit growers to inform them of the national system designed by the ministry for awarding the above-mentioned label to food products that meet certain requirements. The national system of evaluation of the quality of food products intends to improve competitiveness of…
Thursday, 19 August 2021
EU Funds Absorbed by Croatia Exceed Payments Into EU Budget by HRK 43 Bn
ZAGREB, 19 Aug, 2021 - The latest report on the absorption of funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) shows that since its EU entry in 2013 until 11 August 2021, Croatia absorbed HRK 43.15 million more from the EU budget than it paid into it, the Regional Development and EU Funds Ministry has said. In the 2014-2020 period, Croatia had €10.7 billion from ESIF at its disposal, the ministry said in a statement on the report presented by Minister Nataša Tramišak and adopted at a closed-door government session on Thursday. Until 11 August 2021, contracts were signed for…
Thursday, 19 August 2021
Less Wildfires in First 8 Months Than 5-Year Average, But Intensifying Lately
ZAGREB, 19 Aug, 2021 - Chief firefighting commander Slavko Tucaković informed the government on Thursday that in the first eight months of 2021, 2,389 fires had occurred in areas of combustible vegetation, or 8% less than the five-year average, however in the last eight weeks, the number of wildfires has risen by 25%. The area covered by blazes in the first eight months has been 12,207 hectares, or 54% less than the five-year average. However, extreme weather conditions have fuelled wildfires in the last eight weeks, and as a result the area consumed by those fires has increased by 385%. The highest number of blazes in rural…
Thursday, 19 August 2021
Croatia Condemns Decision to Name Pool After Morinj Detention Camp Guard
ZAGREB, 19 Aug, 2021 - The Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Wednesday condemned the decision of the Kotor City Assembly to name a public indoor swimming pool "Zoran Džimi Gopčević", after a guard from the notorious 1991 Morinj detention camp who was also one of Montenegro's best water polo players of all time. "It is utterly unacceptable to have a public facility named after a guard of the notorious 1991 Morinj prison camp. Such a decision is not in the spirit of good neighbourly relations we are building with Montenegro and will most definitely have consequences for our future…
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
FM: Croatia to Accept 20 Afghans Who Worked for EU Delegation
ZAGREB, 18 Aug 2021 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Wednesday that 20 Afghan citizens who had worked for the EU Delegation in their country would be accepted by Croatia. The European External Action Service (EEAS) has called on the EU member-states to take in EU staff from Afghanistan, that is, about 500 local residents who worked as interpreters and logistic support providers and their family members. Grlić Radman said that 20 would be allocated to Croatia. "They provided support to our (NATO-led) forces and it is our duty to protect them," he said. They were vetted and tested…
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Minister Says Intensive Talks Underway With Two Potential Partners for Orljava
ZAGREB, 18 Aug 2021 - Physical Planning and State Assets Minister Darko Horvat said on Wednesday that workers of the Orljava clothing manufacturer had received three wages that had been promised to them and that intensive talks were underway with two potential partners for that Požega-based company. Commenting on statements made earlier in the day by a member of parliament Katarina Peović and New Union leader Mario Iveković, Horvat said that problems in Orljava had begun in 2012 and recalled that the government had promised to secure the payment of three overdue wages and do its best to find a strategic partner for…
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
MP, Unionist Say Orljava Company Needs Greater Support From Government
ZAGREB, 18 Aug 2021 - The sole MP of the Workers' Front Katarina Peović and leader of the Novi Sindikat trade union, Mario Iveković, warned on Wednesday of the difficult situation at the Orljava textile company, underscoring that the government should give more substantial support to that government-owned factory. Warning that on 22 July, most of the remaining 172 workers were laid off, Peović told a press conference that in the current situation, the responsibility lay entirely with the government, which is the 100% owner of the Požega-based Orljava textile company. "It is unacceptable that the government failed to react…
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Minister Says Croatian Labor Market Stable and Has Recovered From COVID Crisis
ZAGREB, 18 Aug 2021 - Labour Minister Josip Aladrović said on Wednesday that the labor market was stable and had recovered from the corona crisis. "The data for the first 15 days in August show that we are going in the right direction. We are switching from job preservation to job creation," Aladrović told the press while arriving at a meeting of the inner cabinet. The minister is hopeful about retaining record high levels in employment since official statistics started to be kept 21 years ago. In the period to come, the biggest challenge will be finding skilled manpower, said Aladrović who expects a rise in…
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
SDP Chief Says Croatia Should Receive Afghan Refugees
ZAGREB, 18 Aug 2021 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Peđa Grbin said on Tuesday his party advocated that Croatia receives Afghan refugees. Croatia should accept Afghan refugees, notably women, for several reasons. First of all, it is a matter of solidarity. Second of all, Croatia had taken part in a mission in Afghanistan. The most important question is whether the departure of refugees from Afghanistan is going to be…
Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Zagreb Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec: Applications For Stay-at-Home Parent Grants to be Suspended in September
ZAGREB, 17 Aug, 2021 - Zagreb Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec said on Tuesday that after a public consultation, the city would not change the proposed decision to suspend applications for grants for stay-at-home parents from 6 September until an evaluation of the scheme. "We are aware that it is difficult to set a deadline, there isn't necessarily a happy solution. It's important to stop applications from new beneficiaries until the scheme undergoes a comprehensive evaluation," Dolenec told a press conference. She said that 48 proposals had been submitted in the public consultation and some of them propose that the deadline be extended.…
Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević Says Bulky Waste Being Removed From Zagreb Streets as of Today
ZAGREB, 17 Aug, 2021 - Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said on Tuesday the Zagreb Holding multi-utility conglomerate's Waste Management branch was removing bulky waste from city streets as of today and that Holding signed a contract for the temporary storage of that waste in the eastern suburb of Sesvetski Kraljevac. Speaking at his weekly press conference, Tomašević said bulky waste would be stored there for the next 75 days which, he added, should be enough time to first lease and then buy a shredder and meet the other technical requirements so that in future Waste Management ("Čistoća" in Croatian) would recover bulky waste instead of private companies.…
