Croatian entrepreneurs are taking the limelight once again with their ideas, innovation and good business sense, but this time, the recognition comes from outside of Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes on the 7th of November, 2019, a startup has designed a tool for digital documentation and communication in the building industry, and one of the people at the top is a Croat.

PlanRadar, which has developed a digital documentation and communication tool in the construction and real estate markets, was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Austria in the Startup category.

An expert jury awarded PlanRadar one of the most prestigious entrepreneurial awards currently available, assessing growth, future potential, innovation, employee leadership and social responsibility. It is a solution that is used weekly on more than 25,000 projects across 43 countries in total. One of the founders of PlanRadar is Croatian national Bojan Petković.

He recently said as director for Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia that, that although these three countries are their main focus, the company will not neglect others in the region.

Their main market is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), but PlanRadar has recognised the potential of the Croatian market and plans to develop the application even further.

"PlanRadar enables the construction industry and the real estate market to have digital documentation, manage tasks and deficiencies throughout the project," says Petković. The benefits of PlanRadar have been recognised by large international companies such as Strabag and Hochtief, and in Croatia by the likes of Kamgrad and Abilia.

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

November 7, 2019 - Marin Cilic announced on Thursday morning that he would not play in the Davis Cup this month in Madrid, to be held from November 18-24.

In a Facebook status to his 175,000 fans and an Instagram post to his 196,000 followers, Marin revealed:

With the 2019 season finished, I wanted to share an update with you all. The last year and a half has been a real struggle mentally and physically for me. Even with all the preventative work and rehab my team and I did, my recurring knee injury has continued to give me problems, and as the season progressed it was becoming more evident that surgery was inevitable. I recently did an ultrasound and luckily the results were better than expected.

The rehab work was successful enough that surgery is not necessary at this stage, however, I will need to undergo a few minor interventions which will keep me off the tennis court for a longer period and unfortunately means I will not be able to compete at the Davis Cup this month. I am extremely disappointed by this, but I believe in my teammates and will be their most devoted fan.

In the meantime, I will dedicate myself to getting back to form so that I can enter the 2020 season healthier, more prepared, and more motivated than ever. Thank you all for your constant support and I look forward to seeing you back on tour in 2020.”

Marin Cilic thus finished the 2019 season as the 39th best tennis player in the world. 

Croatia coach Zeljko Krajan allegedly knew about Cilic's problems and was ready to act in the event Cilic could not continue. According to Sportske Novosti, Krajan will return 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic to the national team. Karlovic jumped in back in 2016 thanks to a similar situation in the finals against Argentina. Then, Karlovic lost a crucial match against Federico Delbonis. Krajan’s other options were the much more inexperienced Viktor Galovic, Nino Serdarušić and Borna Gojo.

Croatia plays in Group B in Spain against Spain and Russia. Three matches will be played in one day, two in the singles competition and one in the doubles. The winners of the groups and the two best runner-up teams advance to the quarterfinals.

Borna Coric, Ivan Dodig, Nikola Mektic, and Mate Pavic will play for Croatia along with Ivo Karlovic.

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

November 7, 2019 - Croatia is home to the 2018 World Cup runner up team captained by the ageless Luka Modric. Hoisting the banner through their miraculous 2018 run was only one of many opportunities for free publicity. Shows like Game of Thrones recognized the natural countryside beauty and feature the rolling hills of Croatia. In 2013, Croatia had put a plan in place to build 30 golf courses by 2020. This is an attempt to bring Croatia back into the global golf market. 

Tourism on the Rise

With deliberate enhancements focusing on boosting Croatia’s tourism have worked, growing the total from 2013 tourism numbers from 9.7 million to 11.1, an increase of 14.4%. International phenomenons like Game of Thrones and the World Cup final run have put Croatia on notice for increases in tourism. 

Croatia is more known for its beaches, exotic ports on the Mediterranean, deliciously diverse culinary experience. PLans to grow the Croatian golf infrastructure have been underway and are making the area closer to a full-service getaway. The other accommodations rival some of the best the world has to offer. The question Croatia's golf superintendents, financiers, and managers will have to ask:

Will they Come to Golf?

Croatia is nestled only a few hundred miles east of northern Italy. This geographic location presents favorable year-round temperatures with winter lows hovering around the fifties and summer temperatures reaching the eighties, the climate is perfect for year-round golf. Many golfers in the summer are looking to escape the brutal summer temperatures of the more southern parts of Europe. 

