ZAGREB, 23 August, 2022 - Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, said on Tuesday that the new Law on the Coastal Belt and Sea Ports would in no way privatise the coastal belt or prevent citizens from using the seaside and that there is no way that the law would enable any misuse of the coastal belt.

"We have to adopt a law on the coastal belt and seaports by the end of the year for several reasons," said Butković, stating that it is a precondition to absorb money from the National Recovery and Resilience Program, adding that that includes reforming the maritime sector and one of the measures for that is the adoption of that law.

He added that the bill has been in preparation for 20 years and that it was last amended in 2003.

Butković also underscored that the bill has not yet been put to public consultation, and so far it is just a draft prepared by the task force comprising maritime experts, representatives of the ministry, and the State Attorney's Office.

Butković said that the bill was released to the public even before public consultation and that "misinterpretations were made by certain people, who criticised the draft bill claiming that entry would be restricted to some beaches and beaches would be fenced off or privatised," adding that "there is no chance of that occurring."

According to Butković, the intention of the law is not to privatise the coastal belt nor to fence it off or to prevent citizens from using the seaside. "No normal person would do that," he added.

"On the contrary, the bill will give greater powers to local government so they can determine the purpose of the beaches in their area through the coastal belt management plan." He said that in principle, the incumbent law included local government in deciding what happens on the coastal belt and beaches in their remit."

According to Butković, the local government will play an active role based on the new bill, and stricter measures will be taken with greater penalties for those who do not comply with the regulations on the coastal belt.

"There is no question that this law will allow any kind of abuse of the coastal belt," he underscored, and that it was necessary to wait for the bill to be put up for public consultation.

He invited everyone - cities, municipalities, counties, and all interested parties to get involved with their comments and that the best solution will be found at the level of the ministry, including the task force and the State Attorney's Office after which the bill will be presented to the government and Sabor.

In mid-August, the Island Movement association claimed that the bill would enable restrictions on the use of the coastal belt, allowing the seaside to be fenced off and even denying access to beaches. The association sent an open critical letter to the government.

ZAGREB, 23 August, 2022 - Commenting on potential pressure by new clients from the category of households on the city-owned GPZO gas distributor, Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said on Tuesday that not selling gas was not an option even though gas supplies for new clients had not been procured.

"... we did not know that a large number of market suppliers would suddenly give up on gas business and that (new clients) would turn to the GPZO as a public supplier," the mayor told a news conference.

GPZO supplying gas to close to 60% of Croatian households

Commenting on a report in the Jutarnji List daily that 50,000 households could switch from market suppliers to the GPZO, which covers a part of the country, Tomašević said that despite insufficient quantities of gas, the company would not stop providing the service.

The GPZO provides gas to close to 60% of Croatian households, and its current contract with its suppliers with regard to households is rather favourable, he said but admitted that the procurement of new quantities of gas for new potential clients would be problematic.

The GPZO would have to charge households (50,000 new clients) a fixed price, and it would have to buy gas at the current market price, which is higher, so the resulting difference would amount to around €100 million, the mayor said, noting that talks were underway between the city authorities, the Economy Ministry and the government about the situation on the gas market.

The mayor said he hoped a way would be found to maintain the system of gas supply for households.

Commenting on new gas supply contracts with clients in the business sector, in which the GPZO offered only the option of paying for gas at market prices, Tomašević said that business clients had the right not to accept it.

Business clients can accept those terms or turn to some other market supplier, he said, adding that business clients would pay the GPZO the same price for gas the city distributor paid for it on the market, with a minimal margin.

He noted that that was the only way to avoid incurring new losses this season, confirming that the GPZO had agreed with suppliers for this gas year the procurement of gas for business clients at variable prices.

New cycling routes planned

Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet today announced work on the city's cycling infrastructure, noting that three projects would be launched soon to increase the number of cycle routes and lanes.

