As Filip Pavic/Novac writes on the 28th of June, 2020, the "green light" for the Croatian tourism industry arrived recently from the British market, which was assessed as a safe destination for receiving British tourists.

The British authorities have now announced the introduction of the so-called "traffic light" system which, according to the risk of coronavirus infection, will rank popular tourist destinations across the rest of Europe and the world with red, yellow and green labels.

The green label, which represents a minimal risk of infection, in addition to Croatia, as things stand now, should be given to Greece, Germany and Austria, among others. Greece, by the way, has already announced 70 percent discounts trying to lure Britons to its beaches.

According to that decision, which comes into force on July the 6th, when all air traffic opens, British tourists will not have to go into two-week quarantine when returning home from their holiday in Croatia, as has been the case so far.

In the yellow category, which represents a moderate risk, there were also some of Croatian tourism's competitors - Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Austria. In their case, the quarantine obligation has also now been rendered invalid, but can be introduced if the epidemiological situation escalates in the meantime. On the other hand, countries like Argentina, Brazil and Egypt, all marked in red, carry with them the obligation of two weeks of self-isolation upon return to Britain.

''This is the news we expected, given that Croatia has shown the highest level of security and epidemiological preparedness throughout this time. The British market is important to us, one of the top ten, and it is also extremely important for air traffic,'' said Kristjan Stanicic, the director of the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ/CNTB).

As expected, British tourists mostly travel to Croatia by plane, and the CNTB, says Stanicic, has already started negotiations with British tour operators and airlines, such as EasyJet, Jet2 and British Airways, and is conducting two marketing campaigns on the British market.

''We can expect an increase in air traffic to Split and Dubrovnik in July, which is certainly a good thing. I'd like to mention once again that the fact that we're talking about tourist traffic in general is a clear sign that we have managed the epidemiological situation well. And the current figures of 300 thousand guests in Croatia confirm this,'' underlined Stanicic.

After the British authorities officially confirm the opening of borders to summer destinations in the coming days, tourists from the UK can be expected here in Croatia in mid-July. Since 800,000 of them stayed in Croatia last year, and they also realised 4.2 million overnight stays, and Stanicic didn't want to speculate on how many British tourists the Croatian tourism sector could expect this year. He says that he is continuing to adhere to the general expectations of 30 percent when compared to last year.

A slightly more modest figure of 25 percent of tourist arrivals was stated by Boris Zgomba, the president of the management board of Uniline and the president of the Association of Travel Agencies of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK(. However, he noted that placing Croatia in the green category is a great promotion that we might never have been able to perform on our own without a helping hand from a powerful European country such as Britain.

''This is a status that no one has given us, but we've earned it by our own efforts, but this "traffic light" system is not something that is set in stone, it can always change,'' he warned.

Namely, although Croatian tourism's main European competitors are mostly, figuratively speaking, at the yellow light in terms of the UK's traffic light system, the British will correct these labels in accordance with the epidemiological situation of each country. This could mean that Italy, for example, ends up in the green category in July, as well as that Croatia falls one step below if the epidemiological situation worsens.

''Although at the moment we have a kind of growth in the number of positives, it isn't related to Croatian tourism, but rather to the relaxation of Croatian citizens. If, of course, we stay within the existing numbers I think we don’t have to worry about losing the green label. We still have a solid number of tourists in Croatia, without any of them being positive so far, and the situation hasn't escalated in that segment,'' Zgomba pointed out.

Asked if data on the number of Britons who booked accommodation might be available, or for those who hadn't cancelled their previous reservations, which would give us an insight into how much we can expect, the leader of Uniline answered that it is difficult to discuss such matters as this moment in time.

''At the moment, a very small number of Britons have booked accommodation through our agency, but the reason is that they didn't even know whether they would be able to travel or not, the rule of mandatory quarantine was valid. They're not guests who can just sit in their cars and come, they have to get organised, they need to know in advance how many airlines they will have available,'' he explained.

