ZAGREB, December 17, 2019 - As many as 18 public services in Croatia are available online for Croatians and citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), which puts Croatia among the seven most developed countries.

The Public Administration Ministry on Tuesday organised a conference to mark the completion of the implementation of the 505,407 euro project "ePIC - Electronic Public Identification Croatia". The project, implemented by the Croatian Financial Agency (FINA), was co-funded with 379,055 euro from the EU.

The overall goal of the ePIC project was to promote the uptake and speed up the use of eID Digital Service Infrastructure (DSI) among EU/EEA citizens and public entities established in Croatia.

Launched in 2019, the project enabled online services such as "Construction e-Permit service", online submission of applications for construction permits requiring no physical presence in Croatia and/or documentation preparation and sending; "Land Register service "– requesting and obtaining official Land Register excerpts in electronic form; "Starting a business online" - establishing a new company online without needing to personally visit a court in Croatia; "Consent" for procedures within the scope of the Ministry of the Interior - possibility for one parent to give his/her consent to the other parent to complete the process of obtaining identification documents for their child (e.g. ID card or passport) or to change child’s address of permanent residence; "eNautika" - enabling EU/EEA citizens to buy a vignette, report data changes in the Register of Boats and the Register of Yachts; "ePomorac" – enabling EU/EEA citizens to apply for exams for maritime professions as well as to apply for exams and obtain licences for operators of pleasure crafts; and "Electronic Public Procurement Service" for publishing procurement notices and processing public procurement.

Public Administration State Secretary Katić Prpić said that Croatia had been now in the company of Estonia, which is perceived as the most developed e-state in the world.

In 2016 and 2017, Croatia also implemented "Ensuring Access to Croatian Public e-Services within e-Citizens Platform for EU/EEA Citizens".

It launched the e-Citizens system for the purpose of modernising, simplifying and accelerating communication between citizens and the public administration and increasing the transparency of the public sector with regard to the provision of public services.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 17, 2019 - According to new European Union rules on cross-border payments, which went into force on Monday, fees for cross-border payments in euro in non-eurozone countries will be the same as fees charged for domestic transactions.

"These rules will allow all our citizens and companies to equally benefit from cheap cross-border euro payments. This is a positive and concrete example of how the Single Market can bring real benefits to European consumers," European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said.

"For instance, a family in Romania that wants to send money in euro to their child doing an Erasmus exchange in Paris will no longer have to factor in additional costs, as they will now be paying the same fee as for a domestic transaction in Romania," he added.

"As of today, consumers and businesses in non-eurozone Member States will enjoy cheaper cross-border payments in euro. New EU rules will ensure that all cross-border payments in euro in non-eurozone Member States - Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom - will be priced the same as domestic payments," the European Commission said in a press release.

The Commission said it would closely monitor the application of these rules, and would liaise closely with competent national authorities to ensure that they were implemented correctly.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 15, 2019 - The Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA) mostly complies with recommendations by European regulators regarding the prevention of suspicious transactions, an analysis by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) shows.

ESMA analysed the work of regulators in 30 European countries in the categories supervision of financial companies and the system of detection of suspicious transactions. Also analysed were the regulators' responses to poor-quality reporting or non-reporting of suspicious transactions.

ESMA also assessed the quality of regulatory analyses of suspicious transactions, cross-border data exchange, and supervision resources.

HANFA was assessed as mostly compliant in three of the six assessment areas, fully compliant in two areas and partially compliant in one.

In the area of supervision of financial companies, Croatia was assessed as mostly compliant, together with Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway.

An analysis of the supervision of systems for the detection of suspicious transactions put Croatia in a group of countries that are fully compliant with European regulations, together with Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Great Britain.

HANFA's response to poor-quality reporting and non-reporting of suspicious transactions brought it an assessment of partial compliance with European recommendations. The same assessment was given to the regulators of Denmark, Greece, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Iceland and Slovakia.

In the fourth area, the European regulator analysed suspiciuos transactions, describing Croatia as mostly compliant, together with 19 other countries.

In the fifth area, ESMA analysed cross-border data exchange on suspicious transactions, describing Croatia as mostly compliant with European recommendations, along with 15 other European countries.

In the area of national competent authorities' resources, Croatia is fully compliant with European recommendations, along with 16 other European countries.

More business news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - In 2018, Croatia was second to last among the EU member states in actual individual consumption and GDP per capita, Bulgaria being last, Eurostat and Croatia's national statistical office said on Friday.

Actual individual consumption per capita expressed in purchasing power standards was 36% below the EU average in Croatia last year, as against 38% below in 2017.

