ZAGREB, September 7, 2020 - The European Commission on Monday opened a public consultation on the long-term vision for rural areas, on the basis of which next year it will propose measures for the realisation of that vision, Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Suica said.

"Rural areas are often faced with challenges such as distance, poor connectivity and limited services. However, they abound in great opportunities with a matchless quality of life and can play a special role in the transition towards a green, digital and sustainable Europe. Based on these consultations we will present the long-term vision for rural areas to help them cope with these challenges and make them more attractive and dynamic. We will propose measures, including short-term ones, to achieve the long-term vision," Suica said.

The consultation will be conducted online until November 27.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, September 3, 2020 - The European Commission has approved slightly more than HRK 2.3 million for Gradska Plinara Zagreb (GPZ), Croatia's biggest gas distributor, for a project designed to improve cyber security for safe and reliable gas distribution, GPZ said on Thursday.

GPZ has been given €316,463 for a project aimed at upgrading information security as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Telekom), a fund intended for investment in the EU's digital infrastructure projects in the areas of transport, energy and digital technology.

Under the agreement with the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), which signed it on behalf of the European Commission, 75% of the project, worth more than HRK 3.1 million, will be co-financed.

The project, to be conducted until June 2022, will strengthen the company's capacity to respond to cyber security incidents, GPZ said.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, August 28, 2020 - Economic expectations in Croatia improved significantly in August, primarily due to the hospitality sector and in line with trends in the European Union and the euro zone, a report released by the European Commission on Friday notes.

The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) for Croatia increased by 7.7 points in August compared to July, reaching 90.9 points, after slipping by 1.6 points in July, the commission's regular business and consumer survey for August shows.

That is a significant improvement compared to the record low 72.3 points in April when lockdown measures were in full swing due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The best improvement in confidence in August by far was in the services sector which is evident in the jump of 19.3 points in the services confidence index.

Industry confidence and retail confidence too increased by 5.3 and 4.3 points respectively.

A mild improvement was recorded in the consumer confidence index, which increased by 2.2 points.

Construction confidence was an exception, with confidence falling by 3.7 points.

Managers expect that they will continue to employ new workers, with the Employment Expectations Indicator recording an increase of 2.1 points compared to July, when it also increased by as many points, the commission's report says.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, Aug 15, 2020 - The European Commission will provide support for 23 new COVID-19 research projects in the amount of €128 million as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, and Croatian scientists are participating in three projects, the Jutarnji List daily reported in its August 13 issue.

A total of 347 scientific teams from 40 countries are involved in the 23 chosen projects, including 34 participants from 16 countries outside the European Union. One of the projects is SHARE COVID, a study of social, health, and economic effects of COVID-19 on persons over the age of 50, in which Croatian scientists have also been involved.

The Faculty of Business and Economics in Zagreb is a partner on the project, and the work package dedicated to the quality of health care is led by Sime Smolic. The main goal of this project is to understand the unplanned effects of pandemic and devise improved health, economic, and social policies.

"In this project specifically we are monitoring how people over the age of 50 are coping with the effect of the lockdown and how it will affect them. Later, we will be able to compare these data with the 2008 crisis research, since we surveyed the same people then, so the data are comparable," Smolic said.

The second project on which Croatian scientists are working is a completely new project, Envision. The project is about smart digital monitoring of COVID-19 patients in real-time, which facilitates decision-making in intensive care units.

The third project involving Croatia is called unCoVer, and it is being implemented in cooperation with 29 European partners, while the project leader is the Institute of Tropical Medicine.

The funding will enable scientists to help contain the pandemic and its impact by strengthening the industry's ability to produce and use already available solutions, by developing medical technology and digital tools, by having a better insight into the behavioral and socioeconomic effects of the pandemic and by studying large groups of patients across Europe, the Jutarnji List daily said.

