COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Croatia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Croatia, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 911 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                   Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Croatia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                     The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

In  Croatia,  following  structural  efforts  to  address  remuneration,  legislative  amendments 
introduced  objective  criteria  for  adjusting  salaries  of  judges  and  state  attorneys.  Efforts 
continue to maintain and improve the integrity of judges and state attorneys. The amendments 
to the Law on the State Attorney’s Office were finalised in Government to remove the legal 
basis  for  periodic  security  checks  on  all  state  attorneys.  Legal  changes  are  envisaged  to 
ensure  that  the  system  of  registration  judges  is  compatible  with  EU  law  in  line  with  the 
requirements  set  by  the  Court  of  Justice.  The  State  Judicial  Council  called  on  Court 
Presidents to respect the rules on random allocation when selecting court cases to be assigned 
to  new  judges.  Electronic  communication  systems  between  courts  and  users  saw  increased 
use, further closing the  digitalisation gap.  The level  of perceived judicial  independence has 
continued to increase, although it remains very low. The total backlog decreased, while the 
length of trials in most cases increased. 

The  implementation  of  the  first  Action  Plan  for  2022-2024  under  the  Anti-Corruption 
Strategy  ended  and  the  evaluation  is  ongoing.  Authorities  are  developing  a  track  record  of 
investigations, prosecutions and convictions of corruption, including in high-level cases, and 
the revision of the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on the Office for the Suppression of 
Corruption  and  Organised  Crime  for  the  efficiency  of  investigation  and  prosecution  of 
corruption  offences  is  expected  in  the  first  quarter  of  2026.  The  Commission  for  the 
Resolution of Conflict of Interest continues to face difficulties verifying asset declarations, as 
its  resources  are  scarce  and  advanced  digital  tools  are  not  yet  fully  operational.  Codes  of 
ethics are in place at all levels of the administration and Government. The implementation of 
the new law on lobbying is on track, while the public is not directly informed about meetings 
between lobbyists and officials. The State Audit Office reported no substantial violations of 
the  rules  on  political  party  financing.  The  Government  is  raising  awareness  on  the 
harmfulness  of  corruption  and  the  importance  of  whistleblower  legislation.  Measures  were 
taken  to  address  corruption  in  public  procurement  which  remains  a  high-risk  area  of 
corruption. 

The  independently  financed  Agency  for  Electronic  Media  (AEM)  remains  important  for 
media  oversight  and  promoting  pluralism.  The  Government  plans  to  update  the  Law  on 
Croatian Radio-Television and the Law on Electronic Media. Croatia’s public broadcaster is 
undertaking  significant  reforms  to  address  financial  and  governance  challenges.  No  steps 
have been taken yet to strengthen the legal framework and oversight mechanisms to ensure a 
fair and transparent allocation of state advertising at national, regional and local level. A new 
centralised media ownership and financing database was launched on AEM’s website. While 
journalists  primarily  rely  on  the  Law  on  Media  to  access  public  information  due  to  its 
simplified  procedure  and  shorter  deadlines,  the  law  lacks  a  clearly  defined  response 
timeframe,  without  oversight  by  an  independent  monitoring  body.  Journalists  still  face  a 
number of challenges although efforts to improve their safety are ongoing. SLAPPs continue 
to be an area of concern and so far, some steps are being taken to address them.  

Impact assessments and evaluations of laws expanded, and the portal for public consultations 
was introduced to local and regional levels. Significant steps were made to improve follow-
up to the People’s Ombudsperson’s recommendations and on access to information. The shift 
toward multiannual funding of civil society organisations continued, while the new National 
Plan for Creating an Enabling Environment is under preparation. 

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RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, concerning the recommendations in the 2024 Rule of Law Report, Croatia has made: 

•  Some progress  on revising the Criminal  Procedure Code and the Law on the Office for 
the  Suppression  of  Corruption  and  Organised  Crime,  in  line  with  the  Anti-Corruption 
Strategy,  so  as  to  further  increase  the  efficiency  of  investigations  and  prosecution  of 
corruption offences.  