Additionally, since Croatia is still a growing tourism destination, golf courses won’t be as crowded for many golfers looking for a mild weather experience. In addition to new golf courses being built every year, Croatia has a unique blend of beaches, mountains, and rolling rural hills. 

The pristine landscape is only matched by world-class accommodations. Golfers can go from course to adventure in a matter of minutes. An experience can be customized to match the desires and needs of the group. Croatia is easy to travel across quickly, whether backpackers, golf travelers, dog lovers, or perhaps a family vacation. A visitor’s experience can go from golf in the mountains to golfing on the beach in only a few hours. One can even bring a dog or adopt one. 

Favorable Exchange Rate

As travelers look for ways to stretch their dollars, they look to leverage exchange rates to their benefit. Currently, the Croatian Kuna has a very favorable exchange rate of 7:1 for the Euro, meaning travelers can get more out of their vacation.

Golfing can be an expensive activity and a favorable exchange rate works to attract tourists to the courses. A combination of the newly designed golf courses, luxurious scenery, high-class accommodations, and the ability to stretch visitor dollars are a recipe for growing the golf tourism market. 

Concerns of the EU

As the EU destabilizes with BREXIT looming, tourism could become more complicated for visitors out of the United Kingdom. The potential ripple through Europe could include a retraction of the power of the British Pound and the Euro, these tourists have the most and easiest access to Croatia. A destabilizing of the EU could spell disaster for tourism not only in Croatia but also across the EU. 

Western European Reputation

The home of golf resides in the northern United Kingdom in Scotland, there are many American tourists that want to visit courses with tradition and legend like the Old Course at St. Andrews making it hard for other countries to draw the lure of tourism dollars for golf. The allure of new picturesque golf course may appeal to some golfers but many hardcore golf travelers will tend to gravitate towards Western Europe where several European tour events are held. 

European Tour Aspirations

Croatia has the accommodations, infrastructure, and emphasis on golf courses makes them a prime new destination to hold a European Tour event. People will travel for high profile events. Consider the tourism numbers for tournaments like the Masters and Open Championship. Will high-quality golfers, people will travel across the world to watch some of the best perfect their craft. 

Invest in Golf Instruction

Considering the explosion of Asian golfers onto the international stage, K.J. Choi put South Korea and Asia on the golf map almost overnight with several top finishes, alluring personality, and growing fandom, local audiences tune into golf and head to courses to emulate their international heroes. The golf industry has boomed over the past few years, rebounding from a rough few years after the financial collapse. 

Similar to governments investing in their Olympic programs, Croatia can invest in the golf market. Many training resources are available around the world and to the earlier point of fair year-round weather, outdoor training is possible almost 365 days a year. Getting exposure in larger markets is important to bring additional interest and capital to golf tourism. A single individual making it on the tour can be worth millions in tourism and golf marketing dollars.

Croatia shows exceptional promise in growing its tourism and golf market. The natural beauty of the Croatian landscape is enough to lure prospective travels to the shores and mountain peaks of the Croatian countryside. There are some concerns about the marketing challenges and stability of the largest tourism base in the EU facing issues. 

Currently, the market conditions are favorable as the Kruna remains a balanced currency and travelers from European and US markets are able to leverage exchange rates to extend their travel itineraries. Since blockbuster media and sports successes have showcased Croatia as an accommodating and capable infrastructure nation, a European Tour or other special event featuring the world’s best golfers to promote the beauty of the Croatian landscape. 

The Croatian government and tourism department is working diligently to improve local golf tourism through the enhancement of the current golf infrastructure. An increase in Croatian tourism is a signal of its growing interest in the country as a tourism location. Time, strategic growth, and expansion of the Croatian commerce industry will be the seal on the future of golf in this Eastern European country. 

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

November 7, 2019 - Over the last 15 years, Tomorrowland has grown to be one of the world's largest and most notable music festivals - and we might see a version of it in Pula in the future. 

Next to the Pula Arena, one might say that some of the most recognizable products of the town are its music festivals - Outlook and Dimensions. Sadly, 2019 was the final year that Outlook and Dimensions festivals would be held in Pula after they announced a relocation to Sibenik in 2020. The departure of Outlook and Dimensions was expected to be a considerable hit to Pula’s tourism, though it might not be all that bad for this Istrian city in the end. A version of one of the biggest festivals in the world could be calling Pula its new home. 

