ZAGREB, December 12, 2019 - A group of civil society organisations on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for transparency during Croatia's EU presidency in 2020 so as to contribute to legislative and lobbyist transparency in the Council of the EU.

They say European laws directly impact all Croatian citizens, that 42% of legislative acts adopted by the incumbent Croatian parliament were adopted for alignment with EU laws, that Croatia's positions at Council of the EU meetings are not debated publicly, and that the Croatian parliament and its European affairs committee do not participate in the preparation of those positions.

With such a closed approach, the government is telling the public that the public, civil society, the media and other stakeholders have no right of insight into the positions Croatia takes at the Council, which bolsters the perception of the EU as a distant and non-transparent bureaucracy, representatives of 37 NGOs say in a letter.

"How can citizens take part in decision making and affect the positions of their own government if it keeps them secret? Unfortunately, this practice is present in a majority of European countries."

Since the Council of the EU is the least transparent European institution because the documents under debate are often secret and there are no minutes of debates and member states' positions are not published, the Finnish and nine other governments have supported a non-paper demanding greater legislative transparency of the Council of the EU.

"We regret that the Croatian government and another 17 members states have not joined in. Transparency is the key first step in curbing excessive corporate influence, noticeable in the Council's many negotiations on new regulations and directives," the letter says.

There is growing concern in civil society that the interests of certain industries, such as fossil fuels, are in such a conflict with public interest that they should be prevented from having direct access to decision makers, the NGOs say.

"Corporate sponsorship of nearly every recent Council of the EU presidency, from cars, software, non-alcoholic drinks to other corporate interests, has become the sad proof that the Council is close to big business."

The NGOs therefore call for the Croatian presidency of the Council to become the champion of legislative transparency by backing the said non-paper.

This means the timely publication of documents important for passing laws, that meetings of the Council and preparatory bodies be open to the public via online video feeds, and the publication of minutes and national positions in order to gain as clear an insight into decision making as possible, the letter says.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 12 2019 - Commenting on presidential candidate Zoran Milanović's criticism that she was cowardly evading debates of presidential candidates, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who is running for a second term in office, said on Wednesday that she was in favour of debating election platforms but that Milanović had none.

"Debates? Show the minimum respect to our people, tell them what you are offering, how you see the future of this nation and this state, and formulate it into a decent document so that we can compare our platforms," Grabar-Kitarović wrote on Twitter.

"Tell people which areas you would work on, what initiatives or policy proposals you have, what your social and state priorities are. Platforms rather than threats and noise," she said in a subsequent post.

Milanovic accused Grabar-Kitarović of "cowardly evading debates" after earlier this week she turned down invitations by Nova TV, RTL and N1 to a televised debate involving presidential candidates.

"In all democratic countries debates between presidential candidates are an integral part of the election campaign and Croatia is no exception. Former presidents Stjepan Mesić and Ivo Josipović did not shun debates with their rivals either," Milanović said.

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

ZAGREB, December 12, 2019 - The opinion of the advocate general of the European Union's top court that this judicial institution has no jurisdiction over the Slovenia-Croatia border dispute is a step toward agreement between the two countries on the issue dating back to the time of Yugoslavia's break-up, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday.

Court of Justice of the European Union Advocate General Priit Pikamae said on Wednesday the Court did not have jurisdiction in Slovenia's case against Croatia, accepting arguments submitted by Croatia which argued that the case was not about EU law but international law.

Slovenia launched proceedings against Croatia alleging that its neighbour was violating articles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which concern respect for the rule of law and loyal cooperation between member states.

Commenting on the opinion of the Estonian expert Pikamae, Plenković said at a meeting of his cabinet that what Croatia and Slovenia had in common was greater than the issue of border demarcation, an outstanding issue dating back to the time when they were republics in the Yugoslav federation.

"Eventually we will definitely sit at the table and seek a mutually satisfactory solution," said the premier.

The opinion presented by the independent attorney-general is a step in that direction, he added.

More news about the border issue between Croatia and Slovenia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, December 12, 2019 - At its session on Wednesday the government gave a green light to the Defence Ministry to procure four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Croatian Armed Forces - two helicopters will be donated and two will be purchased, of a total value of 1.167 billion kuna.

