ZAGREB, 29 March 2022 - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday that "it isn't time for political games," but resolute and responsible politics and that any possible government reshuffle would first be discussed within the ruling party's bodies.

"I expect that we will discuss the government's work, the Sabor's activities and topics that interest the public. We will see what the (party leader) will have to say," Jandroković said ahead of a meeting of the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) presidency and national council scheduled for this afternoon in Karlovac.

He was responding to questions from Croatian reporters about a possible government reshuffle while attending a conference of EU parliament speakers in Slovenia.

Asked whether the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak should be replaced, Jandroković said that the "prime minister picks his team" and, as this refers to his closest associates, he will most certainly enjoy the party's support.

Asked about the other ministers, Jandroković said "they are probably doing their job."

Asked whether there were some HDZ MPs or others in the ruling coalition who could vote against a government reshuffle if Minister Tramišak were to be replaced, Jandroković said "these are serious times, very demanding, and they require big responsibility of politicians, bigger than when we do not have such crisis situations."

"The primary objective at the moment is political stability, a quality response to a series of security, socioeconomic and health issues, and this isn't a time for political games. This a time for serious and responsible politics," said Jandroković.

When it comes to media speculation about some HDZ MPs perhaps being opposed to a reshuffle, Jandroković said HDZ MPs are responsible people and will certainly think well about what to do and how.

"Do not expect HDZ MPs to act in a way that would go against what is important for Croatia," he underscored.

Jandroković, who, in public opinion, is considered to be the herald of change in the party, did not wish to answer whether it was time for the government to be refreshed and instead said that he would first say what he thinks to his party colleagues and then make that public.

ZAGREB, 24 March 2022 - EU Funds and Regional Development Minister Nataša Tramišak confirmed on Thursday that she had reported the threats she had been receiving since last summer, to the police,  however, she stopped short of revealing the identity of who was making the threatens.

"The threats started in early September, I cannot say who made them," she told the N1 broadcaster on Thursday, explaining that the threat in reference to blood-shedding was made in January.

The minister said that it was unpleasant to hear such things, however, they did not make her hesitant to continue conducting her ministerial duties.

As for the media reports that she said she would seek political asylum in Brussels in response to the person who made the threats against her, the minister explained the statement was taken out of context.

"I do not plan to leave Croatia. Sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment," she said.

Tramišak also explained that she did not contact the police or other authorities since the threats had were not direct.

She admitted that she could not deny the media reports about the threats when this became breaking news on Wednesday.

As for speculation that the threats were the outcome of internal wrangling inside the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) after she did not extend a contract for the engagement of the private Omega Software company,  she only said that media outlets had already commented on that in the past.

The Wednesday issue of the Jutarnji List daily said that the problems for Minister Tramišak started when she decided not to extend a contract for the eFond information system with the Omega Software company and awarded it to the state-run Financial Agency (FINA).

Fina was awarded this job after it already started working on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

"It was logical that we should not advertise a public call for that job, as there were indications that only one company would apply, and in those situations, we cannot comply with the principles of public procurement. Also, Fina is capable of doing the job. As a result, we signed the relevant agreement with Fina," she said.

As for media claims that former HDZ official Milijan Brkic threatened Tramišak and that Prime Minister Zvonimir Savić was also implicated in conveying the threatening messages, Tramišak told the N1 that she had never met with Brkić, and that Savić was also a special adviser to the ministry and that he had never threatened her.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 22 Feb 2022 - Croatian businesses will have a wide range of opportunities in the new financing period, Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak said on Tuesday while presenting the new Multiannual Financial Framework under which Croatia will have access to €14.4 billion.

Tramišak attended a business breakfast hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, which focused on the opportunities of the business community to use funds from the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027.

She said that of the €14.4 billion made available to Croatia under the MFF, about €9 billion concerns cohesion policy which is coordinated by her ministry.

"A large portion of funding will go towards targeted public calls for our businesses, for investment in tangible and non-tangible assets and the green and digital transition of the economy, which includes productive investment in research, development and innovation. We will also embark on a new direction regarding plans for the industrial transition of regions, because we want to strengthen the regional economies of Pannonian, Adriatic and Northern Croatia," Tramišak said.

She said that calls had already been issued last year as part of the Next Generation EU instrument and the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) programme for investment in the manufacturing industry for the green and digital transition, and more than HRK 1 billion worth of projects had been agreed for Croatian enterprises.

New calls are expected before the end of this year, after the MFF is approved by the European Commission, she added.

Tramišak recalled that the value of the entire allocation for Croatia over the next nine years is €25 billion, while Croatian businesses will have direct access to about €5 billion from the entire package, which includes the MFF and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

She also noted the possibility for investment through the common agricultural policy, where the allocation for Croatia amounts to about €5 billion, and this process will be coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture.

ZAGREB, Sept 17, 2020 - By September 15, Croatia has agreed €10.98 billion worth of projects from the European structural and investment funds, or 102.4% of the allocation, according to data from the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.

of the total of €10.7 billion allocated for Croatia in the European structural and investment funds for the 2014-2020 period, Croatia has agreed on €10.98 billion worth of projects or 102.4% of the allocation.

The Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds said that the government on Thursday adopted a report on the absorption of European structural and investment funds, which was presented by Minister Natasa Tramisak.

A total of €4.35 billion (HRK 33.08 billion) has been paid out, or 40.6% of the allocation and €3.7 billion (HRK 27.86 billion) has been verified, or slightly more than a third (34.2%) of the allocation.

The Ministry reports to the government on EU funding absorption on a weekly basis, and figures indicate that the amount of funding agreed since the previous report has increased by 1.6%, the amount paid out has risen by 0.69 percentage points, while the number of verified funds remained the same.

The operational programme Competitiveness and Cohesion, which has the largest allocation of €6.83 billion (HRK 51.92 billion), has the highest percentage of funds agreed, of 110.8% of the total allocation, while the Rural Development Programme has the highest percentage of funds paid out, of 59%, the Ministry said.

From 2013 to 31 August 2020 the difference between funds paid from the EU budget into the Croatian budget and funds paid from the Croatian budget into the EU budget was HRK 28.6 billion in favour of the Croatian budget, Tramisak said.

She noted that the rate of absorption of European structural and investment funds had increased from 9% to 102%, or to €11 billion. "That's the fifth-best result in the European Union", the minister underlined.

Broken down by funds, the Cohesion Fund has an absorption rate of 145%, which ranks Croatia second among the EU member states, she added.

Tramisak said that €9.07 billion had been agreed for cohesion policy in the financial perspective 2021-2027. "That is about 17% of the Croatian GDP, which is the highest percentage across the EU," she said.

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