June 29, 2022 - The highest rank of Croatian football will be called SuperSport Croatian Football League, or SuperSport HNL, from next season. 

After signing a contract on marketing rights and betting rights for matches owned by the Croatian Football Federation in May, SuperSport has taken over the title sponsorship of the Croatian Football League for the 2022/23 season, which begins on July 15, reports HNS. 

The new visual identity and logo of the league were also presented, and the leaders of SuperSport and HNS are satisfied with the cooperation.

“We are extremely honored to be the title sponsor of the SuperSport Croatian Football League. The last season of Croatian football has never been more interesting, and I believe that the SuperSport HNL will exceed all expectations," said SuperSport Management Board member Goran Đurić.

"The goal of SuperSport as a market leader is to continue investing in the development of Croatian football, which shows its strength and progress from season to season. I am firmly convinced that the new season of all domestic football competitions will be the best so far, especially the SuperSport HNL," added SuperSport Management Board member Radim Haluza.

"We can freely say that this summer we are entering a new era of Croatian club football. We have signed a record contract for TV and marketing rights, we have returned the competition to the popular name Croatian Football League, the matches will be shown on the new HT platform, and some of the matches will be shown on HRT. Now we have the full name of the league and a new visual identity thanks to SuperSport, and I am sure that we all share the intense anticipation of the beginning of the SuperSport HNL new season and that, in addition to commercial and marketing development, we will witness the continued raised quality of our football league," said HNS president Marijan Kustić.

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

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - The Council of the EU on Wednesday proposed that controls at Croatia's land and sea borders with Schengen countries be revoked as of 1 January 2023 and at airports as of 26 March.

The reasons for the different date for air traffic controls are of a technical nature.

At airports in Schengen countries, it is necessary to change the gates for aircraft arriving and departing from Croatia in order to separate passengers and direct them to exits without border controls. The same needs to be done at Croatian airports.

"The date for the lifting of controls at the air borders has to coincide in practice with the dates of IATA summer/winter time schedule, i.e. either the last Sunday of March or the last Sunday of October," the EU said in its Draft Council Decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Croatia, published on its website.

The Council of the EU sent the draft decision to the European Parliament with a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola asking for the Parliament's opinion as soon as possible.

The draft decision also suggests that all restrictions on the use of the Schengen Information System by Croatia shall be lifted from 1 January 2023.

The opinion of the European Parliament is not binding on the Council but constitutes a procedural step that cannot be avoided.

The decision to launch the procedure was adopted today at a meeting of the Committee of Representatives (Coreper), which consists of the ambassadors of the EU member states.

If no unforeseen obstacles emerge, Croatia would thus become a member of the Schengen Area and the euro area, the two closest organisations that form the core of the entire Union, in the tenth year of its membership in the EU.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 29, 2022 - Croatia was brilliant against Serbia on Wednesday in Budapest, winning 14:12 for a semifinal spot at the FINA World Championships! 

Since Croatian independence, the Croatia water polo team has played against the national teams of 38 countries. Croatia has a positive ratio against 36 of them, but two have always been better - Hungary and Serbia, the latter of which Croatia met in the FINA World Championship quarterfinals on Wednesday in Budapest. 

Croatia and Serbia have met many times at the World Championships alone, including in 1998 in Perth - 6:6 (Group), in 2005 in Montreal - 4:5 (semifinals), in 2007 in Melbourne - 10:7 (semifinals), in 2009 in Rome - 11:12 (semifinals), in 2015 in Kazan - 4:11 (final), and in 2017 in Budapest - 12:11 (semifinals). 

Both national teams have been significantly rejuvenated since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year, when Serbia took home the gold medal. 

"Croatia has shown potential and energy, they are a young team and on a good path to develop into a very competitive team," said water polo legend Ratko Rudić in an interview with HRT before the match. 

The former Croatia coach also shared his recipe for victory against Serbia, the current Olympic gold medalist. 

"It is also a new team, they have two top players, Mandic and Jaksic. The task is to neutralize the two of them, if we succeed, Croatia has great chances," Rudic believed. 

Croatia was convincing against Georgia in the FINA World Championships round of 16 earlier this week, and Serbia finished first in their group and did not play that phase of the competition. 

Match report 

1st quarter 

Croatia won the sprint and thus the first attack of the match, which resulted in an attacking foul and Serbia's ball. Kragic scored the first goal of the match for 1:0 Croatia with 5:36 on the clock. Popadic made three brilliant saves in goal to keep Croatia ahead. With 3 minutes left, Popadic continued to deny Serbia a goal. Serbia finally scored with 1:19 on the clock for 1:1. The first quarter ended at 1:1. 

2nd quarter 

Croatia won the sprint again to start the second quarter. Zuvela scored for the Croatia lead with 5:22 to go. Serbia equalized 20 seconds later. Kragic scored his second goal for 3:2 Croatia with 4:37 to go. Serbia equalized for 3:3 one minute later. Kharkov scored a penalty for Croatia for 4:3 with 3:13 on the clock. Serbia came back for 4:4 with 2:39 to go. Vrlic scored for 5:4 in the next attack. Croatia went into halftime leading 5:4. 