Calm and cool-headed, Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association (HUT), said we should be aware of everything that is happening and, as before, carefully balance things between opening borders and receiving guests.

''The British market is an extremely important market for us and, of course, every guest is important to us, but I think we should carefully weigh things up and keep in mind the epidemiological situation in the countries we're opening to, and we have done so successfully,'' said Ostojic. He added that there are other important markets for Croatian tourism that we shouldn't ignore. In Europe, it isn't only the Brits who realise many arrivals and overnight stays, there are other Northern European countries to think of, such as the Netherlands, whose guests in realised 2.6 million overnight stays back in 2018.

According to the BBC, the United Kingdom had just over 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and about 180 deaths on Friday. They are recording a declining trend compared to April when they had more than a thousand deaths due to coronavirus per day.

For more on Croatian tourism in the coronavirus era, follow our dedicated travel page.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of June, 2020, an Israeli company called Olvitech is providing a new generation of face masks. They don't look any different from the classic surgical disposable masks we've all become so used to seeing since the coronavirus pandemic exploded, except for their colour, but they do boast incorporated copper oxide with antiviral and antibacterial properties in the material from which they're made.

Marija Osterman from Rinigard, which is expecting the first shipment of new face masks soon, explained the above for 24sata. As she stated, the mask can be used multiple times and indefinitely until it is physically destroyed or covered with water.

She pointed out that Olvitech's innovative masks were first designed for medical staff who are in frequent contact with bacteria and viruses.

''It's a mask that can be worn for up to three hours at a time, and then it should be placed on a flat surface and left for about 40 minutes in order for the properties of the material to work and neutralise any pathogens. The scientists who designed it planned for it to be worn by doctors, and developed it based on the technologies they used to make bandages and other military medical equipment. Now they're focusing on protection against the new coronavirus,'' Osterman continued, explaining that this is a unique mask and its effectiveness doesn't decrease over time.

''This solution is cheaper and more cost-effective in the long run than the existing masks,'' Osterman concluded.

The President of the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists, Mag. pharm. Ana Soldo, stated that she hopes that the masks will be available on the Croatian market as soon as possible.

''From my perspective, these masks are suitable for doctors, but also for the general population,'' concluded Soldo.

10,000 to 20,000 of Olvitech's new masks should arrive here in the Republic of Croatia by July the 15th, and they calculate that the individual price will be around 40 kuna.

For more on the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

ZAGREB, June 28, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic on Sunday commented on the arrest of a man who refused to wear a mask in public transport, saying he did not know what motivated a person to do that and that it was not pleasant to watch a video of the arrest.

He was commenting for N1 television on yesterday's arrest at Zagreb's Central Station and the video of it which has been released in the media.

"The passenger refused to put the mask on and we have said that when (a passenger) doesn't wear a mask, the driver must not start the vehicle. Naturally, it wasn't pleasant to watch that. However, I really don't know what motivates a man, who has a mask, not to want to wear it."

Bozinovic said the man was reported for disturbing the peace but that it was necessary to see what had led to that situation.

The N1 reporter noted that experts were not unanimous about wearing masks, to which Bozinovic replied that the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control had changed recommendations and standards as they learned more about COVID-19.

Commenting on accusations that the COVID-19 crisis management team, which he heads, has been politicised, Bozinovic said others were politicising it. "I don't know, I can guess their reasons, probably the success the team has had from day one. That bothers them."

Asked if it was politicisation when he addressed the public at 2 p.m. as head of the team and at 3 p.m. as an election candidate, Bozinovic said campaigning was underway, that some members on the team were election candidates but that all had their responsibilities.

"In the campaign, everyone must also do their job. Of course, we won't use that and I'm not sure why that would be seen as benefitting from this situation."

Asked if he was scared of calling on people to vote in the election and inviting them to rallies because of the spread of COVID-19, he said that prior to the campaign the Croatian Institute of Public Health(HZJZ), in agreement with the Electoral Commission (DIP), made recommendations on how to behave in any phase prior to the election, including during campaigns.