•  No  progress  yet  on  stepping  up  efforts  to  strengthen  the  legal  framework  and  oversight 
mechanisms  to  ensure  a  fair  and  transparent  allocation  of  state  advertising  at  national, 
regional and local level, including the public tender procedure. 

•  Some progress on the recommendation to continue efforts to address the issue of strategic 
lawsuits  against  public  participation  targeted  at  journalists,  including  by  reviewing  the 
legal provisions on defamation and encouraging wider use of procedural rules that allow 
dismissing  groundless  lawsuits,  taking  into  account  the  European  standards  on  the 
protection of journalists. 

•  Significant progress on further improving the follow-up to recommendations and ensuring 

a more systematic response to information requests of the Ombudsperson. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
and  in  addition  to  recalling  the  relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience Plan, it is recommended to Croatia to: 

•  Take  measures  to  further  improve  the  efficiency  of  justice,  particularly  as  regards  the 

length of proceedings in litigious commercial and civil cases. 

•  Take forward plans to revise the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law on the Office for 
the  Suppression  of  Corruption  and  Organised  Crime,  in  line  with  the  Anti-Corruption 
Strategy,  so  as  to  further  increase  the  efficiency  of  investigations  and  prosecution  of 
corruption offences.  

•  Step up efforts to strengthen the legal framework and oversight mechanisms to ensure a 
fair  and  transparent  allocation  of  state  advertising  at  national,  regional  and  local  level, 
including the public tender procedure. 

•  Continue  efforts  to  address  the  issue  of  strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation 
targeted  at  journalists,  including  by  reviewing  the  legal  provisions  on  defamation  and 
encouraging  wider  use  of  procedural  rules  that  allow  dismissing  groundless  lawsuits, 
taking into account the European standards on the protection of journalists. 

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I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  has  continued  to  increase  in  Croatia, 
although  it  remains  very  low  among  both  the  general  public  and  companies.  Overall, 
28%  of  the  general  population  and  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  courts 
and  judges  to  be  ‘fairly  or  very  good’  in  20252. Among  the  general  public,  this  figure  has 
increased in comparison with 2024 (23%) and has significantly increased in comparison with 
2021  (17%).  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  companies  remains  at  the  same 
level as in 2024 (28%) and has significantly increased in comparison with 2021 (16%). The 
main  reasons  cited  by  the  general  public  and  by  companies  for  the  perceived  lack  of 
independence  of  courts  and  judges  are  the  perception  of  interference  or  pressure  from  the 
Government  and  politicians,  and  interference  or  pressure  from  economic  or  other  specific 
interests3. 

Amendments to the Law on the State Attorney’s Office were finalised in Government to 
remove the legal basis for periodic security checks on all state attorneys. Following the 
recommendation  in  the  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report4,  security  checks  on  judges  had  been 
removed by way of a Constitutional Court decision and the Government approved on 27 June 
2025 draft amendments to the Law on the State Attorney’s Office to remove the legal basis 
for  periodic  security  checks  on  all  state  attorneys.  In  the  meantime,  no  security  checks  on 
state attorneys had been conducted based on previous provisions. 

Efforts continue to maintain and improve the integrity of judges and state attorneys. In 
2024, efforts continued to react to alleged misconduct and criminal acts of judges and state 
attorneys.  The  State  Judicial  Council  received  47  requests  to  initiate  criminal  proceedings 
regarding  judges  and,  at  the  request  of  competent  authorities,  started  nine  disciplinary 
proceedings  in  relation  to  judges,  which  also  concluded  with  three  dismissals5.  In  addition, 
the State Judicial Council verified external activities of judges, rejecting activities no longer 

1    An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here. 
2   Figures  50 and 52, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 49 and 51, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   More detailed surveys to identify the underlying reasons of different stakeholders for the continuously low 
level of perceived judicial independence are not available. The last comprehensive survey of court users and 
professionals  on  the  accessibility  and  quality  of  the  court  services  was  in  2015.  See  Figure  45,  2017  EU 
Justice  Scoreboard  and  Figure  41,  2024  EU  Justice  Scoreboard  showing  that  between  2016  and  2023,  no 
surveys were conducted.  