Namely, Glas Istre first wrote about the possibility of Tomorrowland coming to Pula two months ago, and now the story has been confirmed by the director of the Istria Tourist Board, Denis Ivosevic.

Ivosevic told Glas Istre that he is optimistic about Tomorrowland's arrival in Pula, but that is still not a definitive confirmation that this international spectacle will come to the largest city on the Istrian peninsula. In any case, if it did happen, Pula would again be on the map of the most attractive festival destinations in the world. 

Ivosevic added that a music festival, whether it be Tomorrowland or another, would surely make Pula their home. 

Tomorrowland is one of the largest and most famous dance and techno music festivals in the world. The first edition took place in 2005 in the Belgian town of Boom near Antwerp, where it is traditionally held during the last weekend of July. Two years ago, the festival was visited by as many as 400,000 people, which are attracted to its mega stages and visual splendor.

Tomorrowland often ranks first in the world's top music festivals, ahead of Austin City Limits in Texas, Glastonbury, Rock in Rio, Chicago's Lollapalooza, Burning Man (Black Rock Desert, Nevada), Tennessee’s Bonnaroo, Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles, Coachella, and Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Tomorrowland in Belgium, which has versions in other countries as well, could spark up a new edition in Pula. 

You can read more about Outlook and Dimensions leaving Pula here. 

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

November the 7th, 2019 - Croatia has been a member state of the European Union since July 2013. Some growing pains were expected throughout the following year, maybe two. The new system which allows ease of access to life and work in Croatia for other EU nationals of course takes a little time to implement, MUP's administrative staff need to be updated, and so on. 

Mistakes happen, and misunderstandings occur. EU law, however, is not complicated, and if you're employed in a position which demands you know it, and keep up to date with it, it's quite unexpected to be told, as an EU national (Netherlands), who was a former Croatian national on top of that, that you have ''no rights''. Amazing, no? Welcome to Croatia, the country set to preside over the EU at the beginning of 2020.

We at TCN do our best to help out foreign nationals (be they from the EU or outside of it) when it comes to residence and citizenship matters, and it's always amazing how many comments and emails we get from various people stating how their experience was very different to what both EU and Croatian law prescribe. We've read tales of nothing less than abuse, and while all such stories are utterly unacceptable, one such example among the thousands (literally), was from a former Croatian national, who is now a Dutch national, who had recently moved back to Zagreb - and it stood out from the crowd for all the wrong reasons.

The Dutch citizen in question wanted to get her Croatian citizenship back, but of course, she first sought legal residence, and as a Dutch national, she had every right to do so and have it all done and dusted without much fuss. However, she was instead belittled, demeaned, shouted at like a child, reduced to tears, told she had no family and also that she has no rights. We're keeping this woman's identity anonymous as per her perfectly understandable request after such an inexcusable experience at the hands of the Croatian authorities, but thanks to her unwillingness to just conform, SOLVIT, an EU body which helps mistreated EU nationals got involved, and not long after, so did the European Commission.

Here is her story of psychological abuse and public shaming by MUP. The disgraceful treatment she received at the hands of administrative clerks at the foreigners' department at Petrinjska police station, in the very heart of Zagreb has attracted the attention of the EC.

''I’m a foreign Croatian national who migrated to the Netherlands 13 years ago. After completing my masters and PhD in Amsterdam, I moved to the UK to do my postdoc at the University of Oxford, and went on to work for the London office of a large multinational company. I’ve recently returned to Croatia with the intention of staying permanently.

On the day after my arrival, I went to the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MUP) in Petrinjska to inquire on how to apply for temporary residence. As a Dutch citizen, I am technically not obliged to do this for the first 3 months of my stay, but it’s necessary for a whole host of practical reasons, e.g. I can’t register or drive my car without it. Because I’m well familiar with the fact that the documents required by the clerks can (and often do) differ from what is stated on the website, I went to Petrinjska in person to obtain a list of documents needed to apply. After an hour and a half long wait, I obtained the following list (which differs from what is on the website indeed, and I’m copying in its entirety in case it’s helpful to anyone):

- Form 1b
- Copy of a passport
- Proof of funds or a work contract
- Proof of health insurance
- Rental contract certified by a notary, or a landlord’s declaration signed at PUZ (can also be certificate of ownership)

I later found out only three of the above documents are required by law (passport, proof of funding, and proof of health insurance). Also, it struck me as bizarre that I had to wait 1.5 hours to obtain information that should so evidently be provided on MUP’s website. It made me wonder how much of the (enormous) queue was caused by the fact that zero of the process is digitised at the moment (my bet is almost all of it). But I went home and prepared all the documents listed above.