Bozinovic said his HDZ party was complying with that, and that he did not think the turnout would be lower.

He said that on Monday the HZJZ and the DIP would say how those in self-isolation would vote and issue instructions for holding the election.

He said there were sick people during every election and that the 2,000 people currently self-isolating were not sick, only in self-isolation. "If it is stipulated that certain categories of voters should wear protective masks, or face masks, that will be ensured."

Since Croatia made it mandatory to wear masks when using public transport, masks of all kinds have once again become a much sought-after commodity. One Zagreb company, Delt Papir, wants to be the one to cover all of Croatia's mask related needs.

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of June, 2020, assessing the situation on the market in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the management board of Delt Papir invested 1.5 million kuna in a new plant for the production of certified three-layer surgical masks.

The coronavirus pandemic seems to have entered its second phase, and after a short period of stagnation, Croatia is again approaching higher and higher numbers of people testing positive for the new coronavirus. Over recent days, some epidemiological measures in Croatia have been tightened, and one of the key obligations is, as stated, to wear protective masks on public transport.

Therefore, questions about whether there will be a repetition of the scenario of mask shortages and a jump in their price yet again have come to the forefront.

However, it should be noted that in this "wave", the domestic industry has become a little bit more prepared because more and more Croatian companies have included the production of protective masks in their respective ranges. One of them is Zagreb's Delt Papir, which, as they themselves point out, is the first Croatian company which boasts completely local production of paper products for hygienic use.

As mentioned above, Delt Papir has already invested 1.5 million kuna in a new plant for the production of certified three-layer surgical masks. The investment was completed over recent days, and was realised in just two months.

As the director Alen Krajacic, who performs this function with Kruno Kisak, explains, the decision to produce surgical masks came from the need to protect their own employees, because there were simply not enough masks on the market to buy. Now their plan is to provide sufficient masks for domestic use.

Their production capacity is 25,000 masks per shift, and the number of shifts will, he says, depend on market demands.

Aware of the fact that local production is currently the mainstay of the crisis-shaken economy and that their production activities create a significant share of market recovery, with this project, as well as all previous investments, Delt Papir wants to make a strong contribution to the Croatian economy.

When planning a new production facility, we primarily wanted to ensure a calmer preparation of the domestic market for a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Surgical masks are a very useful product without which at this moment we can practically not work in a team, use public transport, or make a purchase.

''Due to their special structure and filtering characteristics, surgical masks have proven effective in preventing the spread of droplets that occur during speech and breathing, and in everyday life, conversation is what forms the basis of work and life,'' explains Delt Papir's Alen Krajacic.

In addition to everyday life, we've witnessed a global crisis and a shortage of protective equipment which is necessary for the operation of medical institutions. Delt Papir says they want to make it easier for Croatian healthcare institutions to do their jobs without needing to wait a long time for shipments of masks coming in from abroad.

Although the situation with the procurement of protective equipment in Croatia has stabilised, the owners of Delt Papir emphasise the importance of domestic production, which in the coming period could be of great importance for the uninterrupted stability in the supply of protective equipment.

''Our hospitals and other healthcare institutions must, at all times, be able to supply their employees with protective equipment, especially protective surgical masks that are changed several times during shifts and are indispensable in working with patients.

Clearly, we hope and eagerly expect an adequate medical solution to end the battle with this virus, but time is relentless and we don't want to simply leave things to chance. Good production planning will certainly make a big difference if a new wave of coronavirus does occur,'' adds Kruno Kisak.

Delt Papir emphasises that the private sector is sure to face a battle with the ongoing and uncertain market turmoil, but companies engaged in the production of products which are of significant importance in line with the emerging economic needs should certainly continue to be supported because many jobs and people's health depend on them.

Delt Papir generated impressive revenues of 129 million kuna last year, which marked growth of 14 percent. They employ about 100 workers and process about 12,000 tonnes of paper a year. They ended last year with 50 percent of their earnings coming from exports, and in the first two months of this year, until the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, their exports rose to 65 percent. Masks are produced both for export and for the domestic market, so they have prepared box packaging in both Croatian and English.

