Last modified: 2008-07-12 by dov gutterman
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(2:3)
image by Zeljko Heimer
One even earlier law that have flag content is "Pravilnik o camcima" [Regulation on boats], No. 1097, NN 11.08.1991 . It is the fist law of Croatia regulating flags on sea. The Croatian flag is mentioned in Art. 62:
This is really wierd proportion, and I am inclined to believe
that it is a typo for 0.40 x 0.80 (i.e. 1:2).
Zeljko Heimer, 3 September 1997
The Croatian civil ensign is the same as national flag, but is in 2:3 ratio, not 1:2 as the national flag is. The legislative background for the claim is this:
That would be in English "Regulations on hoisting and
flying of the flag of the merchant fleet of Republic of Croatia
and displaying of symbols on vessels of the merchant fleet of
Republic of Croatia". I believe that 0340 means March,
chapter 40.
In Article 1, line 1 of these Regulations it is said:
Article 2 defines the size of flags:
The translations are mine, and therefore not official.
In further text, the Regulations define when the vessel should
hoist the ensign, Administrative Signal and
house flag, citations and regulations of dressing the vessel,
dipping, use of presidential standard and foreign flags when
delegations are on board, use of flags at half staff and similar.
Zeljko Heimer, 1 December 1996
Here are some flag related extracts from the naval law of
Croatia - Pomorski zakonik, no 313/94, Narodne novine 17/1994,
Zagreb 7.III.1994.
Art. 5 [Terms defined]
...33) harbor open to international trafic is a harbor with free
entrance to the vessels of all flags.... [several times latter a
term "the state of the flag of a vessel" is used to
indicate "nationality" of the vessel ]
Art. 29.
A foreign submarine, or other underwater mean of trafic, during
the time of passing though the territorial sea of Croatia ough to
navigate on the sea surface and hoist the flag of her state.
Art 100.
...A foreign vessel ought to hosit the flag of her nationality
while she is in the terrirotial or inner naval waters of the
Republic of Craotia.
Art. 131.
...With the inscription document a ship prooves her Croatian
nationality, giving it the right and the obligation to hoist the
flag [ensign] of the Repubic of Croatia....
[and similar in several next articles, regarding temporarily
documents]
Art. 194.
A shipe that gained Croatian nationality has the right and the
obligation to hoist the flag of the Republic of Croatia. The
right and the obligation from the line 1 of this article does not
concern the ships without a crew. Vessels [not a ship] inscribed
in the ship register on the territory of Republic of Croatia have
obligation to hoist the flag of the Republic of Croatia out of
the limits of inner waters and territorial sea of the Republic of
Croatia.
Art. 195.
The flag [=ensign] of the Republic of Croatia is a sign of
Croatian nationality of a ship.
Art. 196.
The flag [=ensign] of the Republic of Croatia on a ship has shape
of the flag of the Republic of Croatia, but with width to lenght
ratio 1:1.5.
And that is all flag related in there, except, as I said
"the state of the flag of a vessel" expression used
several more times.
According to this law the law on ensign of 1992
remained valid until a new law on it would be made. I.e. only the
1997 law makes valid Art. 196 of this law
indirectly. But, I guess this has no much influance sine both
1992 law and this law define the ensign in the same way. This law
is also valid for the vessels of the Croatian Navy "unless
it is not proscribed differently", therefore I guess that
the 2:3 ensign is also the war ensign (since I have not noticed
different prescription).
Zeljko Heimer , 8 December 1998
New regulations were issued in 1997:
[Regulations on hoisting and flying of the flag of merchant navy of Republic of Croatia and display of signs on the vessels of merchant navy of Republic of Croatia] gives the flag of merchant navy as identical to the flag of Republic of Croatia in Art. 1. Art. 3:
I haven't traced this regulations ("Pomorski
zakonik"). It is not issued in Official Gazette (Narodne
Novine) or at least there is no trace of it in on-line edition.
