ZAGREB, December 14, 2019 - Croatia is making strong progress in meeting all the criteria for the US Visa Waiver Programme, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović, who is on a visit to Washington this week, said on Friday.

The minister said Croatia had managed to reduce the number of declined visa requests from 5.9 percent to 4.02 percent.

Under the US law, the percentage of declined visa requests exceeding three percent makes it impossible for a country to be admitted to the USA's Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Once this percentage goes below that threshold, talks about cancelling visa requirements can be launched.

Božinović stressed Croatia had been systematically dealing with this issue for nearly two years.

He underlined that Croatia would soon sign the Air Marshalls Agreement with the United States, given that earlier this year a direct flight between Dubrovnik and Philadelphia was launched.

Božinović said that also important for waiving US visas for Croatian citizens were agreements that Croatian Justice Minister Drazen Bošnjaković and US Attorney General William Barr signed on Tuesday whereby Croatia and the US regulate mutual legal assistance and extraditions.

Bošnjaković also visited the FBI academy in Quantico and the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Office of Training.

More news about relations between Croatia and the USA can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 14, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Zoran Milanović, said in Ogulin on Friday that Croatia should think carefully before introducing the euro because if it does it, it will lose its national currency for good "and the kuna is what it is, but it is ours."

"Several countries that have been members of the EU for quite some time have not joined the euro area - the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. A housing loan in Greece, which has introduced the euro, is more expensive than at Zagrebačka Banka, where housing loans are more expensive than in Italy. So there are no right and unquestionable arguments about the introduction of the euro being the right thing to do," he said.

Milanović also commented on insulting posters against him that he saw pinned to trees in Ogulin.

"I know what the message behind them is because there are people of Serb ethnicity here who have the same surname as I do ... those are messages of intimidation. People (responsible for that) have been trading in fear for more than 20 years. They idolise a Communist general, Tito's general, who was their leader, and they keep saying those senseless things," Milanović said, accusing the ruling HDZ party of being behind the posters.

"That is not a normal Croatia," he said, adding that the government was dealing with unimportant things and that other countries were outperforming Croatia in all areas.

He also spoke critically about the judicial system, saying that "thieves are not sentenced because of the expiry of the statute of limitations and lack of evidence, which is insulting."

He also noted that health care could not be free but that it had to be available.

Calling on citizens to go to the polls on December 22, he said that since the start of his political career he had never enjoyed any preferential treatment and that he did not want anything for Croatia but to be a normal country "while the philosophy of the right, particularly the HDZ's right, is a philosophy of proscription and social domination."

Such an attitude "leads to rebellion and dissatisfaction, wars start when you treat people as second-class citizens, when you vilify entire nations or groups, which is what the HDZ does," said Milanović.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

When Croatian scientist Dr. Ivana Capan first announced back in the autumn of 2016 that she would develop the prototype of a sophisticated nuclear material control detector with an international team of collaborators, it sounded like an optimistic vision and not much more. We couldn't have been more wrong.

As Novac/Tanja Rudez writes on the 13th of December, 2019, three years later, Dr. Ivana Capan of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB), fulfilled her promise and recently presented a detector for cargo control and the discovery of special nuclear materials for seaports at a press conference.

This sophisticated silicon carbide-based neutron detector was developed as part of the E-SiCURE project, one of the largest projects in NATO's Science for Peace and Security programme in Croatia. As the head of the 400,000 euro E-SiCURE project, this Croatian scientist assembled a respectable international team of scientists from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, from the Aveiro University of Portugal, from Japan's National Institute of Quantum and Radiological Sciences and Technology, and from the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

''As I deal with semiconductors that are the basis of microelectronics and electronics, I'm interested in concrete applications. I was thinking about how to find a small niche where we'd have enough knowledge on it, and this would not require some sophisticated equipment, so I decided to research silicon carbide material. It's an excellent material and is currently being produced in maximum quantities in Japan. As I have colleagues in Japan, they've been my ideal partners. So, we started gathering one consortium that covers everything from material research right up to the finished device. Because our device has a security component, NATO was a logical choice as a source of funding to support such a consortium,'' this innovative Croatian scientist recalled.

She also stressed that everything evolved rapidly: from the very first contact between the members of the consortium to the start of work on the E-SiCURE project (Modifying silicon carbide for enhanced security at borders and ports). Of the 396,500 euros, which is how much this project is worth, as much as 31 percent of the funds have now arrived where they need to be in Croatia.

''Current neutron detectors are mainly based on He-3, a naturally occurring helium isotope. The helium isotope used until recently is a legacy of the Cold War, and its supplies are projected to be completely consumed in the next ten years. Therefore, scientists are trying to find quality new materials for detector development,'' said Dr. Capan, adding that the idea was to make an inexpensive neutron detector that would be easy to use.

''For the past three years, we've devoted ourselves to seeing if we can make such a detector at all. And we did it: the whole system is complete, and it's simple - plug it into a laptop and see the signal right away.