He said that an increase in cycle traffic had been reported in Zagreb and that the city administration wanted to increase the share of cycling in total traffic to 8% by the end of its term.

ZAGREB, 23 August, 2022 - Croatia has registered 720 new cases of coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours and 16 related deaths, the national COVID response team reported on Tuesday.

There are 5,515 active cases in the country, including 601 hospitalised patients, 20 of whom are on ventilators.

Since the outbreak of COVID in Croatia on 25 February 2020 to date, a total of 1,207,353 cases of the novel coronavirus have been registered, and 16,595 people have died as a consequence, while 1,185,243 people have recovered., including 726 recoveries in the past 24 hours.

There are currently 3,595 people self-isolating.

To date, 59.59% of the total population, or 70.86% of the adult population, have been vaccinated.

August 23, 2022 - What happens when a teenage girl from Kazakhstan comes to Split? Meet Picigin, the sport that stopped her in her tracks. 

As summer continues in great spirit and beaches around the Croatian coast are as active as ever, it is very likely that you will spot an indigenous game, ‘Picigin’ being played amongst locals. Having recently visited Split, it was a pleasant surprise to see several groups of people jumping around the shallow waters to keep a ball in play.

Developing an interest in the game, I had explored multiple articles surfacing around the internet – depicting fascinating information about picigin, which brought me to numerous facts.

Firstly, many believe that the indigenous game originated in 1908 when students from Split brought back water polo from Prague with them and wanted to play it on Bačvice beach. Now, gaining its present form, the game includes a number of players (usually two or more) and a worn-out tennis ball that is kept from falling into the sea with the palm of a hand for as long as possible.

Secondly, when talking about the tennis ball used in picigin, which is called the “balun”, many find it interesting that the fabric is cut with a knife to then be able to peel it off like an orange! Additionally, players find removing the adhesive remaining on the ball a key step when preparing for the game. This is usually done by rubbing the balun against a rough wall.

Moreover, the game itself has made Bačvice, known as the “centar svita” (the centre of the word), a key area to play in. As the water is shallow and the beach is as sandy as it can get, it is ideal to play the amateur sport in the centre of Split – granting ease of running and falling in the water!

Lastly, as the game has gained a vast amount of attention over the years, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia had decided to include picigin on the list of intangible cultural heritage. It is also known that Split celebrates the prised beach game by holding the unofficial “World Championships” every year as a tradition.

So, do not miss the opportunity to see and play this game in the alluring beach waters during the great summer heat!

But the most impressive time to watch a game of picigin? The traditional game played every year on... New Year's Day!

Want to learn more about Split? Check out the Total Croatia Split in a Page guide. 

August 22, 2022 - TCN is delighted to welcome Marko Lončar to the team. Marko will be adding a little historical perspective, starting with a look at Split under French Administration at the turn of the 19th Century. 

“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

In the wake of the French revolution, revolutionary ideas of liberty, freedom, and equality were spreading over Europe like wildfire. Napoleon, in his war campaigns, made sure that these new values be implemented in the conquered regions and for the benefit of the people so as to set the basis of a paradigm shift that was supposed to supersede the old and outworn feudal laws and principles that shaped a bygone world. No different was the fate of the people on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Even though France defeated Austria and signed the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, which put an end to the 1100-year existence of the Venetian republic and placed Istria and Dalmatia under Austrian rule, it was not until after the Battle of Austerlitz, followed by the Peace of Pressburg in December 1805 that these provinces came under French governance and were included in the Kingdom of Italy, an entity under Napoleon’s full control through his stepson Eugene Beauharnais who acted as a viceroy. (Kečkemet 2006) This first period of French rule lasted until 1809 and the formation of Illyrian Provinces and was marked by the governance of Vincenzo Dandolo, who was appointed general superintendent of Dalmatia. (Kečkemet 2006)