The following day I came back at 9:30 and waited for two hours, in which the line moved only by 10 numbers (I was 60 numbers away). Realising that I would not be up before the end of the working day, I left and decided to get up at 6 the following day so I can come back to Petrinjska at 7:45 to take my place in the queue. There were 50 people in the line before me when I got there, but thankfully they were not all waiting in the same counter and I did not have to wait too long. I handed over all the documents required above.

The clerk inquired why I needed the residence card. Assuming the meant what my immediate need for the card was, I replied that I needed to register my car. She said that was not a valid reason to reside in Croatia. Realising her original question was why I was in Croatia, not why I needed a card, I briefly stated why I was here (not expecting to be asked as it’s not on the above list, and not really knowing what aspects of my stay were relevant – is it relevant that I’m getting medical treatment in a private clinic, is it relevant that I’m following some courses, is it relevant that I’m planning to stay permanently?).

I inquired for a list of valid reasons to apply. The lady at the counter raised her voice and demanded that I left. I wasn’t really inclined to do that after having spent 7 hours on this up to that point, especially while knowing that information provided on websites often differs from what the clerks actually ask for. Several pieces of information I managed to gather from the clerk’s yelling that ensued were, for example, that some of the valid reasons to apply included family reunification, studying, or selling a property. Since the latter two reasons didn’t apply to me, I asked whether family reunification could somehow be applicable to me.

They asked what family I had here. With dozens of other people within hearing distance, I shared with her that I lost both my parents and my brother, and that I have a cousin whose family I am very close with. The clerk replied that I cannot reunite with family, since I don’t have one.

Throughout the whole process, I found it very odd that I was being asked for a reason of stay, since a) it was not told to me upfront (despite me making a dedicated trip the day before for that very purpose), b) I’m an EU citizen and I’d never had that problem with any other EU country. I found it especially odd that the rules communicated to me by the clerks seemed a lot like regulations for third (non-EU) country citizens. After repeatedly asking for a list of valid reasons to stay (at this point we’d already spent 15 minutes on this, with dozens of other people waiting in line), the only advice I managed to get was to read the Croatian Law for Foreign Nationals.

This is what I did; as initially expected, the law was very clear: I should be able to apply for temporary residence very easily and with minimum red tape. I spotted the following five inconsistencies between the law and the information communicated to be at MUP:

MUP: I was already once granted residence under ‘other purposes’, and I cannot reapply.

Law: I can apply under ‘other purposes’ multiple times.

MUP: If I had a valid reason to apply (which according to them I do not), I could only apply to reside in Croatia for a year.

Law: I can apply for a 5-year temporary stay, after which I can apply for permanent residence,

MUP: If I had a valid reason to apply, I could in theory apply on the basis of undergoing medical treatment, family reunification, or study.

Law: there are 4 valid categories of reasons to apply: work, other purposes, study, or reunification with an EU family member residing in Croatia (note: this is different to reunification with Croatian family members that the clerks listed).

MUP: I need to provide the five documents listed above.

Law: I only need to produce a copy of my passport, proof of funds, proof of medical insurance, and a filled-out form.

MUP: I was obliged to register a tourist stay on the day I landed in Croatia. Law: This fundamentally does not apply to EU nationals.

After this initial interaction with the clerks (and before reading the Law on Foreign Nationals) I left the counter really shaken; I’m not used to being yelled at and found the whole experience really distressing, especially as I remained polite throughout the interaction despite the clerk’s attitude. I started to think about things more calmly and realised that perhaps my ongoing medical treatment could be a valid reason to apply; I went back to verify and got confirmation. After contacting the clinic I am being treated in and getting a nurse, a doctor, and a lawyer involved in producing a document for me, I found out I was mis-informed by MUP and that medical treatment is not on the list of reasons to apply for EU nationals.

The highlight of the day occurred after I had read the Law and returned to the counter with correct information at my disposal (this was already 6 hours into that day’s visit to MUP).

I told the clerks I had read the Law as advised, and tried to tell them that the information I was given by them was inconsistent with the Law on several points, and that according to EU regulations I appeared to be entitled to submitting a residence application. What followed can only be described as verbal abuse. The clerks did not let me finish; instead, one of them suggested I wrote a complaint, which would then be rejected (“you can put all this in a complaint, and we will reject it”).