Our detector is one to four square millimetres in size. With it, for example, we can detect neutrons from so-called ''dirty'' nuclear bombs. This makes this detector specific and harder to create. We're now working on its further development and we've already signed up for the continuation of the project, in NATO, too. The results of the tender will be announced early next year,'' said Dr. Capan.

One end user of this very sophisticated device could be Croatia's own customs administration, but so far, only the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment, more specifically the Nuclear Safety Administration, has shown interest.

Make sure to follow our dedicated Made in Croatia page for much more.

Waste ending up in the world's seas and oceans continues to be a burning problem, and while the European Union does its best to pass laws to attempt to curb things, at least in part, this issue still reigns the highest of all. The gorgeous Croatian Adriatic sea, a top draw for tourists, is as threatened as any other.

The crystal clear, sparkling Adriatic sea is one of this country's greatest assets which lures countless visitors from across the world each year, but what would Croatia do if it becomes ruined by waste, particularly by harmful plastic waste that not only takes an incredibly long time to break down, but also poisons marine life, and as such, an enormous part of the typical coastal Croatian diet?

As Morski writes on the 13th of December, 2019, the members of LAGUR FLAG Galeb from the coastal town of Tribunj, together with the students of the Hospitality and Tourism School of Šibenik, were educated on sustainable development and the problems caused by waste finding its way to the sea, with the help of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries and RZ Adria Tribunj.

''At the beginning, we were learning about the SEA-Stainability project and about sustainable development, and from the scientists, Pero Tutman and Dubravka Bojanić Varežić from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IZOR) we learned about the problem of waste in the sea and its impact on all living organisms,'' the organisers say.

The staff of RZ Adria Tribunj, LAGUR/FLAG GALEB and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries introduced the children to the Tribunj fishing port and the way the infrastructure for collecting waste from the sea functions.

As part of the educational programme, the children learned how to monitor waste coming from the sea at Bristak beach, and together they cleaned up an impressive 16.6 kilograms of waste from the beach, analysed the waste and finally conducted an interactive knowledge quiz on the topic.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If you're interested in both official and unofficial ways Croatia works to keep the Adriatic sea clean, give Total Eco Croatia a follow.

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 13th of December, 2019, according to INA, the decision on a heavy-waste treatment facility comes one year after the announcement of INA's R&M New Direction 2023 program, which aims to transform INA's refining system to generate profits instead of losses.

Today, INA made a decision to invest a massive four billion kuna in a heavy waste treatment plant at the Rijeka Oil Refinery. As was explained during an extraordinary press conference in Zagreb, the company's supervisory board gave its prior approval for the construction of the Heavy Duty Processing Facility in Rijeka, and INA's management board then made a unanimous decision on the investment. Works on the new plant will begin early next year, they say, and it is expected to start operating at some point in 2023.

Sándor Fasimon, CEO of INA, said the decision on the heavy-duty processing plant marks an important step in the implementation of the R&M New Direction 2023 program, as well as an important moment in the company's history as it is the largest investment INA has made in decades.

"With this decision, the Rijeka Oil Refinery will be transformed into a modern European refinery while ensuring that INA maintains a leading position on the market. It's a major investment that will significantly affect the company's operations in the future," said Fasimon.

The chief executive officer of the MOL Group and the deputy chairman of INA's supervisory board commented that this decision confirms the MOL Group's commitment to INA. "By constructing a heavy waste treatment plant, we'll significantly increase the complexity and efficiency of the Rijeka refinery. I firmly believe that this investment will have a significant positive impact on the company's profitability in the future,'' said Molnar.

Tomislav Ćorić, Minister of Environment and Energy, said that the announcement of about four billion kuna in investment over the next three years is the most wonderful Christmas gift to Croatia that could be expected.

''Today's decision to launch the modernisation project of the Rijeka Oil Refinery is a major step forward. This is one of the biggest investments in our energy sector and I'm glad that it was realised precisely during the term of this current government. This investment will improve the product structure of Rijeka, increase profitability and improve the company's competitiveness in the field of environmental protection by significantly reducing CO2 and other harmful gases,'' stated Minister Ćorić.

A year ago, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković promised us a "Christmas present" in the form of an announcement that Croatia would go ahead with the purchase of MOL's stake in INA.

According to INA, and as previously mentioned, the decision on this treatment facility comes one year after the announcement of the R&M New Direction 2023 program. The program includes the concentration of crude oil processing activities in the Republic of Croatia at the Rijeka Oil Refinery and, as part of this, the conversion of the Sisak Oil Refinery into an industrial centre that will cover the production of bitumen, which was approved in March this year and is set to launch in 2021.

Still to come is a logistics hub and, potentially, lubricant production and even a bio-component refinery. With the implementation of all activities covered by the INA R&M New Direction 2023 program, after 2023, INA expects an average annual EBITDA growth of over 1 billion kuna in total.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more.

The Travel Writing Awards ceremony "Marko Polo" was held this week in Zagreb, organised by FIJET Croatia (Fédération Internationale des Journalistes et Ecrivains du Tourisme) and co-organised by the Croatian Journalism Society’s Tourism Journalists Assembly.