"Export orders are constantly arriving, especially due to the fact that the masks are certified, and like paper clothing, we export them from the EU all the way to the Middle East. The production itself takes place through the parent company Delt Papir, and the distribution company Hygiene 4 You is in charge of distribution,'' explain Krajacic and Kisak.

For more, follow our business page.

ZAGREB, June 27, 2020 - A new shipment with around 194 tonnes of protective medical equipment has arrived in the port of Rijeka from China aboard the Maersk Huacho vessel, the government has said.

The equipment includes goggles, uniforms, and gloves which the government has bought from the MEHECO company.

The value of the shipment is around $10.2 million. The latest purchase, too, was fully financed from the European Regional Development Fund which has so far granted Croatia around €50 million for the procurement of protective equipment to fight the novel coronavirus.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 27th of June, 2020, in the last 24 hours, 56 new cases of coronavirus infection were recorded. So far, a total of 2539 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus. 2,150 people have now recovered from the disease. 107 people have sadly died. Another 282 people are still being treated. As the situation rears its ugly head, Alemka Markotic has found herself in the public spotlight once again.

Alemka Markotic, the director of the ''Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infectious Diseases, spoke with an RTL journalist on the matter.

Due to the increase in the number of new cases, the question arises as to whether or not we really have control over the virus, are we still successful in fighting it?

I think we're keeping things under control, there have been more situations like this up until this point. Especially these two hotspots that have emerged, I think it's good that they've been identified quickly, that epidemiologists have taken all the measures they need to take that they will very quickly identify all the contacts that have been exposed [to infected individuals].

The profession struggles to come to a consensus. Some scientists say the virus has weakened, others say it hasn't, and these conflicting opinions are being sent out to citizens. Has the virus weakened?

It isn't a matter of coming to a consensus, but of monitoring the situation. Here, the profession and science should remain at the level of the profession and science. When we define some things, then it should be gradually communicated to the public. What's currently clear in Croatia and in some other countries is that it is currently visible that these are milder forms of the disease, but also that most of those cases relate to younger people.

Therefore, some situations we're monitoring now indicate that the situation is currently better than it was at the time when we had more severe forms of the disease with the same number of patients, but this isn't something we need to hold on to. What is important is what the public needs to know, and that is that these three golden rules should be followed - distance, hygiene, avoiding close contact - and then within that we can stop everything as well as we have so far. We had a great result for almost a month, and even before that we kept everything under very good control.

Close contact should be avoided. Let’s repeat once again, what exactly is close contact?

According to the definition of the European Centre for Disease Control, which was adopted by Croatia, close contact means if you have been with an infected person for more than fifteen minutes face to face at a distance of less than two metres or if you've been indoors with an infected person for more than fifteen minutes, of course, if you're not wearing protective gear or the like. So, it's a very simple definition, and these are methods that are easy to stick to. We've seen that our people have adhered to things very well, I see that they are returning to taking that responsibility upon themselves and that a lot of people are trying harder to maintain these measures because they've been really successful so far, they are important and they are simple [measures].

You mentioned that more young people were infected, that the coronavirus hotspots became clubs, and you introduced new measures. What measures are in question?

Rules within such clubs must be followed. Some shut down on their own in an attempt to try to solve the problem. In all areas, be it clubs, or in other enclosed spaces, a certain distance must be kept, there should be disinfection, in some restaurants and similar places staff should be wearing gloves and providing disinfectants, therefore, the same measures that we constantly promote and that really meet the needs of preventing the spread of viruses need to be upheld. People have to assess the situation for themselves, be responsible, don't go inside places where people don't seem to be adhering to the measures as in such cases they can endanger themselves and others. If you see it’s crowded somewhere - you won’t go in there, you won’t endanger yourself, and then you won't end up infecting people you know.