4    The  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report  had  recommended  Croatia  to  ‘reconsider  the  newly  introduced  periodic 
security  checks  conducted  by  the  National  Security  Agency  on  all  judges  and  state  attorneys  by  ensuring 
their  integrity  based  on  other  existing  mechanisms,  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  judicial 
independence and autonomy of prosecutors and the opinion of the Venice Commission’. 

5   Out of these, in 37 cases the requests were denied after the Council verified that prosecution service has no 
open  investigations  (five  cases  were  still  ongoing  in  February  2025).  In  March  2025,  the  State  Judicial 
Council kept seven judges under suspension due to ongoing criminal proceedings, and three due to ongoing 
disciplinary proceedings. The number of initiated disciplinary proceedings has been decreasing (23 in 2021). 
In  2024,  the  State  Judicial  Council  issued  seven  disciplinary  sanctions  (five  in  2023):  three  fines,  one 
reprimand, and three dismissals. Croatian Government (2025), written input, p. 2, and  country visit Croatia, 
State Judicial Council. 

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authorised by the amended Law on Courts6. In 2024, the State Attorney’s Council received 
no further requests from the competent authorities to start disciplinary proceedings regarding 
state attorneys. With the help of the electronic registers and dedicated human resources7, the 
State Judicial Council and the State Attorney’s Council checked  all annual updates of asset 
declarations of judges and state attorneys, and only a few minor irregularities were identified.  

The  State  Judicial  Council  called  on  Court  Presidents  to  respect  the  rules  on  random 
allocation when selecting court cases to be assigned to new judges. In February 2025, the 
State Judicial Council alerted Court Presidents that rules on random allocation should also be 
respected  when  choosing  which  of  the  ongoing  cases  should  be  assigned  to  new  judges 
arriving  to  courts8.  In  some  courts,  the  judges  could  select  themselves  which  of  their  open 
cases  would  be  re-allocated  to  the  new  judges.  Having  made  clear  that  the  selection  of 
ongoing  cases  should  be  random,  the  State  Judicial  Council  announced  that  it  will  ask  the 
Judicial Inspection to monitor whether the problematic practices continue. 

Legal  changes  are  envisaged  to  ensure  that  the  system  of  registration  judges  is 
compatible  with  EU  law  in  line  with  the  requirements  set  by  the  Court  of  Justice.  In 
October  2024,  the  Ministry  of  Justice  established  a  working  group  to  address  the 
requirements  resulting  from  the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union as 
regards the practice of registration judges9. The working group is considering amendments to 
the  Law  on  Courts,  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure  and  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure,  which 
would change the role of registration judges and include increased use of the expanded panels 
of judges in decisions related to consistency of case law10. 

Quality  

Training of judges  and court staff aims to improve communication about the work of 
the judiciary in an effort to foster  trust.  In September 2023, the Supreme Court adopted 
‘Guidelines for communication of the judiciary with the public’. These Guidelines set out the 
goal  of  timely,  accurate  and  transparent  communication  about  the  content  and  meaning  of 
decisions  for  which  there  is  public  interest.  Drawing  on  those  Guidelines,  the  Judicial 
Academy  conducted  several  training  courses  addressed  primarily  to  the  spokespersons  and 
information  officers  at  the  courts  to  support  them  to  communicate  more  effectively  to  the 
public,  manage  public  relations  especially  in  high-profile  cases  and  use  different 
communication channels to share information11.  

6   In 2024, the State Judicial Council received 36 requests from judges regarding external activities, approving 
29 and rejecting five relating to membership in disciplinary bodies of professional organisations, while two 
requests were not necessary as law allowed those activities. Country visit Croatia, State Judicial Council. 
7   Improving the IT tools and resources of both Councils by the beginning of 2022 was a milestone under the 
Recovery and Resilience Plan, which Croatia successfully fulfilled. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Croatia, p. 5. 