The aircraft will be procured in the period from 2021 to 2026 in partnership with the US government.

The United States will donate two Black Hawk helicopters with spare parts and equipment and Croatia will purchase another two identical helicopters from the United States. The partnership includes pilot and ground crew training as well as logistic support.

The US donation amounts to 360.64 million kuna and the value of the entire project is 1.167 billion kuna.

The remaining 804.23 million kuna will be secured from the state budget in the period between 2021 and 2026.

Defence Minister Damir Krstičević said the procurement of the helicopters was unanimously supported by the relevant parliamentary committee.

More news about Croatian Army can be found in the Politics section.

Two Nigerian students, Abia Uchenna Alexandro and Eboh Kenneth Chinedu, accused the Croatian police of chasing them into Bosnia. And now the country's authorities will be returning them to their homeland. As Bosnian Minister of Security Dragan Mektić explained to N1 Bosnia, the two students will be returned to Nigeria because that is what they want.

Bosnia Official Claims Students Afraid of Returning to Croatia

"They have agreed to enter the so-called AVR voluntary repatriation program. With their consent, we can return them to their country of origin without subjecting them to additional procedures, readmissions, etc.," Mektić noted.

The minister also explained that the possibility of readmission (i.e. return to the country where the immigrants were staying before entering Bosnia) was not considered.

"They expressed a great fear of returning to Croatia and worried that they would be further harassed there. They were simply afraid for their own lives," Mektić claimed. He added that the two Nigerian students chose not to seek asylum in Bosnia.

Croatian Police and Hostel Manager Deny Students’ Account

Recall that the Nigerian students, who came to Croatia without rackets to play table tennis for a sports competition in Pula, claimed that the Croatian police abducted them in Zagreb on November 17 or 18. According to their uncorroborated account, the Croatian police transferred them to the green border of Bosnia and then expelled them there under threat of violence.

However, the police claim that the Nigerian students “officially checked out of the HI Youth Hostel on November 18, paid their expenses, took their travel documents and possessions, and left for an unknown destination."

The police also noted that another student (in the group of five) tried to enter Slovenia twice and applied for asylum in Croatia on November 27.

The hostel manager confirmed the police account and disputed the students’ claimed check-in and check-out dates. He also disputed the students’ claims that an unidentified “friend” retrieved the students’ passports from the hostel after their alleged disappearance.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), also responded to the students’ claims on Saturday, after their story, which originally appeared in Žurnal, was picked up by The Guardian and then The Cable in Nigeria.

“It’s not as straightforward as you have reported, but the Minister (of Foreign Affairs) has personally intervened,” she wrote.

Follow our Politics page for updates on the migrant crisis in Croatia.

Blackard Global, an American company based in Dallas, Texas – which has been responsible for over two billion in investments for real estate projects around the world, regretfully has to say that it is abandoning its investment project on the Croatian island of Pašman.

Although they have encountered a professional approach, a transparent attitude and satisfactory communication with the Pašman municipality and Zadar county, the Blackard Global investors must withdraw from the project for several reasons, according to Novac/Jutarnji List on December 11, 2019.

American Encounters Unexpected Financial Obligations

Considering that the American firm had already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Pašman project, their desire to invest was more than obvious. Blackard Global was informed from the beginning that there were certain financial obligations that, as a future investor, they would have to settle. However, they were not aware that those obligations amounted to more than 10 million EUR. Although the two parties managed to reduce this amount to around two and a half million euros, it was still considered an investment risk. It is significant that Blackard Global was the only company that had ever applied for this competition to develop the area.

Properties, Plans and Permits not Secured

It should also be noted that the golf course portion of project had not yet been included in the spatial plan of Zadar county, marina and beach concessions have not been secured for the company Pašman Riviera d.o.o. There was no urban development plan, which was the obligation of the investor after purchasing a stake in the Pašman Riviera company, and part of the land is still in the hands of private owners. In short, it was a greenfield investment, but the financial liabilities were more like a brownfield investment, which was not acceptable for Blackard Global.

