ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - The Federation of European Employers (FedEE) has released a report on European countries offering the most favourable conditions for expanding business activities according to human potential and labour
relations criteria. The situation in Croatia has been estimated favourable for potential investors.
ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - The Federation of European Employers
(FedEE) has released a report on European countries offering the
most favourable conditions for expanding business activities
according to human potential and labour relations criteria.
The situation in Croatia has been estimated favourable for
potential investors. #L#
The report, which included Western European countries and Central
and East-European countries in transition, concludes that only two
countries - Estonia and Croatia - offer more favourable business
conditions than the average.
While Estonia has been singled out due to its imminent admission to
the European Union, it is estimated that Croatia's being attractive
to foreign investors could increase if the proposed changes to
labour legislation are adopted.
The criterion according to which Croatia has been included among
the first five monitored countries is the average number of working
hours per week, independently of legal provisions on the duration
of the working week. While the average number of working hours per
week in Belgium is 33 and in Hungary 34.3, the number of working
hours per week in Croatia is 41.5. According to data collected by
the FedEE, which refers to the International Labour Organisation,
the highest average was reported in Turkey (45.9 hours), while "the
most diligent" transition countries are only Croatia as first and
Latvia as second.
Based on last year's data, collected before legislative changes,
the FedEE has singled out Croatia as a country with one of the lowest
rates of pension insurance contribution that is paid by the
employer.
According to the average duration of sick-leave, Croatia is within
the average, since it is not mentioned either among countries with
the shortest nor those with the longest average sick-leave. Absence
from work due to strike is not mentioned in the report either.
While Croatia and Estonia were singled out because of relatively
favourable conditions for employers, the report notes that
business conditions for employers are very unfavourable in France,
Sweden, Hungary and Denmark.
(hina) rml sb