Parliament passes new Islands Act

On Thursday, the Croatian Parliament passed a new Islands Act that should improve the position and life of islanders. According to the 2021 census around 128 thousand Croatians live on the country’s 52 inhabited islands and the Pelješac peninsula.

The new law envisages improving and continuing existing measures, as well as introducing new ones. The measures that are being improved are transport connectivity through subsidizing road and sea transport for islanders, supplying islanders with drinking water, and infrastructural development of the islands.

The law introduces measures to subsidize the price of water transportation on islands, i.e. island settlements that are not connected to the water supply system, for both islanders and business people. The novelty is that water transportation will also be financed in crisis situations, such as, for example, prolonged dry periods. In addition, co-financing of water transportation for business entities operating on islands will increase from 50 to 100 percent.

The existing measure to preserve jobs for island employers is being retained, and a new measure is being introduced aimed at the digital and green transition of island businessmen. The Croatian Island Product program, which aims to encourage the production of indigenous products, is also being retained, and the novelty is that the costs of analytical research will also be co-financed to make it easier for island producers to meet quality standards.

There are also two new measures related to health care and waste management. The difference in costs for expensive waste management projects will be co-financed, such as the remediation of illegal landfills, the construction of recycling yards and the transport of waste to the mainland. In the area of health care, a program is in the works to allocate funds to municipalities and cities to complete the public health service network through investment in infrastructure, housing for medical staff and improving material rights.

Source: HRT