New statistical subdivision to redress injustice done in 2012, says minister

Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Zalac said on Tuesday that a proposal for a new spatial subdivision of Croatia would redress the injustice done in 2012 when the current NUTS2 subdivision was adopted.

Under the current subdivision, the continental region comprises 14 counties and the City of Zagreb and the Adriatic region comprises seven coastal or island counties, which is not a good example of regional development policy, Zalac told reporters after the prime minister met with representatives of counties, towns and relevant parliamentary committees.

Zagreb to become separate region

Last year the European Commission asked all member states to submit changes to NUTS2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics). Croatia's Institute for Development and International Relations compiled a study with new economic and statistical indicators, which were presented to county heads today.

We adopted a proposal with nine subdivision variants under the NUTS classification and the final proposal consists of two variants, said Zalac.

Under one variant, Zagreb becomes a separate region as it has a population of over 800,000 and is the only area in the country whose development exceeds 100%, she added.

The five Slavonian counties, Bjelovar-Bilogora, Sisak-Moslavina and Karlovac counties, which are at about 40% of EU development, deserve a separate NUTS2 region, said Zalac.

The five counties in north Croatia - Varazdin, Medjimurje, Zagreb and Koprivnica-Krizevci - would also make up one region, and Adriatic Croatia would remain one statistical region. 

After the government adopts a decision on the new subdivision, the national statistical office will send it to Eurostat, Zalac said, adding that the 2021 population census will be included in the calculations.

In the second adopted variant, Bjelovar-Bilogora County would belong to north Croatia but additional consultations will be held on this, she said.

Zalac said the new proposal was the most just given the economic and statistical indicators and the poverty map made by the World Bank.

Text: Hina

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