Dandolo, a scientist, chemist-pharmacist, and agriculturalist, and a subordinate to marshal August Marmont, occupied his post in the city of Zadar, then the capital of Dalmatia. He was responsible to put into action Marmont’s commands and directions - a set of ideas and visions all fashioned in the spirit of the Enlightenment. He regarded the region as underdeveloped and was set to make improvements by building roads, introducing public education system, upgrading trade and commerce, and since he was an inveterate agriculturalist, modernising primitive agricultural methods that were predominant in the region at the time. (Kečkemet 2006)

When it comes to Split, an emphasis was put on aesthetics, culture, and social life of the city. Such was the decision to tear down old shabby houses in front of the south façade of Diocletian's palace. Foundations for the new public park, colloquially known as Đardin, were set then from the rumbles of bastions that encircled the city core and were built during Venetian’s reign. The idea behind deconstructing parts of bastions was to open up the city and make it more susceptible to growth and development outside the city walls, and to include old city neighbourhoods Lučac, Manuš, and Dobri into shaping the city’s social life, but also to ease the possibility of defending the city in case of enemy threat. The decision to tear down the Venetian castle west of the palace and to use the remaining material to expand the boardwalk on the west coast came from the fear that Russian or British troops could seize it and use it as a stronghold to carry out attacks on the city. (Kečkemet 2006) Improvements in postal service were also made and went along with construction and enhancements to traffic routes. (Kečkemet 2006) Regarding social activities, tombola events were organized in the theatre, and part of the earnings went to the “Committee for public charity” that took care of hospitals, orphanages, almshouses, and mental hospitals that the French found in terrible conditions, and since charitable work, care for the general well-being of the citizens, as well as the incentive to bring about an egalitarian and more just society, was an integral part of the legacy of French revolution thus it was in the focus of French governance, most notably that of marshal Marmont. (Kečkemet 2006) Marshal Marmont felt a special appeal to Split. He was enchanted by picturesque landscapes and scenery but also by the city’s rich history, ruins of Salona, and most notably the remnants of the breath-taking palace.

Upon the arrival of the French, city streets were unkempt, filthy, and feculent, with drains of outflow and sewage waters running on its surfaces, including the one that today bears the name in honour of August Marmont. Having seen how big a problem this poses to public health care, a decision was made to pave the city streets and redirect the flow of sewage waters, an undertaking that was partly done at the expense of residents and clergy. (Kečkemet 2006) The general idea of participation and involvement of the citizenry in public projects was encouraged if not even imposed, and all with the aim of raising the level of consciousness of an individual and his role and influence on society as a whole. Along with introducing a public health-care system, Marmont made effort to embellish the city by issuing a decree to build public parks and gardens and forming a “Commission for the embellishment of Split”. The commission’s task was to take care that new houses on the coast be built in accordance with the plans and blueprints of Basilio Mazzoli.

The egalitarian approach in reshaping society brought about some notable resistance in certain classes of the society, particularly among the nobility, clergy, and commoners who were heavily influenced by the clergy. Redistribution of property that affected the clergy included property and church inventory being confiscated with the aim to help fund further warfare, but also some monasteries were used to accommodate the French army and officers. Nobility lost part of their lands and estates. Some fraternities, that counted thirty-four in Split alone at the time, were suspended from activity by the decree of viceroy Eugene, dating from 20^th October 1808. “Fraternity of The Holy Sacrament” and “Fraternity of the Good Death” were left unharmed, most likely due to the reason that their work included burial of the deceased, especially of the poor. (Duplančić 2011)

Another feat worthy of mentioning was the full integration of the Jewish minority into society. Jews were condemned to ghetto life, and the decision to bring down ghetto doors as well as to proclaim religious liberty was greeted enthusiastically among the members of the Jewish community. (Kečkemet 2006) All citizens were regarded equal before the law, and implementation of a new set of principles that intrinsically belonged to Napoleon’s most significant work - Code Civil.

