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After a government session, Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar announced amendments to the Trade Act and the Crafts Act today, which propose, among other things, that local governments can decide whether shops will sell alcohol from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., while craftsmen will be able to continue working even after they retire.
The latest announcement by the Minister of Economy regarding amendments to the Trade Act brings a significant conceptual shift compared to the strict draft that was on the table ahead of last year's tourist season.
While a fixed national ban on the sale and delivery of alcohol after 20 p.m. was then being considered, the new proposal drops the "One-Size-Fits-All" solutions and introduces a decentralization model, leaving key decisions to local government units. Which is certainly a good signal and move, because each destination knows for itself whether to react, i.e. introduce a ban on the sale of alcohol or not. So the responsibility for tourism development is lowered to the local level.
This paradigm shift suggests that the state has recognized the diverse needs of Croatian cities and municipalities. Instead of imposing identical rules for all cities, because each destination is different, especially in the context of tourism (sea and continental tourism, tourism development, density...), cities now receive the legal basis to independently define the sales regime in the range from 20:00 PM to 06:00 AM.
This shifts the responsibility for destination management and public order directly into the hands of local leaders, who best know the dynamics of their cities and streets and the needs of their citizens.
It is particularly significant that the new proposal should retain the earlier intention of covering all sales channels, including deliveries and remote orders. This is crucial for tourist areas as it closes the space for a gray area where courier services could become mobile channels for the supply of alcohol in the middle of the night. The goal remains the same: protecting the health of young people and preserving cultural heritage, but the method becomes more flexible and focused on the specific context of each individual destination.
Note, restrictions that local governments can impose relate to exclusively to shops, kiosks and gas stationsCatering establishments (cafes, bars and restaurants) remain regulated through their own laws and decisions on the working hours of catering establishments.
This means that alcohol will still be able to be consumed in controlled conditions in catering establishments, while the measures aim to suppress the uncontrolled purchase of alcohol in stores for consumption in public areas, beaches and walls, which was the main cause of riots in tourist centers.
Ultimately, this approach allows destinations to create the necessary balance between the quality of life of citizens and the development of tourism