The other pointed out to people in the queue behind me that I was returning for the fifth time that day, and taking up time that should be theirs. They referred me to their superior (which witnessed our first exchange and was unfortunately unfamiliar with the law as well; he supported the clerk throughout our conversation). I waited for this gentleman for 45 minutes, and he then informed me that I was wrong and am not entitled to apply. I pulled out my mobile phone and showed him the relevant section in the Law on Foreign Nationals.

He was still not convinced, but luckily two of his co-workers had entered his office at that point, and he asked them to stay while I present my case to them. I did, and both of them immediately said I was right and am entitled to submitting a residence application.

At this point I started to cry; I was overwhelmed by everything that had happened that day and in the two days before. I told them I was not sure how to actually submit my application, as they would not accept it at the counter. One of them walked me to the counter and explained to the clerks that they needed to accept my application. After a 12-hour process spread across three days, I had finally managed to submit my application. The waiting time for resolution is 5-6 weeks (during which I cannot drive, and living on a hill without public transport this practically means being trapped at home).

While waiting at MUP, I reported the whole case to European Commision’s SOLVIT system (and I strongly encourage other EU nationals to report similar violations; the system was designed to address exactly these type of situations: 'Unfair rules or decisions and discriminatory red tape can make it hard for you to live, work or do business in another EU country.' https://ec.europa.eu/solvit/).

I also inquired with the clerks about who oversees their work, but the only response I got from them was ‘Madam, we’re the Ministry of Internal Affairs’, implying that they don’t report to anyone. I believe there is a large-scale problem in Croatia with adherence to EU laws (I was persistent enough and spoke the language so was ultimately able to get the application accepted, but many are not lucky enough). This is a systemic problem and is highly prevent in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as evidence by the fact that even the senior supervisor on the floor denied me the right to submit a residence application.

The clerks’ abusive attitude is a separate problem and I believe it needs to be thoroughly addressed as well. Sadly, the vast majority of Croats are accustomed to this kind of treatment and consider it standard; I think it is very important that they understand it is not, and that they are entitled to fair treatment and correct information. I would encourage anyone who has experienced a similar treatment to come forward, whether to the media or to relevant EU institutions.

Update: SOLVIT quickly responded with the following:

''Dear ___,
Thank you for your message. My apologies for all the distress you have experienced. Indeed it sounds like they have treated you unfairly. Unfortunately since you have managed to submit your residence application and have it accepted, you do not have a concrete problem anymore. This means that we are unable to intervene, because we can only help when there is a concrete problem for the applicant. Since we believe it is important that you notify the treatment you have experienced, we would like to suggest to hand in a complaint through the European Commission. You can find out more information through (a link they provided).
They are able to look into complaints concerning situations that have already occurred and have already been resolved.''

As per their advice, I forwarded my complaint to European Commission, who is now looking into it. In the meantime, after nearly a 5-week wait and having to submit another document not formally required by law (proof of ownership of my apartment, which under Article 161 of the Law on Foreign Nationals is not required), I got my temporary residence approved. I now need to wait an additional three weeks to get my residence card. After noting to a clerk at MUP that this seems quite long, he informed me I was “very lucky”, as “people often wait 2 months”.

I sighed and noted that Croatian bureaucracy is quite bad, adding that this was not his fault personally. He responded that after I got my citizenship (which I have no intention of applying for, but I guess he assumed this was something I wanted to pursue) I would be able to complain. I replied saying that EU nationals have rights, too. His response was: “No, you don’t”.

Can you believe that, just think about it for a second. A public servant in an EU country tells an EU citizen that they have no rights in Croatia.

I will quote here Article 153 of the Law on Foreigners: ''(1) A national of an EEA Member State and members of his or her family, whether or not they are nationals of an EEA Member State and who have the right of residence in the Republic of Croatia, shall be equal to the citizens of the Republic of Croatia under the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.''

I did not explain the law to the gentleman, because given his position he should have known it (at least the basics; this is the first article of the section on EU nationals in Croatia); I just told him that we still have rights, despite what the MUP's staff think.''

If you are an EU national and you have experienced similar issues or feel you have been mistreated, given the incorrect information by MUP, publicly, verbally abused or shouted at, we at TCN urge you most strongly to report the issue to SOLVIT and to the European Commission.

SOLVIT deals with unresolved cases and you can click here to report your issue.