Though French initiatives were commonly perceived as anti-clerical, and secularism and laicism were instilled in changes imposed by them, marshal Marmont held members of the Franciscan order in high regard. He did not fail to see how influential the order was among commoners and that it would be opportune to be well-disposed to the order so as to try to swing in his favour the disapproving bearing of the public. Those who felt inclined towards revolutionary ideas of the French were predominantly members of the citizenry, especially intellectuals who were not averse to embracing new values and ideas of the Enlightenment. (Kečkemet 2006)

Since the foundation of Illyrian provinces in 1809 and Marmont’s relocation to Ljubljana to occupy the post of the general governor, activities on embellishing the city were slowed down, and many never saw the light of day, and the implementation of the revolutionary ideas slackened. Marmont was occupied leading war campaigns across Europe, being wounded twice but nevertheless participating in battles head high and baldly executing His Imperial Majesty’s will. Subsequently, due to disappointment in Napoleon and thinking that he had placed himself above France, he turned against him and parleyed to surrender Paris. (Kečkemet 2006)

French governance over Dalmatia lasted until 1813 and the battle of Leipzig, the decisive defeat of Napoleon’s army on the continent. (Britannica 1998) Though oftentimes regarded as usurping, particularly among those who were most affected by changes imposed, we can beyond doubt credit the French governance for doing so much for the benefit of the people in so little time, especially for the introduction of ground-breaking libertarian ideas.

To learn more about Split today, check out the Total Croatia Split in a Page guide.

August the 23rd, 2022 - What exactly does the new proposal for the Law on Maritime Property bring with it? There are some concerning items to be aware of, and Otoci.eu/Islands.eu has a message for the powers that be.

As Andrea Beader/Otoci.eu writes, does the new proposal of the Law on Maritime Property and Sea Ports bring us any restrictions or the fencing off of sea beaches to the public?

Reviewing the new proposal of the Law on Maritime Property and Sea Ports, we were taken aback by the proposed items that explicitly enable the limitation of the general use of maritime property, its fencing off and even the potential charging for access to sea beaches along the coast of the mainland and on the islands, which would prevent all citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the rest of the public, from enjoying unhindered public use of maritime property and sea beaches.

We consider parts of the proposed law inadmissible and completely contradictory to everything we have advocated for and communicated all these years, emphasising the importance of protecting Croatia's greatest social, touristic and economic potential - its maritime assets, which historically and culturally represents an extremely important resource for everyone.

Maritime resource management with an emphasis placed on sea beaches

Five years ago, together with numerous stakeholders in the working group for the drafting of the proposal of the Law on Maritime Property, we worked out the best models for the use of maritime property with a special emphasis placed on beaches, with shared knowledge and experience.

We all had the goal of protecting Croatia's maritime assets from devastation, the restriction of access and privatisation, and maintaining the concept of public good in order to enable all residents and visitors to swim and relax on the Croatian coast and on the islands. With the departure of Maja Markovcic Kostelac to another job, unfortunately the whole process was suddenly interrupted and the then proposal of the Law ended up stuffed down into a drawer after many hours of work.

Recently, this topic and the decision on the adoption of the new Law on Maritime Property and Sea Ports has been brought up to date again. A new working group was formed, to which we weren't invited as representatives of both citizens and civil society organisations, despite our continuous work and advocacy for the preservation of maritime property and its public use, especially regarding sea beaches. A few months ago, we were contacted by phone and our opinion was sought.

However, since we weren't presented with a new proposal for the Law on Maritime Property, we could only give our comments by generally repeating our well-known position - sea beaches in Croatia must remain for public use, and we will not support any restrictions on their use.

Of course, we understand the need for the economic use of maritime property, the improvement of the coastline and raising the quality of services offered on beaches, in ports and at sea. However, we believe that a way must be found so that the maritime asset remains a public asset and that everyone is satisfied with the management method.

As an example of good practice, we sent Mr. Bilaver the Rulebook on the Economic Use of Maritime Property, which we drafted back in 2017 with Split-Dalmatia County and which could serve as an example for everyone to find a way to reconcile private and public interest when concessioning sea beaches.

