Bajs: Croatia's 2011 tourism measures are aligned with EU rules

Croatia's measures for tourism promotion in 2011 are aligned with EU competition laws and rules and can be implemented without any problem, Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said on Tuesday. Bajs made the statement at the World Travel Market in London. He was asked by Croatian reporters to comment on Croatian press reports on whether the tourism measures for next year were in line with EU rules. The minister said that in preparing the measures the Tourism Ministry had consulted the Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN). He said that the measures had been recommended by the AZTN and that they were not treated by the agency as state aid. Bajs said that both the AZTN and the European Commission had examined the measures for 2009 and 2010 and found that everything was fine.

Croatia's measures for tourism promotion in 2011 are aligned with EU competition laws and rules and can be implemented without any problem, Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said on Tuesday.

Bajs made the statement at the World Travel Market in London. He was asked by Croatian reporters to comment on Croatian press reports on whether the tourism measures for next year were in line with EU rules.

The minister said that in preparing the measures the Tourism Ministry had consulted the Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN). He said that the measures had been recommended by the AZTN and that they were not treated by the agency as state aid.

Bajs said that both the AZTN and the European Commission had examined the measures for 2009 and 2010 and found that everything was fine.

He said that the measures for 2011 provided for the pooling of funds from both the public and private tourist sectors for advertising purposes, stressing that this did not mean that the Tourism Ministry and the National Tourism Board would be giving grants to anyone, but would be pooling resources with private partners.

Bajs said that Croatia would not go beyond the EU legislative framework. (Hina)


Page