ZAGREB, 4 March, 2021 - About 75 kilograms of food is thrown out each year in Croatia per head, lawmakers underlined on Thursday during a debate on an agriculture bill which among other things regulates the prevention of waste food.

"Food waste has reached a value of 20% of the total amount of food produced in Europe and on the global level losses amount to one-third of all the food produced, while in Croatia we throw out 75 kilograms of food each year per head," said MP Marijana Petir of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) caucus.

The agriculture bill, she said, would be the basis for documents that will regulate more clearly activities regarding food donations and preventing food waste, but also a system of quality food production.

The EU foresees reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 and we too have to achieve that aim, Petir underscored. "Any reduction of throwing out food means less pressure on farmland and reduced consumption of water, pesticides, and fertiliser."

MP Marija Selak Raspudić (Bridge) said that a quality system of food donations is important given the increasing poverty, but added that the bill does not provide a clear plan and that the most important thing would be to establish a food bank.

Anka Mrak Taritaš (GLAS) too underlined the need for a food bank so that surplus food can be distributed at the national level.

State Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry Tugomir Majdak said that the amount of donated food in 2019 had increased by 30% compared to 2018 and amounted to 1.5 million tonnes.

With regard to reducing food waste, Majdak explained that a guide has been prepared for food donations, a feasibility study for a food bank has been prepared, and tax reliefs on food donations have been defined.

The amendments to the law will align it with EU regulations regarding the prevention of food waste.

ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Sunday held its intra-party elections for the leaders of municipal, city and county branches, and the branches in the capital city of Zagreb and in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city of Split elected the new leaders.

Thus, the HDZ branch in Zagreb will be led by Mislav Herman, a gynecologist, who succeeded Andrija Mikulic at this position. Herman was the sole candidate for the Zagreb HDZ president in Sunday's elections.

The HDZ branch is Split will be led by Vice Mihanovic, the head of the Port of Split, who succeeded Petar Skoric who was at the helm of the local HDZ branch in the last eight years. MIhanovic was the only candidate for the post.

In Rijeka, the two new candidates ran for this position, and the winner was Josip Ostrogovic who mustered 349 votes while his rival Kristjan Stanicic won 273 votes. The former HDZ leader in Rijeka, Lucijan Vukelic, did not rerun for the position.

In Osijek, Ivan Radic was re-elected for that city.

The party's 209,271 members were eligible to vote according to the one member, one vote principle at 576 polling stations across the country, including 17 in Zagreb. If necessary, a runoff will be held on December 6. The vote was the continuation of intra-party elections which began on March 15 with the re-election of president Andrej Plenkovic and were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ZAGREB, November 21, 2020 - Members of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) are electing new municipal, city and county leaders on Sunday.

The party's 209,271 members will vote according to the one member, one vote principle at 576 polling stations across the county, including 17 in Zagreb. If necessary, a runoff will be held on December 6.

The vote is the continuation of intra-party elections which began on March 15 with the re-election of president Andrej Plenkovic and were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ZAGREB, Sept 15, 2020  - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday that Split Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara enjoys his support when asked if Krstulovic Opara would run in the next local election, set for May 2021.

Plenkovic made the statement for the press after meeting with Krstulovic Opara and Split County head Blazenko Boban, also a member of the HDZ party.

HDZ has a lot of candidates for local election

Asked who could be the HDZ's candidate for the mayor of Zagreb, Plenkovic said that "the HDZ has a lot of candidates."

"We will have good candidates, there is enough time left for that. The HDZ has a lot of candidates," Plenkovic said, denying speculation by some media outlets that Finance Minister Zdravko Maric was a likely candidate for the post of Zagreb Mayor.

Plenkovic also commented on the Constitutional Court's decision of Monday that laws on the powers of the national COVID-19 response team, passed by the parliament, were in line with the Constitution and that most of the team's decisions were lawful.

Constitutional Court's support very good in terms of legal security

"The COVID response team and the government yesterday received support from the Constitutional Court which either dismissed (complaints) or declared that practically all of the team's decisions were constitutional and in line with relevant laws. I believe this is very good in terms of legal security and the fact that our actions were based on Article 16 of the Constitution and we made decisions in the context of a declared epidemic, to protect citizens' health," he said.

If the fight against COVID-19 in the spring had not been successful, we would not have achieved 50% of the results of last year's tourist season, which was the best ever, he stressed.

Commenting on the HDZ's pre-election promise about a Sunday trading ban, and the fact that the Constitutional Court ruled that the COVID-19 response team's decision to ban Sunday trading was not in line with the Constitution, Plenkovic recalled that some surveys showed that as many as 80% of Croatians were in favor of a Sunday trading ban.

Gov't to put forward balanced law on non-working Sunday

"We believe it would be good and in the interest of the family and a healthy balance between work, rest, and spending time with one's dearest ones. During this term the government will put forward a bill that will seek a balance between a non-working Sunday and a certain number of working Sundays," he said.

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