Minister Branko Bačić on a working visit to Split – EEZ Spatial Plan Proposal presented

Today Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Branko Bačić, accompanied by State Secretary Tonči Glavinić and associates, visited Split. During the visit he toured the construction site of a building designated for protected tenants, held working meetings with Mayor Tomislav Šuta and County Prefect Blaženko Boban, and he participated in the presentation of the Proposal of the Spatial Plan of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea.

The working visit started by touring the construction site of a multiapartment block in Alkarska ulica in Sirobuja intended to allocate protected tenants.

“This is where a building comprising 58 apartments will have been completed by the end of June next year. The investment is worth 8.8 million euro. We are pleased the construction work costs 1,600 euro per square meter plus VAT, which is an acceptable price for this type of apartments and also for the construction of state-subsidised apartments,” Minister Bačić said.

He recalled the Act on the Implementation of the European Court’s Judgments of the Statileo Group and the Constitutional Court’s Decision, which entered into force in early April 2024. It resolves the issue of protected tenants and property owned by private owners, whose apartments were taken away almost eight decades ago. In Split, 291 requests have been submitted.

“On the one hand, the Act enables returning property to those from whom it was taken away and, on the other hand, it finds appropriate housing units for protected tenants. By now we have resolved 27 cases in Split, and 58 more cases will be resolved by constructing this multiapartment block,” the Minister clarified.

Mayor Tomislav Šuta emphasised the importance of this project for protected tenants and for the city as well.

“This is very important for protected tenants. The investment shows that this approach can resolve our biggest issue at the moment - affordable housing in the City of Split. We want to resolve this problem, primarily with respect to young people,” the Mayor said and, together with the Minister, announced defining zones for apartment construction in Split, both for protected tenants and for affordable housing.

“Our objective is to reach the necessary number of apartments next year in order to provide all protected tenants with apartments to live in, which they could buy under favourable conditions,” the Minister said.

Along these lines, Minister Bačić held meetings with Mayor Šuta and County Prefect Boban and further discussed the topics of housing and other projects important for the development of the city and the county.

Proposal of the Spatial Plan of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea presented in Split

The Spatial Plan of the Exclusive Economic Zone in the Adriatic Sea was presented on the premises of the county technology hub “Digital Dalmatia”. The strategic document, for the first time, comprehensively defines maritime spatial planning of the Republic of Croatia, with an emphasis on natural resources management, marine ecosystem protection and economic activity development in accordance with European and international standards.

“Split is a city which thrives by the sea and because of the sea. It is the centre of scientific institutions which participated in developing this Plan and of institutions which largely determine state administration’s actions at sea. The city is an increasingly important tourist destination and fishing is related to the city and the island part of the county,” the Minister said.

The Spatial Plan entails programme starting points and a framework for activities referring to aquaculture areas, fishing areas, the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the northern Adriatic, maritime traffic, military training, the positioning of submarine cables and pipelines, as well as nature conservation sites, biodiversity, underwater cultural heritage and scientific research.

“The exclusive economic zone is not the sea closest to us, but the area of the Adriatic Sea that extends 12 nautical miles off the coast. We want to achieve balance between our economic interest and sea conservation for future generations. This is why we have prescribed which economic activities can be performed in the exclusive economic zone,” Minister Bačić pointed out.

The Proposal of the EEZ Spatial Plan was further presented by Director of Institute for Spatial Development Bojan Linardić and additional presentations will take place in Zadar and Rijeka. You can participate in the public consultation until September 30, 2025.

The Minister also recalled the goals of the National Housing Policy Plan of the Republic of Croatia until 2030, adopted by the Government in late March.

“In order to accomplish them, there are three crucial acts by our Ministry open for public consultation at the moment. By the end of the year, we will have presented the Affordable Housing Act and the Apartment Lease Act, in order to fully proceed with the implementation of the National Housing Policy Plan,” he said.

The Affordable Rental Programme is also open for public consultation, designed to activate vacant apartments and designate them for affordable housing.

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