ZAGREB, 5 March, 2021 - In 2019 Croatia disbursed HRK 480.84 million (€63.60 million) in development aid, 6% more than the year before, with Bosnia and Herzegovina being the leading recipient.

The State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Zdenko Lucić, on Thursday presented in the parliament a report on Croatia's development aid in 2019, the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry said in a press release.

The HRK 480.84 million disbursed as development aid accounts for 0.13% of Croatia's GDP.

Most of the funds were the country's contribution to the EU general budget in the part recognised as development aid, and its mandatory contribution to the European Development Fund in the amount of HRK 73.5 million for 2019.

A total of HRK 130.81 million or 27.27% of the total amount was disbursed for bilateral programmes and development aid projects, with 449 projects having been implemented.

In neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, 199 projects worth HRK 89.06 million were implemented, which makes the country the leading recipient of bilateral development aid.

Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, priority geographical areas were Ukraine and Jordan. Croatia supported the European Investment Bank's initiative for economic resilience for countries located on migratory routes, as well as the EU mechanism for refugees in Turkey.

In 2019 Croatia also helped Yemen, Iran, Mozambique and the earthquake-hit Albania, the Ministry said.

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, 29 January, 2021 - Due to the lack of quorum in parliament on Friday the usual voting on discussed items was postponed, including on amendments to legislation related to post-earthquake reconstruction, the declaration of an Exclusive Economic Zone in the Adratic and so on.

Voting is postponed until conditions allow and that won't be today, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said after establishing that conditions to conduct voting did not exist as only 75 MPs were present instead of the necessary 76.

Prior to that, MP Zvonimir Troskot (MOST) called out Jandroković for allowing the parliament to turn into a circus because he did not allow voting on MOST's motion to abolish the mandatory membership fee paid by members of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), thus reducing the burden on entrepreneurs.

"We did everything according to the relevant procedure but you put the debate on our motion on the agenda late last night," Troskot said, accusing Jandroković of not allowing the vote on his party's bill.

Jandroković denied the claims, reiterating that the bill would be put to the vote after party groups making up the parliamentary majority completed their consultations on the matter.

Earlier Jandroković underlined that it was the Speaker who decided on the agenda and voting.

The item regarding amendments to the HGK Act was put on the agenda after a long debate on the National Development Strategy, Jandroković told Troskot.

ZAGREB, Sept 9, 2020 - Lawmakers on Wednesday debated a bill on workers posted to Croatia as well as the implementation of a cross-border agreement on money fines in an attempt to protect their rights, and the Opposition also warned about the status of Croatian workers and that Croatia does not have a sensible industrial policy.

The bill refers to workers who are deployed by a foreign employer to temporarily work in Croatia, which is not their usual place of work, and the proposed bill on workers is being aligned with European legislation.

Davorko Vidovic (SDP bench) welcomed the implementation of EU legislation into Croatian law "because that protects workers and expands the convergence of labor and social rights, it ensures more order and introduces very concrete penalties in cases of abuse."

A Croatian worker in Germany should have at least the minimum rights of local workers, said Vidovic, noting that Croatia has very few workers posted from the European Union.

Sandra Bencic (Left-Green coalition) warned about the non-payment of overtime, the inability to use days-off, or the right to enforce dues from employers. We advocate the development of a sensible industrial policy that Croatia does not have, she claimed. "We do not have enough quality jobs in Croatia."

Bulj: Labor relations in Croatia completely destroyed 

Miro Bulj (Bridge) claimed that workers in Croatia have been completely destroyed yet it is the worker who creates. Responding to criticism by former labor minister Marko Pavic that he was talking out of context, Bulj said that he advocates protecting workers' rights, and added that Pavic is "known as a traveling salesman of expensive perfumes and wines at the ministry's expense" and that he entered parliament with only 200 preferential votes, which speaks for itself what sort of minister he was.

The bill regulates working conditions and rights that are more favorable and provides greater rights for posted workers deployed to Croatia for a longer period of time.

The bill also regulates wage issues for posted workers as well as defining accommodation and costs of a worker's mobility while posted in Croatia as well as the possibility of extending the period a worker can remain in Croatia.

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