Zeljko Heimer, 3 September 1997
The proportion of the Civil Ensign of the Republic of Croatia
was fixed by Law no. 03-40, 1992, art. 2 to a ratio of 2:3. Yet a
new law was issued (no. 0761) on 16 May 1997: which ratio is now
defined? Did this law change anything else ?
Pier Paolo Lugli, 4 December 1998
More exactly among other 2,5 x 3,75 meter. Se : <www.nn.hr>
(with three pictures at the end).This law bring no change
concerning the civil ensign. There are other precisions
concerning other ensigns but I cannot understand which one are
concerned. There are no pictures here however contrary to the
other law. See: <www.nn.hr> in
the website of the Croatian official gazette.
Pascal Vagnat, 4 December 1998
Adopted: 1997
image by Zeljko Heimer
Pre-1997 Administrative signal
image by Zeljko Heimer
In 1991 Pravilnik o camcima in Art 63 the administrative signs are defined:
In article 4 it is said:
Article 5 describes a similar signal for vessels in inner waters:
I am not sure if the vessels of these Regulations are civil
vessels (and therefore the 2:3 flag would be the civil ensign),
or state. The literal translation of the terms used is
"merchant navy". I believe this is analogous with the
British Red Ensign, and therefore it is the civil ensign. Am I
right?
The "administrative signal" and pennant are, I guess,
used by harbour and river police. I haven't seen them (even if
the Regulations claim that graphical representations of these
signals are an integral part of them, they were not there).
Zeljko Heimer, 1 December 1996
1997 regulations give somewhat different signal: Art 5. line 1.
Art 5. line 3.
So, the administrative sign is now for the third time changed,
now having the golden border. The pennant is not mentioned (unles
being understood in the Art 5. line 3.). The law (1) have
replaced the law (2) only "in part regulating sea
navigation" (Art. 19), so maybe the pennant is not
supressed.
Zeljko Heimer, 3 September 1997
There is a new regulation on flying the flags and displaying
the signals on ships and yachts: Pravilnik o nacinu vijanja
zastave i isticanja znakova na brodovima i jahtama, 23. studenog
2007., Narodne novine, br. 126/2007, 10. prosinca 2007.
This replaces the 1997 regulations.
The only substantial change interesting to us is the new drawing
of the Administrative signal, even though, it seems that the
wording remained the same - the drawing attached to the
regulations seems to imply that instead of the simpler
"cord" the golden real triple wattle ornament is now to
be used. However, the drawing is way to distorted and small to be
useful. Hopefully I get an answer from the Ministry.
Zeljko Heimer, 30 December 2007
image by Zeljko Heimer
Adopted: 11 August 1991, Abandoned: 25 February 1992.
Ratio 1:1. The signal hoisted on the bow (i.e. the jack) by boats
for public purposes owned by the Harbor administration is blue
square with two white crossed anchors.
Source: Pravilnik o čamcima, NN 39/91, No.1097; NN 76/92.
Zeljko Heimer
image by Zeljko Heimer
Adopted: 8 October 1991. Ratio 1:1. A flag signal in shape of
a green square with side measuring 75 cm with a white diagonal
stripe of 20 cm is hoisted by vessels with privileged navigation
authorization, i.e. vessels with regular lines in border area of
sea, border rivers and lakes, that are granted certain customs
privileges.
Source: Čl. 160. Carinski zakon, NN, No.1341, 1991.
Zeljko Heimer
Checking some details in the Customs Law, I noticed that the
new Law adopted in 1999 replacing the 1991 Law does not include
any more the provisions about the privileged navigation, nor the
prescriptions regarding the flag such ships would use. So,
presumably the Privileged Navigation Signal Flag, green square
with white raising diagonal is not used any more (if it was used
all together, I never had chance to confirm it beside the law
prescriptions).
Sources: Carinski zakon, 8. listopada 1991., Narodne
novine, 53A/1991 Carinski zakon, 30. lipnja 1999., Narodne
novine, 78/1999.
Zeljko Heimer, 30 December 2007