The award has been given to Croatian and foreign journalists for travel articles since 2010. This year, the Grand Prix "Marko Polo 2019" was awarded to Stefan Baciu for his series of radio stories from Morocco, the country where the FIJET congress in 2018 was held.

Radmila Kovačević from Večernji list received an award for her very successful series of reports and articles which affirm Slavonia as a serious and a very potent tourist destination. Being a seasoned tourist reporter, she highlights the specificities of the destination and its advantages but also warns about what should be done to bring the destination to a higher level. One report which stands out is "Everyone who complains about Slavonia has certainly not been here", as the explanation of the award states (here's the link to the original article).

Marko Polo medallions were also given out, one to Lana Mindoljević for her reportage on the greatest continental rivers for swimming in Croatia and her story about Lošinj. Andrea Buče from Croatian Radio Television was given the medallion for her series of stories "Stop in Lika", about the undiscovered jewel of Croatian tourism. Robert Knjaz was awarded the medallion for the original presentation and the promotion of the culture and customs in parts of Croatia, this time the donkey race in Tribunj. Miki Bratanić was also awarded the medallion for his special story about the konoba as an important feature of Dalmatian tradition, as Bratanić explains in his piece that the konoba holds the soul of the Dalmatian man.

The long-running Croatian Television show Prizma, on air for 23 years, and its editor Daniela Draštati, were also awarded the medallion. Vjekoslav Madunić, also from Croatian Radio Television, was awarded the medallion for the tourist reports from the Voice of Croatia station about Christmas customs in Konavle.

The award for the best reportage about Advent in Zagreb in 2018 was presented to Radmilo Bubmar for the four stories he did for the TV show "Serbia I Love".

Since 2010, the international reporters who have received the Marko Polo award are Jim Thompson (USA), Plamen Starev (Bulgaria), Gian Paolo Bonomi (Italy), Luis Nuneze Ladaveze (Spain), Maria Paredes (USA and South America), Georges Younes (Lebanon), Kamenko Milenković (Serbia), Maria del mar Garcia Aquilo (Spain) and Gilber Menne (Belgium).

Local journalists who have won the award are Stipe Božić, Jasen Boko, Meri Šilović, TCN's own Paul Bradbury, Matej Perkov, Saša Pjanić, Šime Strikoman, Ivo Pervan and Ashley Coburn.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - The State Election Commission (DIP) has prepared online training for the staff at polling stations for the forthcoming Croatian presidential elections which will be held on 22 December.

According to the information given by DIP on Friday, there will be over 6,500 polling stations across the country and abroad, and the online training programme for polling station staff is available on the DIP website.

The online programme called e-learning also includes tips for smooth work of staff in special polling places such as polling stations for armed forces' service-persons, Croatians in peace missions, aboard ships, in prisons and in social welfare institutions.

The staff at polling stations for presidential elections includes persons who are not members of any political party. Polling committees in municipalities and towns appoint those members, and each polling station is staffed with six people, that is the chairperson and two members plus their three substitutes.

Croatian citizens will be able to vote in the December 22 presidential election in Croatia and at 124 polling stations in 47 other countries.

More news about presidential elections can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 - The Zagreb University's Faculty of Rehabilitation and Education Sciences on Friday presented results of an extensive study revealing an alarming situation regarding the mental health of young people.

In a group of 30 high school students, two use marijuana once a week or more frequently and one in three drinks alcohol once a week or more frequently - these are some of the basic indicators which show that more frequent alcohol and marijuana consumption is accompanied by poorer indicators of mental health, project head Miranda Novak said.

One in four young people have significant symptoms of anxiety and stress, and in a class of 24, at least one says they have attempted to kill themselves, Novak said, describing the situation as alarming.

On the other hand, the higher the self-awareness, the fewer the symptoms and the less frequent alcohol and marijuana consumption.

Education and Science Minister Blaženka Divjak expressed support to the study and confidence that its results would have an impact on school and other social systems.

We have cooperated with the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Education Sciences on drawing up an action plan for the prevention of school violence and it is expected to be adopted by the government soon, she said, underling the importance of its implementation through the system of intervention, policies and programmes, she said.

She underlined the importance of developing self-awareness and peer solidarity and empathy to enable young people to identify problems on their own and deal with them, she said, recalling the introduction of a number of cross-subject topics in school curricula such as personal and social development, civics and health education.

Analyses of the data show that a more stable family environment contributes to fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress and better emotional competencies and more positive mental health of young people, Novak said, adding that the results of the study showed that investing in the family environment contributed to the empowerment of young people.

As for the school environment, young people who are more emotionally competent are more willing to engage themselves with regard to school tasks and are more committed to school. Young people who are more committed to school show fewer symptoms of anxiety, she concluded.

The study also shows, among other things, that as many as 39% of young people witnessed peer violence once or more frequently over the past month, while 18% experienced it.

More news about young people in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.