Craftsmen Will No Longer Guarantee Their Property

Enforcement for the realization of monetary claims against craftsmen will no longer be able to be carried out against the house or apartment where the craftsman resides together with the persons he supports, nor on the business premises where he conducts the activity that is his main source of livelihood.

This is a new development highlighted as the most important by the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Gordan Maras, while presenting the draft law on crafts at today’s Government session. Until now, all property of the craftsman could be seized to satisfy monetary claims.

However, according to the proposal of the new law, the craftsman will be able, if he wishes, to pledge his house, apartment, or business premises. There is, as noted by Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, a concern that due to stricter regulations on pledging real estate owned by craftsmen, their creditworthiness will decline, making it harder for them to access bank funds.

Another significant new feature is the opening of the possibility of transferring the craft during the craftsman’s lifetime. The Government proposes that, in addition to the current possibility of inheriting the craft after the owner’s death, the institute of transferring the craft when the owner acquires the right to retirement be introduced. If the Government’s proposal passes in the Parliament, the craft will be able to be transferred to the spouse or children.

In the event of closing the craft, the owner will have the same rights at the Employment Service as other unemployed individuals, with particular importance given to the right to unemployment benefits.

The changes to the law also foresee a reform of the system of the Croatian Chamber of Crafts (HOK). One of the novelties is the introduction of a uniform rate of chamber contributions in a flat amount for the entire area of Croatia. Direct elections for the president of HOK will also be introduced, in which all chamber members will be able to participate on the principle of one member one vote.

Minister Maras states that there were voices from within HOK that the law should not be adopted. He urged HOK officials to propose voluntary membership, which would best demonstrate how HOK operates.

The Government has also submitted a draft law on the thermal energy market to the parliamentary procedure. This law incorporates the legal acquis of the European Union in the field of energy. A new requirement is the obligation to introduce thermal energy consumption meters in all buildings, with a deadline of the end of 2016.

Unlike the previous model under which the taxation of coffee and non-alcoholic beverages was regulated by two laws, the draft law on special tax on coffee and non-alcoholic beverages proposes the introduction of a single law while maintaining the existing level of taxation, with plans to achieve approximately equal revenues as in previous years.