8    Country visit Croatia, Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo and State Judicial Council. 
9    Judgment  of  the  CJEU,  Joined  Cases  C-554/21  Hann-Invest,  C-622/21  Mineral-Sekuline  and  C-727/21 
Udruga  Khl  Medvešcak  Zagreb.  The  CJEU  ruled  in  a  preliminary  ruling  request  of  the  High  Commercial 
Court regarding a practice in courts of second instance whereby registration judges, when finding a judgment 
inconsistent with case law or the 'legal position' previously accepted at that court,  may stay the delivery of 
the adopted judgment and request that a section meeting be convened. A 'legal position' adopted at a section 
meeting would be binding on all judicial panels belonging to the section; 2024 Rule of Law Report, Croatia, 
p. 7. 

10   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 
11   Country visit Croatia, Supreme Court. 

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Objective criteria were introduced in law for updating remuneration of judges and state 
attorneys. Apart from the important structural efforts made in the course of 2023 and 2024 to 
address remuneration in the judiciary12, legislation was expected to define objective criteria 
for  adjusting  salaries  of  judges  and  state  attorneys.  Following  discussions  with  judicial 
representatives in a Government Working Group, on 21 February 2025, Parliament adopted 
an amendment to the Law on remuneration and other material rights of judicial officials. The 
amendment provides that the salary base for judges and state attorneys is the same as the one 
for  public  officials.  This  means  that  any  change  of  salary  base,  for  example  an  increase 
negotiated by trade unions for public officials due to inflation, will apply automatically also 
to judges and state attorneys after adjustment of public officials’ salary base. 

Electronic communication systems between courts and users saw increased use, further 
closing the digitalisation gap in the justice system. The digitalisation of the justice system 
has  seen  additional  improvements  in  many  areas13.  The  ‘e-Communication’  system,  which 
was in 2024 connected to the e-Citizens and the e-Authorisation systems (for legal persons) 
to  allow  receiving  court  documents  via  secure  mailbox,  was  upgraded  with  new 
functionalities14.  In  2024,  the  overall  use  of  the  ‘e-Communication’  system15  further 
increased, mostly among the professional users and companies16. The implementation of the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  continues  and  includes  several  milestones,  targets  and 
investments related to the digitalisation of justice17. For example, in November 2024, virtual 
assistants were launched for the land registry to assist users with simple tasks, and extension 
to  other  justice  services  is  planned18.  Furthermore,  to  increase  the  publication  of  first  and 
second  instance  court  judgments19,  an  IT  solution  for  automatic  and  semi-automatic 
anonymisation  of  all  court  decisions  (using  artificial  intelligence)  was  connected  to  the 
publication portal. Amendments to the Law on Courts and the Ordinance on the Methods of 
Anonymisation, Publication and Search of Anonymised Court Decisions since January 2025 

12   The  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Croatia  to  ‘continue  structural  efforts  to  address  the 
remuneration  of  judges,  state  attorneys  and  judicial  staff,  taking  into  account  European  standards  on 
resources and remuneration for the justice system’. In 2024, the Rule of Law Report found that significant 
progress was achieved on this recommendation. 

13   Figures 40-48, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. The electronic tools incrementally improved in all areas except 
for use of digital technology by courts and prosecution service (Figure 42), the electronic communication in 
prosecution service (Figure 44) and the online access to published judgments (Figure 47). 

14   For example, with case identifiers and search functions. Croatian Government (2025), written input, pp. 5-6. 
15   Amendments  are  planned  to  be  submitted  to  Parliament  in  third  quarter  of  2025  which  would  allow  for 
integrating  misdemeanor  cases  (before  Municipal  Courts),  which  are  the  last  category  of  cases  not  yet 
included into the e-Communication system.  