ZAGREB, Aug 7, 2020 - The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a Croatian plan to prolong the Istrian Y motorway concession agreement between Croatia and the company Bina-Istra. This will allow €197 million of new investments by the concession operator to go ahead, while limiting distortions of competition.

The EC says in a press release that the Istrian Y motorway is a 145 km long motorway linking the Istrian region with the rest of Croatia. The motorway is operated under a concession agreement from 1995, which was awarded to the company Bina-Istra until 2034.

In June 2020, Croatia notified to the Commission a prolongation of the concession agreement until 2039.

The prolongation will allow Bina-Istra to finance the construction of a second carriageway (one more lane in each direction) between Vranja Interchange and the Ucka tunnel/Kvarner portal - an 8km stretch on the north-eastern side of the motorway.

The aid takes the form of a prolongation of the concession, the EC says, adding that this will allow the €197 million investment, which will mainly be used to construct a new 5.63 km-long second tube to the Ucka tunnel, which is necessary to meet the minimum safety requirements, as well as several new viaducts, underpasses and overpasses. Bina-Istra will also renew the Kvarner rest area.

The Commission examined the measure under EU State aid rules on services of general economic interest (SGEI) and EU public procurement rules, notably the EU Directive on the award of concession contracts (Directive 2014/23/EU), according to which companies can be compensated for the extra cost of providing a public service on certain conditions.

The Commission found that, under the Croatian plan to extend the Istrian Y motorway concession agreement, all compatibility conditions are fulfilled.

The prolongation of the concession is proportionate to the amount needed to finance the required works and Bina-Istra is not overcompensated. The Commission concluded that the measure will promote growth and unlock investment, without unduly distorting competition and trade between Member States in line with EU State aid and public procurement rules.

July 9, 2020 — The Europe’s Ombudsman will investigate Dubravka Šuica’s criticism of a Dubrovnik local television station’s call-in show, as well as the European Commission's subsequent response.

The European Ombudsman, the chief watchdog of the continent’s administrative body, will look into the European Commission’s handling of Vice President Dubravka Šuica’s response to criticism on a local call-in show in Dubrovnik.

The inquiry comes in response to an anonymous complaint filed by a Croatian, which took issue with Šuica’s call in to the show, as well as the Commission’s response.

"[The complainant] is concerned that, while it is welcome that the Vice-President stated her support for freedom of expression, the Commission should nonetheless have taken a position on her comments, which the complainant insists are at odds with support for freedom of expression,” the Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly wrote. “I have decided to open an inquiry into this complaint.”

Šuica, the Commission’s Vice President of Democracy and Demography, called into a local show in Dubrovnik this April, after a viewer questioned the sources of her wealth. “It's really amazing how people are dealing misinformation, and you haven't reprimanded it!” she said at the time chastising the host, Pasko Tomaš. “My wish would be to prevent any Croat, male, female, or citizen of this country from speaking in this way.”

The European Commission and Šuica gently sidestepped any implication her call tried to stifle debate, limit free speech, or threaten the free press.

“The European Commission and Vice-President Šuica attach utmost importance to the freedom of expression and to the freedom and pluralism of the media, which are fundamental European values enshrined in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights,” the Commission initially said in response to the hullabaloo cause by the TV exchange. “Since the programme was broadcast, Vice-President Šuica has already reiterated her unwavering support for those freedoms and clarified that it was not, and is not, her intention to impair the independence of the TV station in question, the independence of the journalist, Mr. Paško Tomaš, or the independence of his programme ‘The Voice of the People’ (‘Glas Naroda’). I hope this allays your concerns.”

During her call-in, Šuica told the journalist, “I’m the godmother of your Dubrovnik television! And I'm really happy that I was at the time.”

The Ombudsman O’Reilly said, after reviewing the show’s transcript, Šuica “appears to say that she believes that the media should not broadcast or publish statements criticizing public figures. She also seems to imply that the radio station allows such critical statements to be broadcast in order to increase its popularity.”