Considered High-risk Investment Overall

“For us, as well as for any investment fund from the United States of America, this investment of almost $500 million would simply pose too much risk. If we had built a resort and there had been a future disruption in the Mediterranean tourism market, we would have been in financial trouble. Since the competition guidelines do not allow for the sale of real estate, we would not be able to maintain the stability of the project. Also, the municipality was not able to provide any guarantees for us as investors. In my experience, capital investments anywhere in the world must be attractive to investors. Unfortunately, that was not the case here,” revealed Jeffory D. Blackard, CEO of Blackard Global.

In 2005 Blackard Global created Adriatica Village in the American city of McKinney, Texas – a development which was inspired by Blackard’s visit to the town of Šupetar.

You can see a video interview with Blackard on the reasons for him pulling out in this Tportal article. 

 For more information on real estate developments in Croatia, follow our Business page and Lifestyle page.

December 12, 2019 - The town of Rovinj is the first in Istria and among the first in Croatia to receive a spectacular 3D pedestrian crossing near the Juraj Dobrila Elementary School. 

Glas Istre reports that this additionally seeks to increase the safety of motorists, as well as the number of children and students in the area.

"In order to increase the safety of children in traffic, the city of Rovinj has invested in the construction of a new 3D pedestrian crossings at Juraj Dobrila Elementary School. It is a cleverly-designed optical illusion that catches the attention of drivers who will surely slow down after seeing a seemingly hovering zebra while entertaining pedestrians who have a 'sense of walking on air’,” said Rovinj Public Utilities Director Elvis Prenc.

Glas Istre

Many countries have already implemented these innovative 3D crossings, including India, Iceland, and cities in the US, Canada, England, China and Russia

Specifically, traffic experts have concluded that 3D pedestrian crossings can be a great tool to slow down traffic. Namely, a driver approaching a 3D pedestrian crossing is inclined to slow down more than it would in the case of a conventional pedestrian crossing.

According to the Westminster council, these optical illusion crossings have already proven to improve road safety.

"Trials of a similar scheme in New Delhi, India, are reported to show that average speeds where it was employed had dropped by as much as 40 per cent, from 30mph to 20mph,” reported the Westminster Council.

The concept originally comes from India, while Iceland is responsible for bringing the idea to Europe. DiverCityMag writes that although the effect is striking, 3D crossings can only work in one direction, so they can only be used in one-way streets. 

You can see how the 3D pedestrian crossings work in the video below.

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

December 12, 2019 - The Zagreb County Tourist Board introduced a new promotional video on December 10, 2019, that shows the natural, cultural and historical landmarks of the County, as well as the important events, traditions, and crafts of the Croatian region, reports HRTurizam.

Tourism is predominantly a service industry and tourism is often referred to as an "industry of experience," which poses many challenges for tourism professionals, said Ivana Alilović, director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, when presenting the promotional film. "Our goal is to become a competitive tourist destination by 2020, but also to harness the potential that tourism has as a platform for the development of other industries," Alilović added.

The promotional film featured the cooperation of the Zagreb County Tourist Board and Croata in developing promotional scarves with an emphasis on folklore style that bears elements of folk costumes that are closely intertwined with the ethno-style.

"Design is something that repeatedly attracts and overwhelms us with its capabilities - whether its visually or technically, and once this is all harmonized, we become the creators of a beautiful whole. We are proud of the scarf designs created for the Zagreb County Tourist Board. Namely, inspired by folk embroidery, we blended the traditional and the modern, and by composing the motifs of flower petals and leaves, we received an unusual texture that adds to the dynamic of the pattern. A good selection of fashion details has always been crucial and represents the point of every outfit, however classic or modern. We believe that these scarves will be worn with pride,” said Mihaela Grnović Novakovic, Art Director of the Croata fashion brand.

The director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board added that folklore style is not only a unique trend in fashion in general, uniting a wide range of shapes, colors, textures and different variations, but that today they have the opportunity to promote a new fashion accessory from Zagreb County, which was relevant yesterday and will be tomorrow through the further promotion of the Zagreb County tradition.

The promotional film was made in collaboration with Ashley Colburn. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.