Last year Croatia and Hungary were second to last in the EU28. Bulgaria's actual individual consumption per capita was 44% below the EU average. Latvia was another country whose actual individual consumption was over 30% below the EU average.

In the 2016-18 period, the biggest improvement in actual individual consumption per capita was recorded in Romania, from 35% below the EU average in 2016 to 29% in 2018. The biggest decrease was recorded in Sweden, from 12% above the EU average in 2016 to 8% in 2018.

Another Eurostat estimate shows that in 2018, as in 2017, only ten member states recorded actual individual consumption per capita above the EU average.

The highest level was recorded in Luxembourg, 34% above the EU average, ahead of Germany (20% above). They were followed by Austria, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden and France with levels of 7% to 17% above the EU average.

Italy had the closest actual individual consumption per capita to the EU average at 2% below. In Ireland, Cyprus and Spain, the levels were 10% or less below the EU average, while Lithuania, Portugal, Czechia and Malta were between 10% and 20% below. Slovenia, Greece, Poland, Estonia, Slovakia and Romania were between 20% and 30% below the average.

In 2018, 11 member states recorded GDP per capita above the EU average. Luxembourg's was 2.5 times above, followed by Ireland with almost twice the average. In Sweden, Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands, GDP per capita was between 20% and 29% above the average, in Finland and Belgium it was between 11% and 17% above, and France was 4% above.

In 2018, Malta was the closest to the EU average in GDP per capita at 2% below. Italy, Spain and Czechia recorded levels up to 10% below the average, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovenia and Estonia were between 10% and 20% below, while Poland, Hungary and Slovakia were up to 30% below.

Croatia, Latvia, Romania and Greece had GDP per capita levels at more than 30% below the EU average. In Croatia, it was 39% below in 2017 and 37% below in 2018. Bulgaria's level was 49% below in 2018.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the politics section.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - The heads of state or government of the EU member-states, who convened in Brussels on Thursday for a summit meeting, asked the Croatian presidency of the EU to start defining the European Council's position on a Conference on the Future of Europe and called on the Council President to take over negotiations on the Union's budget.

"The European Council considered the idea of a Conference on the Future of Europe starting in 2020 and ending in 2022. It asks the Croatian Council Presidency to work towards defining a Council position on the content, scope, composition and functioning of such a conference and to engage, on this basis, with the European Parliament and the Commission," reads one of the conclusions adopted by the Council on the first day of the two-day summit meeting.

"The European Council recalls that priority should be given to implementing the Strategic Agenda agreed in June, and to delivering concrete results for the benefit of our citizens. The Conference should contribute to the development of our policies in the medium and long term so that we can better tackle current and future challenges," the Council concludes.

The European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission are supposed to be engaged on an equal footing in the conference. The Commission is also supposed to continue maintaining the dialogue with citizens. Also, all member-states are invited for equal participation.

The document with the conclusions makes no mention of some ideas which earlier appeared sch as a reform of the European Union's institutions or the introduction of transnational slates for the European Parliament's elections.

The European Council also discussed the main features of the new Multiannual Financial Framework and "calls on its President (Charles Michel) to take the negotiations forward with the aim of reaching a final agreement."

The conclusion was made after the presentation "of the Negotiating Box with figures by Finland’s Presidency."

The Finnish six-month presidency of the Council ends on 31 December, and Croatia assumes the rotating chairmanship on 1 January.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - Croatia wants to intensify communication on European topics so that citizens are acquainted with them, and Europe is a plus for Croatia, not a minus, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday.

He was speaking to Croatian reporters in Brussels at the beginning of the second day of an EU summit.

Commenting on European Council conclusions which task Croatia with preparing the Council's position on the Conference on the Future of Europe, Plenković said the upcoming conference was not a one-off event but an inclusive process in which the Commission, the Council, the European and national parliaments and everyone interested would participate.

In the conclusions which member states' heads adopted this morning, the European Council "asks the Croatian Council Presidency to work towards defining a Council position on the content, scope, composition and functioning of such a conference and to engage, on this basis, with the European Parliament and the Commission."

According to the conclusions, EU leaders wish to give priority to implementing agreed policies and delivering concrete results, and not to reforming institutions, which would require amending agreements, which in turn would mean little to citizens.

"The European Council recalls that priority should be given to implementing the Strategic Agenda agreed in June, and to delivering concrete results for the benefit of our citizens. The Conference should contribute to the development of our policies in the medium and long term so that we can better tackle current and future challenges," the conclusions say.