One of the decisions that provoked great reactions from the public, especially foreign citizens, is that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia must necessarily isolate themselves upon arrival in Croatia. Will that decision change?

I understand all this, there are a lot of dynamics and exchanges of people and goods between those countries and Croatia, it's normal that this disturbs the lives of some. These are all short-term measures, they've been made in the same spirit as the other measures we've been bringing in and relaxing in light of situations at the time. This was, I hope, a short-term measure that should stop this situation, given that it was detected that the largest number of hotspots and infected people were associated with people from Croatia who were in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The situation will be monitored further. If it's seen that the responsibility of the population has increased, that measures have been adhered to, these restrictions will be lifted or imposed on some other countries, if such a situation recurs.

For more on coronavirus and Alemka Markotic, follow our dedicated section.

June 27, 2020 - As UK media report a Green Light for Croatia, a word of caution in these frustratingly uncertain times - nothing official has been confirmed. And an official communication from the British Government. 

Frustration levels are rising. People just want to know when they can go on holiday and where. 

Nowhere is this more true than in the UK, whose nationwide lockdown and restrictive life has gone on for weeks, but is finally due to be eased on July 4. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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The Netherlands - as of July 21, Croatia is placed on the "Orange" list by the Dutch government, which means that both the Croatian nationals and the Dutch nationals returning to the Netherlands from Croatia are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

While Brits have been able to come to Croatia on holiday with paid accommodation for several weeks, they need to self-isolate for 14 days on their return. 

The discussion of air bridges - corridors with participating tourism countries with a good corona record - have been under discussion for some time now. The idea is that these countries are very low-risk for the virus, and so there is no need to self-isolate on the return home. This scheme would obviously be a major tourism boost for the participating countries, but it obviously comes with the very real risk of increased infections being imported by British tourists. 

An impossible balance to get right. 

UK media are reporting that a new traffic light system is about to be introduced in early July (one national paper has stated July 6), which would enable free travel to some countries, with restrictions on others. Please note that this has NOT been officially confirmed. 

IF true, then it looks like a green light for Croatia.

Green light - Austria, Barbados, Croatia, Germany, New Zealand, Greece, Thailand and Vietnam.

The “green” list of countries with no significant coronavirus risk will consist of small island nations and other countries which never suffered a major epidemic of the virus.

Amber light -  Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Spain.

The “amber” list have had serious Covid-19 outbreaks but the risk of infection is now low.

Red light -  Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa and USA.

HOWEVER...

I know that everyone wants this to be true, but nothing has been officially confirmed, and a couple of sources have told me that final decisions have not yet been made. 

I want to also remind you of that magical date of June 15, when Croatia and the rest of the EU was supposed to open its borders. There was intense speculation, but nothing was announced. I asked Tourism MInister Gari Cappelli (Croatia currently holds the EU Presidency) in an interview published on June 4 if the borders would in fact open on June 15. His reply was not a confirmation. And in the end, nothing changed on Croatia's borders on June 15. 

Officials are still working on final details. A government source said: “What we don’t want is people booking just yet while details are being worked out.”

An official statement from the British Government, republished in full.

The Government is concluding the first review of its Public Health Measures at the border for those entering the UK from abroad, based on robust public health criteria, with full details expected to be set out next week.

In line with the roadmap we set out on 11 May, self-isolation requirements were introduced for those coming into the UK three weeks ago for public health reasons to reduce the risk of new cases of infection being brought into the UK from abroad. This policy is a crucial part of our plan to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections in the UK, and will continue to be so.

We will continue to keep these measures in place for international arrivals from countries not yet deemed to be safe, as well as requirements for all passengers entering the UK to supply their contact information. On the 11 May we set out that these measures would be kept under regular review. Now that the risk of infections being imported from certain countries is lower the Government will therefore soon be able to disapply public health measures at the border to arrivals from those countries.

This will make it easier for people to travel to those countries by removing the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days on their return, although they will still be required to complete a passenger locator form in order to enter the UK. This is only possible alongside constant monitoring of each country’s situation to ensure we avoid a resurgence of coronavirus in the UK. And we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if any risks re-emerge in the UK or within those countries we deem to be on our covid travel list.

