Hakom - Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency

On Monday, 7 May 2012, a formal closing ceremony marked the official closure of the IPA 2009 Twinning light Project “Support to HAKOM in the area of accounting separation of postal services”. The closing ceremony was held in the premises of the Information Centre of the European Union in Zagreb. The project is worth €191,609.40, of which 10% is national co-financing.
 
The audience was addressed by Mrs. Terezija Benčić, Council Member of the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency (HAKOM) and Project Leader, Mr. Dimitrios Kalogeras, Second Secretary of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Mario Garcés Sanagustín Subsecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Spain, and H.E. Rodrigo Aguirre de Cárcer y García del Arenal, Spanish Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia. Mr. Rafael Crespo, Head of Deputy General Directorate on Postal System of the Ministry of Transport and Public Works of Spain and Project Leader gave a brief presentation of the project results.
 
The project consisted of two components:
Under Component 1 “Selection of accounting separation method and preparation of manual for accounting separation”, cost accounting model for postal operators, the cost allocation process and cost models were analysed as a basis for the calculation of the Universal Postal Obligation. The obligation to maintain a cost accounting and accounting separation according to the Third Postal Directive was analysed and Spanish and Bulgarian experiences in the implementation of rules governing Analytical Accounting and separation of accounts of the postal operators in these countries were presented. The cost accounting model of Croatian Post (Designated Postal Operator) was developed, accounting separation and its allocation of incomes and expenses reviewed; analytical structure model was detailed and the allocation of income to analytical products and primary allocation of costs was completed. Project results were summarised in a Manual, comprising guidelines, recommendations and best practices presented over seven missions, as a tool that defines the duties and activities assigned to both HAKOM as the Regulatory Authority and the Croatian Post as the Designated Postal Operator on accountability.
 
Under Component 2 “Training of HAKOM employees in the area of the accounting separation”, employees were trained for the development of the methodology and tools on the legal and practical aspects of accounting that will allow HAKOM as supervisory authority to face the tasks of developing coherent regulation of the universal postal service rates, and also oversee the accounting of the Postal Operator.
 
The project has significantly contributed to the preparation of HAKOM for the forthcoming liberalisation of the postal market in the Republic of Croatia.
 

On Monday, 14 November 2011, the opening ceremony to mark the launch of IPA 2009 Twinning light project entitled “Support to HAKOM in the area of accounting separation of postal services” was held at the Information Centre of the European Union in Zagreb.
The objective of this project worth € 191,609.40 is to promote and maintain the functioning of the liberalized postal market in line with postal directives of the EU and to assure the law enforcement and adequate market regulation for the protection of postal services users.
The purpose of the project is to improve regulatory capacity of HAKOM staff in the area of accounting separation of the public operator of postal services.
Ms. Terezija Benčić, Member of HAKOM Council and Project Leader, Mr. Paolo Berizzi, Head of Political, Economic, Trade and Press & Information Section in the EU Delegation to the Republic of Croatia and Mr. José Pedro Torrubia Asenjo, representative of the Spanish Embassy addressed the participants. 
 

On Wednesday, 14 September 2011, a closing ceremony for IPA project “Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency“ was held at Hotel Dubrovnik in Zagreb.

Mr. Miljenko Krvišek, President of the HAKOM Council and Mr. Dimitrios Kalogeras, representative of the EU Delegation in the Republic of Croatia welcomed the participants.
 
The “Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency” project was implemented in the Croatian Post and Electronic Communication Agency (HAKOM) within two EU-funded projects: the Supply component and the Technical Assistance component, worth altogether € 4.1 million.
 
The implementation of the technical assistance project, worth almost EUR 700,000.00, officially started in March 2010 and lasted for 18 months. The project focus was on supporting the operational capacity of HAKOM and ensuring its ability to monitor enforcement of the acquis. The aim of the project was to support HAKOM with specific know-how and to improve the capacity of the staff through human resources development strategy and provision of training needed.
 
