Politics

May the 25th, 2022 - A massive 1.3 billion kuna has been secured for Croatian tourism recovery following to unprecedented pandemic-dominated years in which very little, if anything, was realised at all. As Dora Koretic/Jutarnji/Novac writes, according to the Ministry of Tourism, for the first time, a significant amount has been secured for Croatian tourism recovery in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, from which the sector will have access to 1.3 billion kuna. These are funds from within the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Programme and the Integrated Territorial Programme for the period from 2021 to 2027, of which most of…

May the 25th, 2022 - Former CNB governor Damir Odak has discussed Croatia's current final preparations for entrance into the Eurozone, scheduled for the very beginning of next year. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian kuna that has been deposited into banks by the last day of this year, will ''wake up'' on January the 1st, 2023, as euros, said former CNB governor Damir Odak. Odak was a recent moderator of the round table ''The expected impact of the euro on banks'' which was held as part of a larger conference called ''The Financial Market'' in Opatija. Former governor Damir Odak…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday that indicting four high-ranking Croatian Army officers for alleged war crimes will cost Serbia, calling out politicians in that country for "unintelligent behaviour" with which Serbia will never succeed in joining the European Union. Serbia's War Crimes Prosecutor's Office indicted four high-ranking Croatian Army officers for alleged war crimes. They are accused of shelling a refugee column during the military Operation Storm on 7 and 8 August 1995. "These indictments have occurred despite our years-long attempts to convince them not to play with fire and that it will cost them. I cannot be more…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - Croatia and Italy have signed an agreement on the demarcation of exclusive economic zones, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said in Rome on Tuesday, calling the document historic for the two countries' relations. Speaking to the press after meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio, he said the signing of the agreement was a "keystone" in Croatia-Italy relations. The agreement defines the demarcation line of the exclusive economic zones between the two friendly neighbours and permanently regulates demarcation with Italy in line with international law, said Grlić Radman. The agreement confirms the existing demarcation line of the continental…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - The ministry of finance on Tuesday dismissed the accusations made by the Franak association about the authorities having betrayed Croatian consumers. Over the past few years, the government has continued, both on its own and in cooperation with the State Attorney's Office (DORH), to dismiss all attempts aimed at the questioning of the constitutionality of so-called laws on the conversion of CHF-pegged loans and their adjustment with the EU acquis, the ministry said in a press release. First and foremost, this government is committed to protecting consumers, and to this end, it has provided arguments proving that the above-mentioned laws are…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - The European Commission on Tuesday reiterated its recommendation that three EU member states -- Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania -- should be admitted to the Schengen Area after they met the membership criteria. Today the EC presented its State of Schengen Report 2022. This is the first time the Commission is presenting such a report, following last year's Schengen Strategy. The report also "reminds of the importance of completing the Schengen area and calls upon the Council to adopt the decisions to allow Croatia, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, to formally become a part of it, in view…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday there was a risk of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina deteriorating and that his intention is to prevent that and help find "a framework for coexistence of the three constituent peoples in BiH", however, he ruled out the possibility of an armed conflict. "Anyone starting talk of a war erupting in BiH should get their mouth taped," said Milanović adding that speculations like that amount to war-mongering propaganda. "Who will attack whom in BiH? Perhaps, Serbs with their three armored vehicles?," Milanović wondered in an ironic comment, insisting that not enough weapons existed for…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak handed over 35 grant agreements worth €24.7 mn for projects to increase solar and geothermal energy capacities as part of the Energy and Climate Change Programme. The funds have been secured within the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (2014-2021). Ninety-two applications were received for this competition. The projects that were agreed to and signed today are designed to increase solar energy capacities and geothermal energy production capacities for heating, Tramišak said and added that the call for project applications was intended for local government and the public sector. She believes that…

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - The state-run Hrvatske Autoceste (HAC) motorway operator is going to digitize the network of motorways and the digitization is to be completed by the end of this year, the Jutarnji List daily reported on Tuesday. This means that 1,727 analog cameras on the motorways will be replaced by digital ones and a completely new traffic information system will be introduced. To this end, the HAC headquarters in Zagreb will set up a centre for traffic management and surveillance to collect real-time information on a state of affairs in traffic along all the motorways in Croatia, which includes the motorways…

ZAGREB, 23 May 2022 - Croatia's Adriatic seaports could be alternative routes for the transport of the grain supplies to north Africa from Ukraine whose Black Sea ports are being blocked, Foreign and European Affairs Ministry State Secretary, Andreja Metelko Zgombić, said on Monday in Brussels.  The Croatian official attended a General Affairs Council that focused on preparations for the next two EU summit meetings, on Ukraine, food supply safety, and energy topics. During the discussion, I said that Croatian seaports at the Adriatic are available and that they can be an efficient and short route for the export of Ukrainian grains…