We know many people may not yet choose to travel, but this cautious change will allow those who need to travel for work to do so without the need to self-isolate on their return, as well as those who may want to holiday abroad this summer, and also provide a vital lifeline for UK travel operators and those whose jobs rely on the travel industry.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England, has drawn up a categorisation of countries it is deemed safe for people to enter the UK from without needing to self-isolate based on strict public health criteria.

Countries have been classified as green, amber and red depending on their risk assessment, informed by factors including the prevalence of coronavirus within the country, our confidence in the reliability of their data, and crucially the trajectory of the disease in the country. Low risk countries in the green and amber categories will be exempt from public health measures at the border.

A strict handbrake mechanism will be put in place so that if an outbreak occurs in another country - even within a particular part of the country - or if we have concerns about increasing numbers of cases in an individual country, their risk category will change and we will immediately reintroduce self-isolation requirements. These measures will be kept under constant review and we will be able to reimpose public health measures at the borders for individual countries where the risk changes immediately.

A full list of the low-risk countries in the green and amber categories where people will be able to enter the UK from without being required to self-isolate will be published next week, and it is expected that travel will be able to resume with countries on our covid travel list the following week.

The UK is likely to discuss these arrangements with countries including France, Greece and Spain over the coming days.

Airports, ports and Eurotunnel have worked hard to put in place covid secure requirements to keep those travelling as safe as possible, and all passengers will be required by law to wear face coverings on planes and ferries to protect others.

A Government spokesperson said:

“Our public health measures at the border were put in place to manage the risk of imported cases and help prevent a second wave of the virus, and will continue to support our fight against coronavirus.

“Our new risk-assessment system will enable us to carefully open a number of safe travel routes around the world - giving people the opportunity for a summer holiday abroad and boosting the UK economy through tourism and business.

“But we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if any risks re-emerge, and this system will enable us to take swift action to re-introduce self-isolation measures if new outbreaks occur overseas.”

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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June 27, 2020 - Split Restaurant Zrno Soli is the first restaurant in Croatia to be certified COVID-19 safe by Adriacert.

Dalmacija Danas reports that leading auditors of TÜV adria and Adriacert, i.e., project leaders Ph.D. Damir Ježek and quality control Joško Bekavac and other associates of the Exquisite Quality platform, on behalf of Adriacert, awarded the SARS-CoV-2 certificate of technical safety measures to restaurant Zrno Soli in Split. This certificate confirms that Zrno Soli operates in accordance with the highest standards and guidelines following legal health care measures and the Act on the protection of the population from infectious diseases and related ordinances, decisions, instructions and recommendations of the Croatian Institute of Public Health and other competent bodies and institutions.

A detailed independent review established that all measures were taken for safe operation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their strict adherence was ensured, with emphasis on the adoption and implementation of best practices and standards, while maintaining quality communication with restaurant guests.

All restaurant guests must disinfect their shoes at the entrance with a special mat and should disinfect their hands. In addition, there are mini disinfectants on the tables that the guest uses during their visit to the restaurant, and can take them with them, too. The restaurant is cleaned and disinfected several times during the day, both in the hall and in the kitchen. In addition to cleaning and disinfection, spacing was implemented between the tables, according to the recommendations of the Civil Protection Headquarters, and the tablecloths are changed after the departure of each guest, as is the practice already.

The obtained certificate is further proof that Zrno Soli prioritizes its guests, their well-being, protection and safety.

Adriacert Ltd. is an international certification body that covers Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro, giving top-level professional certification services to raise business capability. 

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of June, 2020, a package of measures for Croatian winemakers was adopted which will allocate 38.5 million kuna for wine distillation and 5 million kuna for crisis storage.

On the exact day when new data on the number of people infected with the new coronavirus in Croatia were published, Croatian winemakers finally received a bit of very welcome good news from the Government that a package of intervention measures to mitigate the negative consequences of the pandemic on wine sales was accepted.

