TAKE A TRIP DOWN JANUARY WITH US

Welcome to another series of overviews of all the topics we shared with you in the month of January. It was an interesting one - full of different topics, covering up-to-date news from the EU and Croatia. We’ve put all of those themes in one place – our monthly Keep Up. Interested in what’s new in the sphere of the EU and Croatia? Keep on reading.

The European Union recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the EU single market, which has facilitated the free movement of goods, services, money, and people across the EU without restrictions. This historic milestone is a testament to the EU's commitment to fostering economic integration and creating a level playing field for all member states.

The mutual recognition system ensures that products legally sold in one EU country can be sold in all others, while citizens have the freedom to work, study, shop, reside and retire in any EU country. These benefits have contributed significantly to the growth and development of the EU economy.

Interestingly, the number of employed persons with citizenship in another EU country has increased by 47% from 2010 to 2021. Additionally, the share of EU enterprises with e-commerce sales to other EU countries rose from 6% to 9% between 2011 and 2021. These figures are a testament to the benefits of the EU single market and its contribution to the growth of the EU economy.

We’ve also written about Data Protection Day, initiated by the Council of Europe 17 years ago, which aims to educate the public on data protection challenges and inform individuals about their rights. This year, the Council will showcase global initiatives to protect personal data, highlighting the importance of safeguarding personal information in an increasingly connected world.

A collaboration with Croatian artist Lea Androic resulted in an owl becoming part of the AP’s logo, representing wisdom, good judgment, and knowledge. The owl is a symbol of the AP’s commitment to promoting education and awareness of critical issues.

Moving to the Croatian side of the EU, we bring some news. The City of Zagreb's recent initiative to instruct citizens to separate waste has raised concerns about controlling the system and video surveillance in common areas. The Agency for the Protection of Personal Data (AZOP) has issued a statement on data protection, concluding that video surveillance in these areas is necessary to protect property.

Finally, the NIS 2 Directive and CER Directive have come into force to strengthen the EU's resilience against online and offline threats. The NIS 2 Directive expands sectors and types of critical entities, strengthens cybersecurity risk management, and replaces the rules on network and information systems' security. The CER Directive covers 11 sectors and strengthens critical infrastructure resilience against natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and sabotage. Member States have 21 months to transpose both directives into national law, highlighting the EU's ongoing commitment to promoting safety and security for all its citizens.

 

Do you like the topics that we have covered in January?

Keep Up with us for a February edition – we are bringing up much more.

 

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