Island Council Supported Maritime Transport Act

Members of the Island Council, presided by the Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Božidar Kalmeta, supported the final proposal of the Liner Shipping Carriage Act and Seasonal Coastal Trade Act.
 
The group of people most interested in the new regulations, are the inhabitants of islands, explained Minister Kalmeta. Although there has been a lot of discussion going on, the new regulation proposal stands for a good solution when it comes to preserving a well functioning traffic connection between the islands and the mainland, as well as in-between the islands. It also allows the protection of national interests and of ship carriers including ‘Jadrolinija’ as the country’s largest line shipping company.

The goal is to finally open up the market and to prepare domestic shipping companies for Croatia's entering the EU, the Minister said. According to him it was important for Croatia to receive a delay period in allowing foreign shipping companies to enter the Croatian market. He also added that, until that moment, it was very important to create competition amongst Croatian shipping company.
 
Members of the Island Council also reviewed information regarding proposals and changes on the Islands Act, which will be presented to the Government trying to protect small islands by turning them into areas of special state concern. The owners of those islands/areas of land will have the duty, when selling their land, to offer it first of all to the state, i.e. county, city or other.
 
The State Secretary for Sea Branko Bačić, pointed out that areas of special concern exist in most countries of the EU. Croatia posses approximately 746 of such islands (total of 25  million square meters), privately owned land can be found on 326 islands, state owned land on 113 islands, locally owned land on 137 islands and mixed ownership on 76 islands. Regarding the rest of the mentioned islands (94), the ownership of the land remains unknown.
 
The rest of the meeting was dedicated to State programs which are concern themselves with other island issues: usage and protection of small islands, protection of island environment, the handling of certain types of waste on islands...

It is the Island Council's task to give its opinion and make suggestions when it comes to defining those State programs regarding the development of islands, as well as to discussing proposals of the Island Annual Program. It is also the Council’s task to inform the Croatian Government about the realization of the State programs and of the Island Annual Program.
 
The Island Council was founded in Supetar, on the island of Brač on 20 December 2004. Besides the Minister himself, the Council counts 28 members.
 
 

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