The European Commission investigates such issues which have already been resolved, and you can report your issue here.

If you'd like us to tell your story, email us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We have been collecting experiences across various expat groups and beyond, and we intend to write an article including all of them. The response was overwhelming, and the stories of abuse, misinformation and mistreatment are rife. As stated, we intend to publish them all and forward the article to the European Commission, who is now investigating the case described in this article.

For more information and help on residence and citizenship, follow our dedicated lifestyle page.

November 7, 2019 - Ryanair could reopen their connection to Osijek, with plans to bring about five thousand passengers to Slavonia next year.

This was said on Tuesday at the WTM World Tourism Exchange in London after Croatian Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic and Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli met with representatives of the low-cost airline, reports Novac.hr.

Namely, they discussed joint promotional projects that Ryanair would promote Croatian destinations and bring more guests to the airports to which it has flown so far, i.e., Pula, Zadar and Rijeka. Still, the minister made it clear to them that Croatia intends to develop the entire country equally in terms of tourism.

“We have made it clear to them that the policy of this Government is the development of the continent and that our wish is to connect the green and the blue. We told them that as the Government, we insisted on opening the line to Osijek at least four months a year. According to Ryanair, we will give a letter of intent to reflect on the quality of living in Croatia. It is not in our interest to have a peak season only in three or four destinations but to develop Croatia well. Stanicic will cooperate with his team in the next ten days and with Osijek Airport. The plan is to fly to Osijek from June to September and establish two to three flights. By the way, this company has brought 310,000 passengers to Croatia this year, they plan to reach 400,000 passengers, and their strongest base is Zadar."

On the second day of the fair, they also met with the world's largest tour operator - TUI.

“They brought 200,000 passengers to Croatia this year, and they plan to increase that number by 20,000. It will also increase the number of its charter flights,” Stanicic said.

“This increase in the number of passengers will, of course, require more Croatian workforce in the coming season. Cappelli has already announced that foreign labor import quotas will grow to 30,000 work permits. This year the quota amounted to 21,000 work permits. Cappelli also used his visit to the fair to animate his colleagues from other European countries to make stronger choices for financing tourism projects through European funds, especially since Croatia will take over the EU presidency at the beginning of the year.

We are talking about turning an initiative supported by 13 countries to express a wish for tourism to be in a better position during these six months of Croatia's EU presidency. Spain has proposed setting up a committee on Transport and Tourism. The goal is that there is one committee to deal with tourism, since 10 percent of people in Europe work in tourism, and tourism accounts for a large share of the GDP of many countries. It is the third strongest industry in the world. We will demand that certain funds can finance projects in tourism, such as health tourism,” concluded Cappelli.

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

ZAGREB, November 7, 2019 - Anka Mrak Taritaš (GLAS) said in parliament on Wednesday that the 2019 budget revision was a real picture of the government - it looked nice from the outside but lacked any serious reform, with citizens not feeling any progress despite good economic indicators.

Tax revenues have increased but only owing to an increase in consumption and imports and not owing to an increase in production. The growth of exports has been slowing down for the second year in a row while EU funds are not being sufficiently used, Mrak Taritaš warned in a parliamentary debate on the budget revision.

She also warned about growing imports of labour.

All kinds of pensions fall under the pension system, both privileged and unearned, while people who have really earned their pensions through work barely make ends meet, she said.

Social Democrat Branko Grčić said that tax revenues exceeded the government's projections by 3.1 billion kuna but that the question was how that money had been spent.

Tax revenues have increased but owing to a growth in consumption. That shows that tax reliefs are just a cosmetic measure because the share of tax revenues in GDP in 2019 has not changed significantly compared to the term of the SDP-led government, standing at 20.4%, Grčić said.

As for budget expenditure, the item of EU funds has been corrected because plans are not being realised - the item has been reduced from 10.8 to 8.1 and then to 7.5 billion kuna, said Grčić, adding that when Croatia's payment into the EU budget of 3.5 billion kuna was deducted from that amount, the effect of EU funds was 4 billion kuna or only 1% of GDP.

He also noted that the announced increase of non-taxable income from 3,800 to 4,kuna 000 would mean a wage increase of 52 kuna at the most, which he said was negligible.

Božo Petrov of the MOST party warned that the state was consuming two-thirds of economic growth, which he described as politically and socially irresponsible, recalling that in the period from 2016 to 2019 additional revenues of 3 billion kuna had been earned but that more than that had been spent.

