Politics
Friday, 19 March 2021
Parliament Amends Law to Ban Large-Scale Hydraulic Fracturing
ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - The Croatian parliament on Friday supported by a majority vote amendments to the Act on Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation enhancing the transparency of those processes, with public participation, and banning large-scale hydraulic fracturing. The amendments define more precisely procedures related to all oil mining activities and prevent the overlapping of more investors in a single area conducting different activities. For the sake of development and use of renewable energy sources, Croatia's geothermal potential will be promoted by authorising the Hydrocarbon Agency to carry out exploratory activities and establish a development company promoting the development and use of…
Friday, 19 March 2021
Tena Šimonović Einwalter Elected Public Ombudswoman
ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - Lawyer Tena Šimonović Einwalter is the new Public Ombudswoman, the Croatian parliament decided on Friday by secret ballot. A total of 115 MPs voted for her election, while the other candidate, lawyer Sandra Hančić, received the support of one MP, Deputy Speaker Željko Reiner said. Šimonović Einwalter, elected for a term of eight years, was since 2013 a deputy to Public Ombudswoman Lora Vidović, whose term expired on 1 March and who did not apply for re-election. Five candidates had applied for the post, and after one candidate was eliminated for not having complete documentation, the remaining…
Friday, 19 March 2021
Croatian Competition Agency Praised by Both Ruling and Opposition MPs
ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - The performance of the Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN) in 2019 was praised on Friday by lawmakers from both the ruling majority and the Opposition. The report about the agency's activities in 2019 shows that the regulator settled 772 cases that year. The AZTN Council vice-president Vesna Patrlj today informed the parliament that while the agency was receiving more and more cases, it was faced with a decrease in the headcount. In late 2019, it employed 52 workers and now it has two fewer employees. "Wages are very low, while the work is very complex, and the training of employees…
Friday, 19 March 2021
Jelena Pavičić Vukičević Announces Running for Zagreb Mayor
ZAGREB, 19 March, 2021 - Jelena Pavičić Vukičević on Thursday accepted the nomination by the Bandić Milan 365 - Labour and Solidarity party to run for Zagreb mayor at the local election in May. After a meeting of the party's presidency, Pavičić Vukičević said that she would lead the party to victory. After Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić's death, his deputy and long time associate Pavičić Vukičević stepped in as acting mayor until the election. Jelena Pavičić Vukičević was Bandić's associate from the very start of his career and she herself has had many years of experience in the city's administration. When Banidć was elected…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Croatia Among 4 EU Countries with Decreases in Hourly Labour costs at end 2020
ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - In the fourth quarter of 2020, hourly labour costs rose in the EU and euro area at rates that were almost twice as high as in the previous quarter, while Croatia was again among the countries that recorded declines, a Eurostat report shows. In the 27-member EU, hourly labour costs increased by 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. In the third quarter, they increased by 1.8%. At the same time, hourly labour costs in the euro area were 3.0% higher than in the last quarter of 2019, following…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Guarantees for Culture and Creative Industry Extended Until End of June
ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - The government on Thursday decided to extend its loan guarantee programme for enterprises in the field of culture and the creative industry until 30 June this year. The programme foresees HRK 300 million in loans with guarantees of 100% of the principal and a maximum amount of €800,000 per applicant. The shortest period of the guarantee is one year and the most five years, which includes a one-year grace period. Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek recalled that the government adopted the guarantee programme for enterprises in culture and the creative industry in July last…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Government Moves to Amend Volunteering Act
ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - The government sent its proposal to amend the Volunteering Act to parliament on Thursday, defining the operation of volunteer centres and their funding. The proposal also defines the concept of corporate volunteering, given that many companies in Croatia have developed a system of volunteering, and the concept of volunteering coordinator, who plays a significant role in efficient management of volunteering programmes in organisations. The proposal does not allow volunteering for a duration of more than 38 hours a week over a period of more than three months without a break of at least three months,…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Opposition Slams Liberalisation of Tourist Guide Market
ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - The parliamentary opposition on Thursday strongly criticised the opening of the domestic labour market to tourist guides from other EU countries, saying they often did not have the required qualifications nor could they do as good a job as domestic guides. Marin Miletić (Bridge) said a bill of amendments to the law on tourism services would allow foreign guides to present Croatia without sufficient education. "Such a presentation will be superficial and disorganised, and the tourist experience incomplete." Hrvoje Zekanović (Sovereignists) said what guides said was important but that the way they spoke about a locality, whether it…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Minister Tomislav Ćorić Visits Recycling Yard Worth HRK 3 Million in Novi Marof
ZAGREB, 17 March, 2021 - A recycling yard worth HRK 3 million and co-financed by EU funds has been constructed in Novi Marof, and during his visit on Wednesday, Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić said that the northwestern part of Croatia has progressed more than other parts of the country in terms of waste management. The recycling yard in Novi Marof was co-financed from the Cohesion Fund in the amount of more than HRK 2.5 million, while the entire project is worth over HRK 3 million. Novi Marof Mayor Siniša Jenkač underscored that the recycling yard was a continuation of the…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Will Census Show More Than 149 Unpopulated Settlements?
ZAGREB, 18 March, 2021 - Croatia had 149 unpopulated settlements in the last population census ten years ago and there will likely be more in the upcoming one, it was said on Thursday at a meeting of the parliamentary environment and nature protection committee. The committee debated a 2013-19 report on Croatia's territory which confirms that settlements in border and mountain regions continue to die out, while concentrating in central Croatia, including Zagreb. The data were presented by Sunčana Habrun of the Physical Planning Ministry, including on planned construction and business zones. Planned construction zones cover about 400,000 hectares, 7% of the…
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Ministry of State Property's Income Exceeds Expectations Despite Crisis
March the 18th, 2021 - The state can count on far less when it comes to Croatian company profit this year when compared to 2020, but the Ministry of State Property had a far better year than could ever have been predicted given the dire circumstances. As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, last year was marked by a state of emergency due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and several serious earthquakes, but the Ministry of State Property still managed to yield even better results than could have been expected. According to the Annual Report on the Implementation of Specific Objectives and…