3rd quarter

Serbia won the sprint and scored in the first attack for 5:5 with 7:44 on the clock. Vukicevic scored for 6:5 Croatia with 6:56 left. Krapic scored for +2 (7:5) with 6:02 on the clock. Croatia was on fire - Vrlic scored for +3 (8:5), though Serbia scored in the next attack - 8:6. Lazic scored for +3 again - 9:6. Serbia came back to -2 in the next attack (9:7). Mandic scored a penalty for Serbia to put them behind by just one goal - 9:8 with three minutes to go. Lazic scored for +2 Croatia with 1:48 on the clock (10:8). Serbia scored for -1 with 52 seconds left in the quarter. Croatia went into the final quarter leading 10:9. 

4th quarter 

Serbia won the sprint and the first attack of the final quarter but it was Bukic to score first for 11:9 Croatia! Serbia scored for -1 again with 6:28 to go. Zuvela was brilliant, scoring his second goal for 12:10 Croatia moments later. Another extra man success for Croatia saw Basic go back up to +3 with 4:45 left to go in the match. Serbia scored for -2 (13:11) with just over two minutes left in the match. Fatovic lobbed the Serbia keeper for +3 with 1:55 on the clock! Serbia scored for -2 with a minute left. Serbia was unable to score in the next attack and Croatia secured the 14:12 win for a spot in the semifinals! 

Croatia will play the winner of Spain - Montenegro played after this match. 

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

June 29, 2022 - Don't get us wrong, there's more than enough to see or do to stay in this great and historic Dalmatian city, but if you find your adventurous spirit calling you to explore and see some other places, you might want to start with these five coastal towns outside Sibenik.

Tisno

We'll start north of Sibenik, in the picturesque village of Tisno, known for its peculiar location separating the mainland of Sibenik-Knin County from the nearby island of Murter. Tisno even extends to much of the southern part of the island. Tisno can be an ideal destination for families looking for a quiet place to enjoy, as well as for young people looking for renowned parties and electronic music festivals. Tisno also has some great cultural heritage manifested in its traditional construction of wooden boats. There's also a good number of beaches on which you can cool off.

Image: Tisno Tourist Board/Facebook

Tribunj

Between Tisno and Vodice lies the beautiful town of Tribunj, known as a peaceful destination with good beaches, the small islands of Lukovnik and Logorun, its famous regional donkey race, as well as being the birthplace of famous and esteemed pop-folk singer Miso Kovac. Likewise, Tribunj is an excellent place to have a coffee or a few beers on its waterfront, ideal both at dawn or when the sun goes down in the late afternoon hours.

Photo: Mario Romulić

Vodice

Vodice is only a 16-minute drive from the city and is definitely one of the most popular coastal towns outside Sibenik during the summer thanks to its spectacular hotels, beaches, and water resorts. We doubt that you'll actually want to leave Vodice, but you will want to know that it's also a transit point for ferries that travel to the beautiful islands of Prvik and Zlarin. In addition, if you aren't sure when is best to visit Vodice, you might want to go on the 4th of August, when the most important festival in town, ''Vodička fešta'', traditionally takes place.

Image: Vodice Tourist Board

Primošten

Passing by Sibenik and heading 35 minutes to the south of it by car, you'll find yourself in perhaps one of the most popular destinations not only in the entire county but also on the entire southern Adriatic coast: Primosten. You may not have known that Primosten used to be a town on the mainland, but in order to protect the frontier islet from Ottoman invasion back in the mid-16th century, walls and towers were built that eventually linked the islet to the mainland, giving Primosten its particular form of a small peninsula. The beaches near Primosten are nothing short of gorgeous, especially Raduca, considered one of the most beautiful in the whole country. Primosten is also well known for its spectacular vineyards, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo: Tál László/Flickr

Rogoznica

We'll end our list of coastal towns near Sibrnik near Primosten, in a great tourist destination during the summer season: Rogoznica. Perfect for any type of tourist as it has a large number of camping sites, hotels, private lodgings, a beautiful marina and countless pristine beaches. In addition, if something adds special value to Rogoznica, it's its location that protects it from the winds. Likewise, Rogoznica is also known for its very impressive Dragon's Eye Lake and also for its lavender labyrinth, both of which you must visit when there.

Image: Rogoznica Tourist Board

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - Croatia has registered 1,197 new coronavirus cases and one related death in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Wednesday.

The number of active cases now stands at 4,647, including 243 infected persons who are being treated in hospital, of whom five are placed on ventilators, while 2,082 people are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,147,380 people have been registered as having contracted the novel virus, of whom 16,060 have died and 1,126,673 have recovered, including 252 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 4,936,808 persons have tested for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, including 3,516 in the last 24 hours. A total of 5,257,861 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, and 59.55 per cent of the total population, or 70.82 per cent of adults, have been vaccinated. 2,315,438 persons have received at least one dose and 2,245,066 of them have been fully vaccinated, which is 68.77 per cent of the adult population.