The measures regard the conversion of the existing multi-year national programme to help the wine sector, which will, as stated, allocate 38.5 million kuna for crisis distillation of wine, and 5 million kuna for the crisis storage of wine.

For the wine sold and delivered to the approved distiller, five kuna per litre of wine has been provided and a large number of Croatian winemakers/producers are interested in the costs of transporting wine to the distiller being reimbursed, and it is expected that several dozen producers will apply for this measure.

One of them is Josip Pavic from Erdut vineyards, who is also the president of the Wine Association of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK). "It won't save Croatian winemakers, when it's estimated that wine consumption will fall by 50 percent due to the coronavirus crisis, but it will ease the situation," said Pavic, adding that there isn't much of an alternative to be had because harvest time is coming and warehouses are full.

Similar measures are used by other countries across Europe, which, in addition to crisis distillation and storage, also apply a third solution, the so-called green harvest in vineyards, which we haven't considered in Croatia, but some Croatian winemakers, such as Vlado Krauthaker, carry it out themselves.

Green harvesting cuts costs

"This seems like a quality solution, because we'll reduce the yield to 50 percent earlier and we'll have fewer grapes, we'll reduce the cost of production, but in turn we'll raise the quality of wine," explained the famous winemaker, adding that it's difficult to estimate losses this year.

Dino Galic from Kutjevo says that the winery will apply for both measures, more precisely for storage of about 100 to 200 thousand litres for Kutjevo, and that their Đakovo wines (between 200 and 300 thousand litres) will apply for crisis distillation.

"We also proposed that the Government, in these extraordinary conditions, help Croatian winemakers with subsidised purchases. Such measures would preserve current liquidity, which will be quickly jeopardised,'' says Galic, adding that this package won't save producers, but any help is welcome. Most Croatian winemakers sell their products here on the domestic market, but due to the uncertain tourist season, the placement of wine is still "hanging in the air", and the situation is no better on foreign markets either.

The problem, as Krauthaker explains, is in the hyperproduction of wine on a global level, and Croatia is not recognised on the world wine list. At the moment, even strong winemakers from countries like France are devising plans to mitigate the losses of this sector.

Krauthaker says the solution is for manufacturers to start connecting and acting together promoting their region, in order to gain recognition, and they will have to invest more in that.

Most Croatian winemakers used measures to preserve jobs during the crisis, and didn't need to lay off workers, and in addition to this particular package of measures, Minister of Agriculture Marija Vuckovic announced possible further measures to help yesterday, but she didn't specify what they could be.

As the parliamentary elections draw closer, the most important thing for Croatian winemakers is to start implementing the measures just adopted as soon as possible. Yesterday, the Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce for Agriculture and Tourism, Dragan Kovacevic, appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and especially to the Agency for Payments in Agriculture to start implementing these measures urgently, so that winemakers could receive support as soon as possible.

"We expect an urgent announcement of the tender for the implementation of these measures, so that due to the deadlines, they wouldn't jeopardise the realisation of the secured funds, especially for the crisis storage measure.

The members of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Wine Association are therefore looking for a quick reaction and a simple tender procedure, without unnecessary administration,'' stated Dragan Kovacevic.

For more, follow our business page.

ZAGREB, June 26, 2020 - Prime Minister and HDZ party leader Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday that at the moment he did not see any reason to get tested for the coronavirus again and that he usually consulted with experts on such matters.

"I am not a 'do it yourself' person when it comes to medical consultations, I have a habit of consulting with experts. That is what the Scientific Council is for. If they suggest that I do so, I will consider doing that. At the moment, I don't see any reason for it," he said during a visit to Koprivnica when asked by reporters if he planned to get tested for the coronavirus again.

Asked what would happen if it eventually turned out that he, too, was positive for COVID-19 after all the contacts he had at the recent Adria Tour tennis tournament in Zadar, he said that there was no need for him to answer hypothetical questions.