A dispute of Article 11 of the proposal for the Law on Maritime Property and Sea Ports

Finally, at the end of July of this year, we received the proposal of the new law from the state secretary, Mr. Bilaver, and a request to send our comments, which we did within a few days.

We consider the most controversial part of the proposal of the Law on Maritime Property and Sea Ports to be Article 11, which we'll transcribe in its entirety:

(1) On part of the maritime property, in accordance with this Law, the general use of the maritime property can be limited, and exceptionally excluded for a certain period of time on the basis of a concession, approval for special use, granting the right to the temporary use of the maritime property, and granting the management of a port.port administration which is open to public traffic.

(2) A restriction on the general use of maritime property is considered to be fencing off or otherwise preventing access to a part of the maritime property with or without charging [a free] for the use of the maritime property, when such a restriction is permitted by a valid concession agreement, a contract on special use or an agreement on the temporary use of the maritime property and by granting a port open for public transport to be placed under the management of the port authority.

(3) The exclusion of maritime property from general use is considered to be the use of a maritime asset in a way that completely or partially excludes the general use of a part of the maritime property, when such exclusion is permitted by a valid concession agreement, a special use agreement or an agreement on the temporary use of the maritime property.

(4) The degree of restriction and exclusion of maritime property from general use and the purpose achieved thereby is determined by the decision on awarding concessions, the decision on granting approval for special use and the decision on granting maritime property for temporary use.

Dear Prime Minister, Minister, Secretary of State and all other members of the working group who are responsible for the preparation of the proposal for this Law, we ask you - do you really intend to limit the use of maritime property, i.e. sea beaches for the public, with this proposal of the Law, and/or enable the installation of fences and the charging for entry to the beaches?

Are you aware of the negative practices of neighbouring countries, such as Italy, where the beaches are mostly under the concessions of catering/hospitality and hotel facilities, and the numerous sunbeds, umbrellas and other facilities don't allow unhindered access to the sea, even though, according to the law, the public use of maritime property in Italy cannot actually be restricted?

This is an Invitation to the responsible representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Croatia;
Prime Minister, Mr. Plenkovic
Honourable Minister of Maritime Affairs, Mr. Butkovic
State Secretary, Mr. Bilaver

We invite you to review and consider the comments and suggestions that we have sent on the draft law, and be sure to foresee the possibility that the beaches and the sea can be accessed unhindered, regardless of whether they are public or not.

We believe that additional facilities such as sunbeds, umbrellas and other props should incur charges when on the beaches, but they must not endanger and/or prevent unhindered public access to the sea and part of the sea coast. As an example of Split-Dalmatia County's rules for concessioned beaches, it is defined that it is necessary to leave 30% of the surface for public use and provide pedestrian corridors through which everyone who wants to can enter the sea unhindered.

Practice has shown that both private and public interests are satisfied in this way, and that companies and citizens, in places where the laws are respected, can live a quality co-existence. Any restriction of access to the sea and maritime property is a threat to human rights and will certainly cause a series of citizen complaints, public resistance and protests, which will damage community relations and investment potential on the coast and islands in the long term.

For more, make sure to check out our politics section.

August the 23rd, 2022 - Could the Croatian hemp growing industry boost the overall economic picture? Many believe so, but there are many obstacles to anything being made easy, such is Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, it has been estimated that the value of the industrial hemp market across Europe should be almost nine billion US dollars by the year 2027. In Croatia, there are numerous organisations that deal with the cultivation and distribution of this particular plant, but they also encounter numerous problems, Dnevnik.hr writes.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) is a plant from the cannabis family that contains 0.2 percent or less of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although this industry is one of the fastest growing in all of Europe, planters and producers across Croatia continually encounter numerous problems that hinder their full potential and prevent the development of the potential Croatian hemp growing could have.