For everything you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - The Council of the European Union has initiated the procedure for decision making on the admission of Croatia to the Schengen passport-free travel area, requesting an opinion from the European Parliament which is required for a final decision, Hina learned from diplomatic sources on Wednesday.

The opinion of the European Parliament is not binding on the Council, but constitutes a procedural step that cannot be avoided.

The decision to initiate the procedure was made on Wednesday at a meeting of the Committee of Representatives, which consists of the ambassadors of the EU member states.

The draft Council Decision "on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia" was sent to the European Parliament together with a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that the Council has decided on 29 June 2022 to consult the European Parliament on a draft Council Decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Croatia. The Council would be grateful if the European Parliament could kindly submit its opinion as soon as possible," says the letter, seen by Hina.

After the European Parliament receives the letter, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will appoint a rapporteur to prepare a draft opinion, which will first be discussed by the Committee. After it is adopted by the Committee, it will be sent for further adoption at a plenary session of Parliament.

It is expected that the European Parliament will vote on a final opinion at one of the two plenary sessions scheduled for October. That will pave the way for a final decision that requires the consensus of 22 EU members of the Schengen area.

The Schengen area currently consists of 26 European countries, four of which are not EU members and have no voting rights - Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Council decision might also be adopted in October.

Should there be no unforeseen obstacles, in the tenth year of its EU membership Croatia would simultaneously join the Schengen area and the euro area, the two closest integration associations at the core of the European Union.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Wednesday dismissed the media speculation about an early parliamentary election.

"I don't understand how some people still haven't figured out my way of thinking. If political stability is my main anchor, if we have a stable parliamentary majority, if we have achieved everything we have set out to do, if we are facing so many challenges, why would I go to elections?  (...) We have been given trust to run this country responsibly," Plenković said in an interview with Croatian Radio.

He noted that his government has secured growth, accession to the euro and Schengen areas, an investment grade rating from three leading international rating agencies, an excellent tourist season, the opening of Pelješac Bridge on 26 July, the delivery of military aircraft in slightly more than a year, the use of EU funding, more balanced regional development of the country, and aid to vulnerable social groups, pensioners, farmers, fishermen, businesses and households.

Plenković also said that the government is not considering reimposing COVID-19 restrictions given that there has been no considerable increase in the number of hospitalised cases, but is most likely to recommend further vaccination so that people can be protected in the autumn.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 June 2022 - By fulfilling the conditions for entry into the US Visa Waiver Program, Croatia has become a model for its functioning in the future, Croatia's Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said in Washington after meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

"Acceding to the Visa Waiver Program was a challenging process for us, during which we concluded 14 international legal acts on cooperation and exchange of information. We have technically implemented all of them through databases and thus largely increased the capacity of our security services in detecting and reducing risk and ensuring even more effective checks of all persons crossing the border," Božinović said.

He pointed out that in the course of intensive cooperation to fulfil all the requirements for accession to the program, Croatia had become fully connected with all air carriers flying to or out of Croatia.

Commitment to meeting criteria for accession to Global Entry program

Božinović added that Croatia was equally committed to meeting the criteria for accession to the Global Entry program, which allows expedited clearance for pre-approved travellers entering the United States and which so far includes only three European Union countries.

Inclusion in both programs is a clear confirmation of the high standards that Croatia has implemented in the last few years in combating terrorism, exchanging operational information, border management, and increasing the security of identity and travel documents, as well as trust between our two countries, he said.

"We have agreed on the final harmonisation of forms for acquiring the status of trusted traveller, the completion of establishment of special information links and the conclusion of Addendum C to the joint statement I signed with Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar in Zagreb this April," Božinović said.

He noted that all this is an expression of trust on part of the US in Croatia and their partnership in efforts to encourage necessary reforms in southeastern Europe in order to promote democracy and rule of law.

Meetings at the State Department, Customs agency and Coast Guard

The meeting with Julieta Valls Noyes, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, focused on Croatian efforts in curbing illegal migration, land border control, combating smuggling, and accepting Ukrainian refugees.

During talks with Chris Magnus, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Božinović thanked the team who are working with Croatian colleagues to help Croatia join the Trusted Traveler and Global Entry program.

He said that they discussed the work of Croatian police and customs and the systems they use in managing the EU's longest external land border. He noted that Croatia was the best among all Interpol members in terms of the number of checks and hits in the Schengen Information System.

The meeting with Admiral Steven D. Poulin, Deputy Commander of the US Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Home Security, focused on cooperation with the Croatian maritime police, port authorities, Customs Administration and the Fisheries Inspectorate.

"Croatia has a long maritime tradition and in this area we have opened up the possibility of cooperation in training and exchange of experience with the US," Božinović said.

For more, check out our politics section.