According to the information of the portal, the Croatian parliament approved an extensive package of legislative changeswhich significantly affect everyday life in the country. The amendment to the Trade Act attracts the most attention. Thanks to it, local governments gain the power to strictly regulate the sale of alcohol in stores. At the same time, the new rules uncompromisingly tighten the conditions for minors, not only in brick-and-mortar stores, but also on the Internet or at self-service checkouts.
On May 29, Parliament approved the amendment to the Trade Act completely unanimously. According to the new system, municipalities and cities will be able to do so through their councils decide what times retailers can sell alcoholic beverages in their territory. From this step, the Croatian government promises to strengthen the protection of public health, maintain public order and better protect cultural heritage and the environment in exposed locations.
The new legislation also brings a fundamental tightening of the protection of minors, which will affect several forms of sales. Sellers are now obliged to refuse the sale of alcoholic and energy drinks to any customer whom they believe is under 18 years of age, while the only exception is the presentation of a valid identity document.
This obligation also applies to self-service and automatic cash registers without exception, so young people cannot bypass the new rules even with modern forms of purchase. The tightening has also affected the internet market, so e-shops selling alcohol will now have to verify the age of their customers through the state digital identity system e-Građani.
In addition to trade, the amendment to the Accounting Act, which transposes the European content directive into Croatian law, was unanimously approved. For the business environment, this means a huge relief from bureaucracy. The changes drastically reduce the number of companies that must submit complex sustainability reports. ESG reports.
The new criteria determine that this obligation will only apply to huge corporations with more than 1,000 employees and a net turnover of more than 450 million euros. According to government estimates, the number will fall as follows burdened companies in the EU by up to 86%. In Croatia, this number will decrease from the original 500 enterprises to around 30.
Advocacy also underwent reform
Lawmakers approved a new advocacy law, successfully avoiding the threat of financial sanctions from the European Union for non-compliance with European law, with 79 MPs voting for the change, 35 abstentions and five against. The new legislation brings fundamental innovations in the field of legal services, thanks to which lawyers will be able to operate in a much wider range of organizational structures.
In addition, law firms from the European Union and OECD countries will have the opportunity to freely establish their branches and subsidiaries in Croatiawhich will significantly open the legal market there. Positive changes will also be felt by paralegals, who will be given the opportunity to complete part of their mandatory practice with Croatian lawyers operating abroad within the Union, which should help increase their mobility and competitiveness.
What is new is that even retired emeritus university professors of law will be able to provide official legal advice and expert opinionsif they meet the condition and take out professional liability insurance.
The changes did not bypass the transport sector either, where they were passed by a ratio of 90 votes in favor and 29 abstentions new rules governing working hours, mandatory breaks for mobile workers and the use of tachographs in road transport. Deputies also addressed energy, while the amendments in the Energy Charter Treaty received the support of 82 legislators, while 31 were against and four abstained from voting.
It definitively confirms this massive legislative intervention Croatia’s current trend is to firmly anchor itself in the structures of the European Union and at the same time respond flexibly to domestic issues in the field of public health and consumer protection.
