The Croatian Parliament today adopted the Law on Emergency Price Control Measures, which aims to protect citizens' living standards from inflation and ensure a rapid response to market shocks by publishing prices online, Croatian media reported, BTA writes.
Traders who do not comply with the law are threatened with a fine of up to 30,000 euros.
The law was adopted with 76 votes “in favor“ and 33 – „against“.
According to the adopted regulations, large retailers are obliged to regularly publish and update online prices of their products in order to have access to digital tools that will allow consumers to compare prices in real time.
Traders will have to display the current and previous price of the product for a certain period of time or a certain day. This will allow for easier tracking of price changes and transparent information for consumers.
The law, which enters into force on the first day of its publication in the Croatian Official Gazette, also sets price limits for key products and services, as well as the clear marking of items with limited prices. This means that the trader will have to place a visual indication of the products whose prices are regulated, and in stores with an area of over 400 square meters there must be separate spaces for these products.
For failure to comply with the law, traders will receive fines ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 euros. The law also provides for the confiscation of the financial benefit received as a result of the violations.