The European Ombudsman acts as an independent liaison between citizens and the administrative bodies overseeing the continent. The office can initiate inquiries and send reports to the European Parliament for review. While he or she cannot formally start any proceedings, the officeholder can investigate and pass long findings which may start disciplinary proceedings.

Šuica’s incident on “Glas Norada” or “The Voice of the People” show was a break from the show’s usual pattern. Croatia’s local television broadcasters often feature call-in shows giving citizens a chance to vent, air conspiracy theories or generally lambaste politicians.

But usually, it’s a one-way exchange. The politicos almost never respond.

The caller on Dubrovnik’s show followed the same format.

“We have individuals, these politicians, they stay for four to eight years in power,” the angry caller said. “They rob everyone wherever they can and in eight years they have to 10-15 million [kunas],” the caller said.

“Here, for example, Šuica. She was said to be worth seven million euros. Imagine that!” 

The caller was referring to Šuica’s wealth, a major bugaboo which arose when she was nominated to be an EC Vice President. The former mayor and school teacher has assets worth about €5 million, including multiple homes, two apartments, a cottage in Bosnia, as well as a yacht and three cars. The figure was first reported by Index.hr.

“She has a yacht worth 500,000 euros,” the caller said. “She would need HRK 250,000 a month just to maintain the yacht, to pay for anchoring. Where did her money come from? She can say this, that, but it's all the same in our country.”

Šuica’s response to the call included a castigation of the journalist and host Tomaš.

“I’m surprised you didn't react,” she told him during her call. “I know that you are an excellent journalist, that your show is watched. I heard it from the kitchen!”

O’Reilly requested the European Commission respond by July 27.

July the 8th, 2020 - The European Commission (EC) isn't very optimistic as far as Croatia's predicted GDP drop for 2020 is concerned, but is there light at the end of the tunnel for 2021, at least?

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been wreaking havoc with the global economy and Croatia's, which is heavily reliant on tourism and hospitality, has been far from immune to these negative trends. The Croatian economy is heavily influenced by seasons, on top of that, with a drop in unemployment usually occurring at the tail end of March as business owners seek out waiters, chefs, cleaners, bar staff and more. This trend was stopped in its tracks before it could even gain any momentum by the pandemic.

April was an absolutely dire month for Croatia in every possible economic sense as lockdown saw consumption and hiring as we know it grind to a halt. Things are improving now, and in some sectors in a better way than we could have expected, but just what does the European Commission envisage for the rest of this year?

As Novac writes, Croatia will face even more severe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic than previously thought. According to the latest forecasts published recently by the European Commission, the decline in GDP for Croatia this year will be as much as 10.8 percent, and next year the recovery will begin and growth will be 7.5 percent.

Only Italy with a drop of 11.2 percent and Spain, with a drop of 10.9 percent, will have a bigger drop than Croatia. Both of these popular Mediterranean countries which are also very tourism-oriented were hit tremendously hard by the virus. A similar category includes France, where GDP expected to fall by 10.6 percent, and Greece, the GDP of which is down by 9 percent.

From the above, it is evident that the countries for which tourism is one of the key branches will be the hardest hit. Poland, which should have a 4.6 percent drop, and Sweden, 5.3 percent, will feel the lightest of blows.

The latest report of the European Commission, along with the summer forecasts, states that the Croatian economy was more resilient before the outbreak of this crisis than it was before the global financial crisis back in 2008. The reports notes the fact that the growth of domestic demand will play the biggest role in Croatia's overall recovery next year.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, July 8, 2020 - The European Commission on Wednesday presented two energy transformation strategies that should contribute to achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

The commission presented the EU Energy System Integration Strategy and the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance Strategy.

Addressing a press conference Executive vice president of the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans said, “The strategies adopted today will bolster the European Green Deal and the green recovery, and put us firmly on the path of decarbonising our economy by 2050. The new hydrogen economy can be a growth engine to help overcome the economic damage caused by COVID-19."