The Dom konoplje/Hemp house cooperative is a platform that gathers industrial hemp growers from all over Croatia. The executive director of the cooperative, Mihael Zlovolic, has been actively promoting the plant and the entire Croatian hemp growing industry for years. He believes that the future of this industry is too beneficial to ignore. "I think that, according to some of my estimates, the cannabis plant in Croatia will be legalised in 2025 at the latest. We're seeing similar movements across Europe, for example in Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland... Germany also plans to legalise cannabis by the end of 2022, so this whole story is part of a wider movement," he said.

"I'm convinced that if this entire project was done properly and if systematic investments were made in the industry on a wider level, we'd be able to get rid of all of the country's debts and get out of the economic crisis in the mandate of one single Government. All of that with the help of industrial hemp," he said.

Systemic obstacles

However, numerous obstacles are continuing to slow down the development of this industry and hold back small producers. “Where do I even begin? First and foremost, there are so many cases where people shamelessly steal plants from small producers that it has become something that has to be factored into the cost of production,” he said.

He says that this is most often the result of ignorance. Legislation, which often lags behind industry development, is also an obstacle. "There are cases where people ended up in court, and the judge was not aware of the latest changes to the Drug Abuse Prevention Act. Not to mention the police. But I have to praise them, we actively cooperate with the police and competent inspectors who help us a lot, but there are often officials who see a cannabis plant and immediately think - drugs", said Zlovolic.

"These cases most often occur in smaller communities where not only are the officials not familiar with the legal framework, but they're also under pressure from the local population. We still live in a conservative society that, when it sees someone planting a field of industrial hemp, often reacts negatively to it," he said.

''We should be working on educating the population and providing a healthy basis for the development of the Croatian hemp growing industry. The goal is to form a kind of portal and centre of knowledge and information, where people who possess proven knowledge and skills will be able to educate everyone - not only producers and growers, but also ordinary people - because hemp is the future," said Zlovolic.

However, in order to achieve this, systematic support and the formation of an official market are needed. "We have the knowledge, we have the conditions and we can do miracles. Especially when you have such people who also have a great will and desire to throw themselves into it. Now the question is how to get ordinary people to recognise it," he said.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

August the 23rd, 2022 - The Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija is edging ever closer to the record numbers it and we all saw back during the pre-pandemic year of 2019, having transported 1.1 million passengers during the month of August so far alone.

As Morski/Alenka Juricic Bukarica writes, this year's tourist season, in terms of physical indicators, is coming extremely close to the eye-watering figures we saw back during the record year of 2019, and therefore the traffic in passenger ship transport is also returning, writes Rijeka portal Novi list.

As such, from the beginning of the year to August the 15th, Jadrolinija's fleet transported an impressive 7,850,000 passengers in total, which is just four percent less compared to the same period back in 2019, as well as 2,248,000 vehicles, which is 7.7 percent more than 2019.

During the month of August alone, more precisely from August the 1st to the 18th, Jadrolinija transported a total of 1,150,000 passengers, which is just 9.1 percent less than in 2019, and 400,000 vehicles, which is 3.5 percent less than during the record pre-pandemic year of 2019.

''We are approaching the figures we saw back in 2019. On certain Jadrolinija ferry lines, vehicle traffic is surpassing the figures from 2019, but passenger traffic is still lagging slightly behind.

The reason for the smaller number of passengers is the absence of larger tourist groups that regularly came to Croatia by bus in earlier years, Jadrolinija pointed out, adding that the lines with the most passengers are Valbiska - Merag, Brestova - Porozina, Prizna - Zigljen, Zadar - Preko, Split - Supetar and Split - Stari Grad (Hvar).

''In this jubilee year, when Jadrolinija celebrates a whole 75 years of existence, we are optimistic and hope for a successful season and that we manage to reach the results from the record-breaking year of 2019,'' Jadrolinija concluded.

For more on Croatian maritime transport, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.