EU leaders supported the goal that Europe become climate neutral by 2050, to which Poland has not been able to commit at this moment.

"The compromise reached is sustainable. What is important is that Croatia wants to be part of Europe and of global activities which keep up with what is important for environmental protection, for reducing all possible pollution, and we expect climate, the number one topic globally, to be in the focus of our presidency," Plenković said.

Adjustment to ecological transition costs some countries a lot, some a little less, and the position of Western European countries is not the same as of those in the East, he added.

"The longer you have been in democracy and in the West, the longer you've had a bigger chance to develop, the more you've adjusted your industry to environmental protection demands, the fight against climate change. The shorter you've been economically strong to be able to keep up with the process, you need more time, the more it costs you, especially if you are a big country whose industry requires adjustment that costs," said Plenković.

EU leaders will discuss climate change again next June, by which time the Commission is expected to come out with bills related to the Green Deal which the Commission presented on Wednesday. This envisages the establishment of a Just Transition Fund.

Today, EU leaders will discuss Brexit after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party won a majority in Thursday's election, which means that the UK is certain to leave the EU on January 31.

This election "has given us clarity, the prerequisites have been created to ratify the withdrawal agreement and after January 31 Great Britain will no longer be a member state. This clarity is the most important thing and now we should accede to drawing up a negotiating framework for an agreement on future relations," said Plenković.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with French President Emmanuel Macron on the margins of the European Union's summit meeting in Brussels on Thursday evening for the talks on the bilateral relations and on the policy for further enlargement of the European Union.

The Plenković-Macron talks focused also on the prospects of two aspirants – North Macedonia and Albania – of being admitted to the European Union.

This past October, France, together with the Netherlands and Denmark, vetoed the opening of the accession talks with Skopje and Tirana, insisting on the overhaul of the negotiating process. Therefore, the European Council failed to reach a unanimous decision on opening the accession negotiations with those two candidates, despite the fact that the European Commission gave a green-light for the start of their membership talks.

Croatia, which is chairing the European Union in the first half of 2020, is going to organise a summit meeting between the EU and six south-eastern European aspirants in Zagreb in early May.

To this end, Croatia would like to reach a consensus among the EU member-states so that North Macedonia and Albania could continue their European journey, which would be a positive signal to the other candidates in their neighbourhood.

Plenković and Macron also agreed to resume their talks in early January in Paris.

During the first day of the two-day summit meeting in Brussels, the Croatia's premier held several bilateral meetings and some of his interlocutors were the president of the European People's Party (EPP), Donald Tusk, and the European Council President, Charles Macron.

On Friday, Plenković is expected to meet the Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, as well as the new Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. Finland is the current chair of the EU.

On Thursday evening, the EC President Charles Michel announced that at the summit all the member-states except Poland agreed on carbon neutrality until 2050.

"In the light of the latest available science and of the need to step up global climate action, the European Council endorses the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. One Member State, at this stage, cannot commit to implement this objective as far as it is concerned, and the European Council will come back to this in June 2020," reads one of the conclusions of the European Council.

Also, the participants in the summit meeting agreed on extending by six more months economic sanctions imposed on Russia. EU sanctions targeting Russia's finance, energy and defence industries will stay in place until mid-2020. The decision comes after the leaders of Russia and Ukraine met in Paris to seek a solution to Ukraine conflict.

More news about relations between Croatia and France can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 12, 2019 - A group of civil society organisations on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for transparency during Croatia's EU presidency in 2020 so as to contribute to legislative and lobbyist transparency in the Council of the EU.

They say European laws directly impact all Croatian citizens, that 42% of legislative acts adopted by the incumbent Croatian parliament were adopted for alignment with EU laws, that Croatia's positions at Council of the EU meetings are not debated publicly, and that the Croatian parliament and its European affairs committee do not participate in the preparation of those positions.

With such a closed approach, the government is telling the public that the public, civil society, the media and other stakeholders have no right of insight into the positions Croatia takes at the Council, which bolsters the perception of the EU as a distant and non-transparent bureaucracy, representatives of 37 NGOs say in a letter.

"How can citizens take part in decision making and affect the positions of their own government if it keeps them secret? Unfortunately, this practice is present in a majority of European countries."

Since the Council of the EU is the least transparent European institution because the documents under debate are often secret and there are no minutes of debates and member states' positions are not published, the Finnish and nine other governments have supported a non-paper demanding greater legislative transparency of the Council of the EU.