"Where has that money gone? Because citizens' living standards are still poor," he wondered.

Petrov said that the amount of money absorbed from EU funds was 2.2 billion kuna less than planned and that emigrants' remittances amounted to 18 billion kuna annually, which, he said, meant that without that money, Croatia would be in the red and in a deep recession.

The state's spending has been inflated by 30 billion kuna and an additional 3 billion kuna has been taken from citizens' income, Petrov said, wondering what message this was sending to citizens and adding that there could be no reduction of the tax burden without cutting the state's spending .

Independent MP Hrvoje Zekanović asked why Croatia was borrowing money if it had a budget surplus.

The report on the budget revision makes no mention of demography and the government has not managed to find an economic model to keep young people in the country, Zekanović said, describing PM Andrej Plenković's economic policy as a failure.

More budget news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 7, 2019 - Croatia's presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) will focus on stronger regional development, synergy between macro-regional strategies and the Cohesion Policy, as well as promotion of cooperation with countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership, Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Marko Pavić said on Wednesday in Vukovar, where he presented the programme of Croatia's presidency of the Danube Strategy.

The Danube Strategy encompasses 14 countries of the Danube River basin and the programme of Croatia's presidency of the strategy provides a strategic framework for the EU's approach to the Danube region whose policies and investments have a direct impact on the lives of more than 20 million people.

The main theme of Croatia's presidency will be "The Danube Strategy - 10 Years Later" and the presidency will focus on identifying macro-regional cooperation, evaluating the results achieved thus far and determining the future direction of its development.

The Danube Strategy is one of the EU's four macro-regional strategies, adopted in 2011, and Croatia took over its presidency from Romania on 1 November, Minister Pavić underlined presenting the strategy, stressing that the strategy was connected with funds.

"So far Croatia has absorbed more than 1.2 billion kuna from the INTERREG programme for cross-border cooperation and of that amount, 83 million kuna comes from the Danube programme which follows the Danube Strategy," Pavić said, underlining the importance of planning future funding.

Croatia's chairmanship has three political objectives - strengthening regional development, creating a synergy between macro-regional strategies and the Cohesion Policy, as well as encouraging cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership, Pavić said.

He in particular made reference to the Slavonia-Baranja-Srijem regional development programme for which contracts worth almost 11 billion kuna have been signed and 4 billion kuna has been paid out.

"That project is the Croatian government's pride and based on signals from the European Commission, it is one of the few programmes that is chaired by the prime minister, which is believed to be one of the reasons of its success," Pavić underscored, adding that that programme would be especially presented through the Danube Strategy as a model for regions, notably less developed ones.

Croatia's chairmanship consists of five thematic priorities - cooperation between research institutions and economic stakeholders, environmental protection and sustainable economic development, inland waterways, tourism and smart villages, civil protection and regional and local government capacity building.

In a statement to the media after the presentation, Pavić underscored that chairing the Danube Strategy was an opportunity for Croatia's priorities to be reflected in future cohesion policies and the EU budget and that significant funds that can be secured for the Danube region be directed towards developing the five Slavonian counties.

Foreign and European Affairs Minister Goran Grlić Radman addressed the conference, stressing that Croatia joined the European family to protect stability and peace and prevent campaigns such as the Great Serbian aggression from ever happening again.

Radman said that aside from chairing the Danube Strategy Croatia was also chairing the Danube Commission, established in 1948, and that those presidencies would coincide with its presidency of the Council of the EU and that they would all end with the conclusion of the EU budget for the next seven years.

He added that as the national coordinator, his ministry would advocate the interests of all state institutions, civil society organisations, the academic community and other stakeholders and support a balanced and sustainable development and cross-border and macro-regional cooperation.

Vukovar Mayor Ivan Penava recalled that Vukovar has the largest river port in Croatia and that the importance of the Danube for the town's development can be seen in the fact that 231 cruise ships with 32,000 tourists berthed in Vukovar in 2018. By November 15 this year there will have been 356 ships with more than 48,000 tourists that will have visited Vukovar, he said.

The main events of Croatia's presidency of the Danube Strategy were presented in Vukovar today, including the 30th anniversary of INTERREG programmes in June 2020 and the central event - the annual forum of the Danube Strategy that will be held in Zagreb, with more than 700 participants.

The Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds today presented 170 agreements valued at about 125 million kuna of national and EU funds to beneficiaries from the five counties in Slavonia, aimed at further stimulating balanced development.

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