The objective of the Technical Assistance component was to promote and maintain efficient and sustainable competition in the telecommunication market, to foster socially fair introduction of new public telecommunication technologies, and to assure the law enforcement for protection of telecommunication service providers and their customers. The project reached the following results:

 
The closing ceremony was organized as a panel discussion under the theme “Perspectives of the Regulation of the New Generation Telecommunications Networks in Croatia”.
 

In the period from November 2010 to June 2011, three study visits to European Member States were arranged and implemented under Component II of the IPA 2007 project “Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency (Technical Assistance Component)”. Three groups of four HAKOM employees visited Sweden, the Netherlands with a one-day visit to EC institutions in Brussels, Belgium, and Ireland with the aim to observe electronic communications market regulators of similar size to those in Croatia and to help consolidate learning and improve the capability of participants.

During the three-day visits meetings were held with regulators as well as with other institutions and bodies of the host country. In order to gain the maximum benefit for the organisation, delegates were encouraged to prepare clear objectives for the visits and to prepare structured reports illustrating the lessons learned as well as to make presentations to their peers and subordinates illustrating lessons learned on their return. Copies of the reports have been placed on the HAKOM Intranet so that others may benefit from the learning. Employees who are undertaking the post-graduate course at local universities have predominantly been selected to participate in the study visit programme and have been encouraged to base the study visit objectives around the proposed subject of their respective thesis. The selection of participants and subjects of study was based on the greatest potential benefit to HAKOM and the individual’s development.
 

Trainings for the employees of HAKOM, MSTI and CCA, have been carried out as part of the IPA 2007 funded project “Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency”. The objective of the trainings is the strengthening of the organizational capacity of HAKOM and other stakeholders, i.e. the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the Croatian Competition Agency.

For this purpose the project conducted a series of five trainings addressing the following topics: overview of EC electronic communications regulation, market analysis according to EU criteria and related issues, consumer protection in EU electronic communications regulatory enforcement in the EU and dispute resolution and data protection. The trainings were held from 25 to 31 January 2011 in the premises of Zagreb Europe House and were conducted by Dr. Szabolcs Koppányi, expert in legislation in the field of electronic
communications and regulation, energy, media, market competition and transport.       
                                                                                     
 

Implementation of IPA 2007 project ‘Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency' “Upgrade of Frequency Monitoring Radiolocation System – negotiated procedure” is currently in the stage of a one-year guarantee period for the equipment that was subject of procurement. The equipment and related software have been delivered and installed at the monitoring sites in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Osijek. Testing and training were carried out and the completion was marked by the issuance of the Provisional Acceptance Certificate. After the expiry of the guarantee period, the issuance of the Final Acceptance Certificate will follow.
 

Part of the monitoring equipment was installed in monitoring vehicles. Of a total of five monitoring vehicles, two vehicles with expired life-span were replaced by new ones last year. All monitoring devices and software were transferred from the old to the new vehicles. These include monitoring receivers and software for vehicles, which are now installed in the new Mercedes Sprinters in Osijek and Zagreb.
  

The European Union is providing assistance to HAKOM under its IPA programme (which helps candidate countries prepare for accession to the Union).  The project “Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency (Technical Assistance Component)” provides assistance to HAKOM in the form of training in management skills (2 blocks) and operational skills (2 blocks), study visits and technical assistance in telecommunications regulation.
The first of two blocks of management skills training was held during the period 13 – 16 September 2010 at the Dubrovnik Hotel in Zagreb. Participants included HAKOM managers and professionals as well as representatives of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the Croatian Competition Agency. 
The management skills training has been designed to optimise the capability of  HAKOM personnel to meet the demands of providing regulation in the rapidly changing telecommunications marketplace. 
                                                                                              
               

Project within IPA 2007 programme is designed to further develop outputs and achievements of CARDS intervention, with focus on supporting the operational capacity of the HAKOM and ensuring its ability to monitor enforcement of the acquis. As a follow up of CARDS, this project will continue support of the Agency in the process of human resources development and with specific know-how in critical areas, with focus on development and implementation of the cost accounting model, which has been recognised as a priority. Furthermore, the procurement of the spectrum monitoring equipment for the upgrade of the existing systems in order to cope with digital future technology has been foreseen by this project, which is another important step in the reinforcement of the Agency. 

                                
                
                                                       
                

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