ZAGREB, 9 May 2022 - In 2021 the Customs Administration filed 140 criminal complaints for the gravest forms of smuggling on the EU's external borders, the director of the Customs Administration, Mario Demirović, said on Monday on the occasion of the procurement of new equipment worth HRK 7.5 million.

Demirović specified that the Customs Administration issues about 12,700 misdemeanour warrants each year and that 60% of them refer to offences recorded on external borders. He added that in 2021, 80% more warrants were issued than in 2020 and the value of the fines issued in 2021 was up 40% compared with 2020. 

''That means that our external border is subject to exceptional traffic pressure and that means our responsibility to ensure that the traffic flows undisturbed," said Demirović, presenting the HRK 7.5 million equipment procured through the EU Hercule III programme, with HRK 4.8 million secured from EU funds.

The programme protects the EU's financial interests by supporting action to combat irregularities, fraud and corruption affecting the EU budget. It was administered by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). It was valued at €104 million and was exclusively used for the financial capacities of the 28 member states over a seven-year period.

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ZAGREB, 18 June 2021 - As of 1 July tax reliefs are to be abolished in all EU member states for imported parcels with a value of more than HRK 160 (€22) while all parcels delivered from third countries will be taxable, and deliveries are expected to be slowed down, a press conference heard on Friday.

As of 1 July all parcels, regardless of their value, that come from third countries and are purchased online will be subject to VAT upon import, the Customs Administration and Croatian Post told the press conference.

The director of the Customs Administration, Mario Demirović, said that this is one of the most significant regulatory changes in Croatian Post's and the Custom Administration's business with regard to taxes on postal packages and VAT.

"We are absolutely prepared as far as the Customs Administration is concerned," said Demirović.

He underscored that all new costs have to be clearly marked for the end user and they have to be transparent and unambiguous. The Customs Administration will exclusively and only charge VAT, he added.

The head of Croatian Post's public relations office, Krešimir Domjančić, underscored that as of 1 July Croatian Post will introduce a fee to inspect the contents of packages coming from third countries.

Packages with a value of up to €150 will be charged HRK 18.50 while packages valued between €150 to 1,000 will be charged HRK 37. At the same time Croatian Post has abolished some other fees, so that as of 1 July fees for the majority of packages which are valued between €22 and 1,000 will be lower.

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In the last twenty years, the number of horses in Croatia has increased 5.5 times.