"We regret that the Croatian government and another 17 members states have not joined in. Transparency is the key first step in curbing excessive corporate influence, noticeable in the Council's many negotiations on new regulations and directives," the letter says.

There is growing concern in civil society that the interests of certain industries, such as fossil fuels, are in such a conflict with public interest that they should be prevented from having direct access to decision makers, the NGOs say.

"Corporate sponsorship of nearly every recent Council of the EU presidency, from cars, software, non-alcoholic drinks to other corporate interests, has become the sad proof that the Council is close to big business."

The NGOs therefore call for the Croatian presidency of the Council to become the champion of legislative transparency by backing the said non-paper.

This means the timely publication of documents important for passing laws, that meetings of the Council and preparatory bodies be open to the public via online video feeds, and the publication of minutes and national positions in order to gain as clear an insight into decision making as possible, the letter says.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 11, 2019 - Croatia's Interior Minister Davor Božinović and Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković will attend in Washington on Wednesday an EU-US ministerial meeting on judicial and security matters at which they will also present the priorities of Croatia's Council of the EU presidency in the first half of 2020.

The meeting will discuss police and judicial cooperation, notably e-evidence, combating terrorism, better cooperation between European Union and United States agencies, dealing with hybrid threats and the application of new technologies (5G, drones, artificial intelligence), all of which will be high on the list of priorities of the presidency.

Therefore Croatia, alongside current Council of the EU chair Finland, is at the centre of attention in Washington, Bošnjaković told Hina, adding that a meeting like this one in Washington would be held in Dubrovnik next year.

On Tuesday, Bošnjaković and US Attorney General William Barr signed agreements whereby Croatia and the US regulate mutual legal assistance and extraditions, which is also important for waiving US visas for Croatian citizens.

The Croatian and US governments have been intensively cooperating on that since Minister Božinović last visited the US in early 2018. Alongside security criteria and an effective implementation of previously concluded agreements, it has been said recently that the number of rejected visa applications has dropped to a record 4.02%, the threshold being 3%, which is the last condition for including Croatia in the Visa Waiver Program.

Božinović will talk about that also with US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

Over the past two years, the Croatian police, the FBI and the DEA have undertaken numerous successful operations, notably Nana, Nexus and Familia. Future cooperation will be discussed at Quantico and the DEA Training Academy.

On Friday, Božinović will hold meetings at the State Department as well as with representatives of leading US companies from ACEBA with whom he recently discussed possible cooperation in joint projects in Zagreb.

More news about relations between Croatia and the USA can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 9, 2019 - The free trade agreement between the European Union and Australia is a chance to develop Croatian-Australian economic relations, a panel discussion was told at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) on Monday.

"Trade between the EU and Australia is about 55 billion dollars and Croatia participates with 23.8 million dollars. We cannot be satisfied with it, even though most of it relates to our exports to Australia. That's why we see the EU-Australia free trade agreement as an additional impetus to our bilateral relations," HGK Vice-President for Industry and Energy Tomislav Radoš said.

He said that there was a growing interest among Croatian companies in the Australian market and that some companies, such as food maker Podravka and Mlinar bakery, had already found their place there.

"Australia is known as an open and innovative economy and small companies with good products and ideas can find their place there. Energy, industry, technological development and tourism are the areas with great potential to increase cooperation," Radoš said, noting that the HGK had been working for years to strengthen economic ties between Croatia and Australia.

Negotiations on the EU-Australia free trade agreement began in May 2018 and five rounds of talks have been held since.

Marko Marić, chairman of the HGK Business Council for Economic Cooperation with Australia, said that the Council's main task was to strengthen ties and enable exchanges of experience between businesses from the two countries.

"Over 200,000 members of the Croatian diaspora live in Australia and they play an important role in its economic life. This can help Croatian companies enter the Australian market," Marić said.

Australia's Ambassador to Croatia, Elizabeth Petrović, said that the Council was very important in developing Croatian-Australian economic relations, as a source of information for Croatian businesses wishing to export to Australia and vice versa.

We want to establish an economic system based on free trade and transparency that will strengthen our economies and further boost trade, both with the EU and with Croatia, Petrović said.

Juliana Nam, economic adviser and special negotiator on the Australia-EU free trade agreement at the Australian mission to the EU and NATO, said that the agreement would be a major step forward for both sides.

Croatia is naturally oriented towards European countries as its main trading partners, but it is important that it diversifies its economy, and one of the ideal destinations for that is Australia, Nam said, adding that in her country there is great demand for high-quality services and that this is a chance for Croatia.

More news about relations between Croatia and Australia can be found in the Politics section.