Politics

ZAGREB, 25 March (2022) - Croatia is among the poorer performers in the EU with regard to waste recycling, a conference on waste management heard in Zagreb on Friday, with its participants agreeing that educating citizens and investing in infrastructure was key to improving recycling and reducing the quantity of waste requires. Speaking at the conference on the latest developments in the field of waste management technology, Aleksandra Čilić of the Environment Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, said that three public tenders are underway at the moment: for clearing open dumpsites, removing abandoned cars on the islands, and for restricting the use of single-use plastics…

ZAGREB, 25 March (2022) - The entire European Union has recognised Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional architecture, and the conclusions adopted by the European Council at Croatia's initiative should be an impetus to Croat and Bosniak leaders to reach a deal on electoral reform,  Prime Minister Andrej Plenković says. On Friday, the European Council consisting of the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member-states, endorsed the Strategic Compass, a document on the European Union's defence vision in the coming years. Concerning the topic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Strategic Compass reads that it is "of particular interest to support the sovereignty,…

ZAGREB, 25 March (2022) - The B.a.B.e women's rights organisation and the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) have launched a series of workshops about online violence against women including revenge pornography which can carry a sentence of up to three years in prison and so far 30 women have reported this crime. "Revenge porn is a term that is commonly used in public and the media and relates to the abuse of recordings of sexually explicit content and is in fact an attack on someone's privacy and causes extremely difficult repercussions for the victim. Our legislature recently recognised and defined…

March 25, 2022 - On Thursday, March 17th, the Republic of Croatia held an Embassy reception in honor of the US-Croatia Strategic Alliance meetings held in Washington DC during the week.  A fifteen-member Croatian delegation was invited to our nation's capital for high-level meetings that involved five Croatian Ministries was a hugely significant geo-political development for the Republic of Croatia. The objectives of these meetings were to solidify the alliance within the six pillars of a growing bilateral relationship and to strengthen our shared goals of maintaining peace, security, stability and economic development in Southeast Europe.  It should also be noted that April 7, 2022, will be the 30th Anniversary of the U.S. recognition of an independent Republic of Croatia!   The Croatian delegation from Zagreb was led by Petar Mihatov, Political Affairs…

ZAGREB, 25 March (2022) - The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which started operating on 21 June 2021, opened 576 investigations in the first six months of its existence and 515 were active on 31 December, the Večernji List (VL) daily reported on Friday. Eight of the 576 cases or 1.4% of them are related to Croatia. The EPPO is an independent body of the European Union responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU, including fraud corruption, money laundering and cross-border VAT fraud. Currently,  22 member-states of the European Union, including Croatia, are participating members of the…

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - EU Funds and Regional Development Minister Nataša Tramišak confirmed on Thursday that she had reported the threats she had been receiving since last summer, to the police,  however, she stopped short of revealing the identity of who was making the threatens. "The threats started in early September, I cannot say who made them," she told the N1 broadcaster on Thursday, explaining that the threat in reference to blood-shedding was made in January. The minister said that it was unpleasant to hear such things, however, they did not make her hesitant to continue conducting her ministerial duties. As…

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - Physical Planning and Construction Minister Ivan Paladina and the director of the Zagreb-based KBC - University Clinical Hospital, Ante Ćorušić, on Thursday signed an agreement on the €70 million "Stage III" reconstruction project of this hospital. A new multi-purpose building will be constructed within the existing hospital compound and the funds earmarked for the construction and reconstruction has been secured with a loan from the World Bank.  The new hospital will be over 27,800 square metres large, and will have eight floors with an open parking lot on five levels and an emergency heliport. Paladina…

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - Zadar County Court has rejected an appeal by the HRT public broadcaster against reporter Hrvoje Zovko and upheld a Zagreb Municipal Court ruling that the statement by Zovko, who is president of the Croatian Journalists' Association, about censorship at HRT was not contentious or false. The court also ruled that Zovko's statement did not hurt the HRT's reputation, the HND reported on its website on Thursday. "This is a great victory for me, my family and my attorney and proof that I have been telling the truth all along," said Zovko. He said the final ruling in the case was also…

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - Transport and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković visited construction sites in Omiš on Thursday including the Omiš bypass and connection to Cetina Bridge as well as works to the town's port, announcing that the bypass Omiš-Split road should be completed by the end of 2025. Butković underscored that the Omiš bypass is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Split-Dalmatia County and is valued at HRK 180 million. The access road to the bridge should be completed by the end of this year and next spring a section of 3.5 kilometres should be completed, he added. A multimodal…

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - Numerous Vukovar residents bid farewell to the wartime hospital director Dr Vesna Bosanac at the Homeland War Memorial Cemetery in Vukovar on Thursday. Addressing those present at the burial ceremony, Dr Bosanac's long time deputy Siniša Maslovara bid her farewell. "Most of us will remember her for caring for us all. She supported us and was there whenever we needed her, particularly when a serious misfortune or illness afflicted us. She loved her employees and fought for them to the limits of durability, even when everyone would leave them and when, sometimes, they would lose faith in themselves," Maslovara said.…