The energy system accounts for 75% of the EU's greenhouse emissions hence it needs to be transformed in order to become climate-neutral by 2050.

Today's energy system is built on parallel and vertical energy value chains which rigidly link specific energy resources with specific end-use sectors.

Climate-neutral economies cannot be based on unconnected structures, the Commission underlined, adding that the system is economically inefficient and leads to substantial losses in the form of waste heat and low energy efficiency.

The energy system integration strategy presents a vision of integrating energy systems in an effort to boost the use of clean energy and climate-neutral economies while at the same time, strengthening energy security, protecting health and the environment and promoting growth and enhancing EU industrial leadership at a global level.

The clean hydrogen strategy focuses on renewable energy sources, or clean hydrogen as opposed to hydrogen obtained from fossil fuels. Clean hydrogen has the greatest potential to decarbonise industrial processes and it is essential in supporting the EU's commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

June 9, 2020 - When planning your summer holiday after the corona crisis, cleanliness is certainly one of the factors topping the list. Good news for those of you choosing Croatia, which boasts some of the cleanest swimming waters in Europe.

Croatia is one of five European countries with the cleanest bathing waters, the European Environment Agency (EEA) announced on Monday, as borders begin to open after the corona crisis and tourists consider where to spend their summer holidays.

Namely, Dalmacija Danas reports that the cleanest swimming waters in Europe are in Cyprus, Austria, Malta, Greece and Croatia, according to a report by the European Commission and the EEA.

Those five countries received an excellent rating of at least 95 percent for their swimming areas. In Cyprus, 99.1 percent of bathing places received a rating of "excellent".

Tourists who fear being infected with the coronavirus while swimming should follow the guidelines of national or local authorities, the agency says. They should keep physical distances and wash their hands often enough.

Just under 85% of swimming sites across Europe monitored in 2019 met the European Union's highest and most stringent ‘excellent' quality standards. The agency tested bathing areas on about 22,300 sea, river and lake beaches in the EU, including Britain, Switzerland and Albania.

About two-thirds of the bathing areas are at sea and they are generally cleaner than the waters inland. Tests found that 294 sites, or 1.3 percent, have poor water quality and pose a risk for diseases such as diarrhea.

Commissioner in charge of the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said, “Clean bathing water is usually taken as something that is gifted, but it's actually one of the European collective achievements. It's the result of hard work by many people over many years. This year's report once again confirms that European citizens can continue to enjoy very high-quality standards when bathing in European waters and all measures must be taken to continue along this path.”

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

ZAGREB, June 8, 2020 - The European Commission on Monday approved under EU State aid rules, a Croatian scheme that grants reductions to energy-intensive companies on a surcharge to finance support for renewable electricity production. 

Croatian support for renewable energy is at present financed through contributions from electricity consumers, based on their consumption.

The scheme, which will apply until 31 December 2021 and will have a provisional annual budget of €10 million, will benefit companies active in Croatia in sectors that are particularly energy-intensive (hence with higher electricity consumption) and more exposed to international trade, says the European Union on its web site.

"The beneficiaries will obtain a reduction of up to a maximum of 80% of their contribution to the financing of support to renewable energy.

"Croatia also submitted an adjustment plan to align with State aid rules the level of reductions from which a number of eligible and non-eligible companies have benefitted since 2013. The Commission assessed the measure and the adjustment plan under EU State aid rules, in particular, the Guidelines on State Aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-2020.

"The Guidelines authorise reductions – up to a certain level – in contributions levied on energy-intensive companies active in certain sectors and exposed to international trade, in order to ensure their global competitiveness.

"The Commission found that the compensation will only be granted to energy-intensive companies exposed to international trade, in line with the requirements of the Guidelines. Furthermore, the measure will promote the EU energy and climate goals and ensure the global competitiveness of energy-intensive users and industries, without unduly distorting competition. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the measure and the adjustment plan are in line with EU State aid rules."