16   In  2024,  the  total  volume  of  incoming  documents  arriving  to  courts  electronically  increased  to  nearly  1.6 
million, with largest increases among companies and legal professionals. For example, before commercial, 
municipal  and  administrative  courts,  the  lawyers  submitted  53-67%  of  their  documents  electronically. 
Outgoing  electronic  communication  from  courts  to  court  parties  and  legal  professionals  remained  stable 
around at 3.4 million documents, with lawyers, companies and state authorities among the largest recipients. 
Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 

17   The  fourth  payment  request  was  disbursed  in  April  2024  (EUR  162.5  million  net  amount  in  grants)  and 
included the satisfactory fulfilment of milestone 218 (Adoption of amendments to the legislative framework 
in the area of justice with the new non-contentious Procedure Act). The fifth payment request was submitted 
in April 2024 and disbursed in July 2024 (EUR 555.7 million in grants and EUR 266 million loans, both net 
amounts)  and  included  the  satisfactory  fulfilment  of  milestone  220  (New  Framework  Benchmarks  for  the 
work of judges adopted and an active judicial case management tool introduced). 

18   Croatian Government (2025), written input, p. 6. 
19   Figure 47, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

5 

 
 
 
introduced  the  obligation  to  publish  all  court  decisions  on  a  special  website  with  prior 
anonymisation, to ensure compliance with the rules on the protection of personal data20. 

Efficiency 

The total backlog decreased while the length of trials in most cases increased. According 
to  the  2025  EU  Justice  Scoreboard,  backlogs  and  length  of  proceedings  remain  a  serious 
concern, particularly in litigious civil and commercial cases, where backlog was, by the end 
of 2023, still the largest in the EU21. By the end of 2024, the total number of pending cases 
decreased  by  more  than  6%  compared  to  end  2023,  particularly  before  municipal  courts 
receiving  the  bulk  of  the  cases  (-8%),  High  Commercial  Court  (-6%),  the  High 
Misdemeanour  Court  (-7%)  and  the  Supreme  Court  (-26%).  In  several  other  courts,  the 
backlog  increased,  e.g.  before  county  courts  (+13%),  administrative  courts  (+18),  the  High 
Administrative  Court  (+7%)  and  the  High  Criminal  Court  (23%)22.  Furthermore,  the  total 
number  of  oldest  pending  cases  (10  years  and  older)  slightly  increased  (by  nearly  2%)23. 
Despite  improvements  in  some  types  of  cases,  length  of  proceedings,  in  most  cases, 
increased, which remains a serious concern. In 2024, the average length of proceedings in the 
first  instance  courts  remained  among  the  longest  in  the  EU  with  1 147  days  in  litigious 
commercial cases (1 334 days in 2023) and 797 days in litigious civil cases (764 in 2023)24. 
However, the average length of proceedings further decreased in first instance criminal cases 
before municipal courts  (752 days, down  from  776 days  in  2023) and before  county  courts 
(779 days, down from 808 days in 2023), with average length for the whole of 2024 of 525 
days  for  all  types  of  first  instance  court  cases.  In  more  narrow  categories,  in  2023,  the 
average  length  of  proceedings  before  first  instance  courts  decreased  in  bribery  cases  (478 
days, 531 days in  2022), while it increased to  771 days in  money laundering cases (597 in 
2022) – both remaining among the longest in the EU 25.   

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK 

The perception among experts, citizens and businesses is that the level of corruption in 
the public sector remains high. In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency 
International,  Croatia  scores  47/100,  ranks  23rd  in  the  European  Union  and  63th  globally26. 

20   The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  for  Croatia  includes  target  226  which  states:  ‘All  new  first  and  second 
instance court decisions ending proceedings are anonymised and published on the portal.’ The target is part 
of seventh payment request, hence it has not yet been assessed by the Commission. 

21   The data for 2023 continue to show particular challenges in litigious civil and commercial cases, and all non-
criminal  cases  (Figures  5,  12,  13  of  the  2025  EU  Justice  Scoreboard),  although,  similarly  to  2022,  the 
positive sign is that the clearance rate in litigious civil and commercial cases remained among the highest in 
the EU (Figure 11, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard). 

22   Supreme Court (2025), pp. 29-30.  
23   7 864  cases  at  the  end  of  2024,  compared  to  7 725  cases  at  the  end  of  2023,  mostly  at  Municipal  courts. 

Supreme Court (2025), pp. 78-79. 

24   This brings the average lengths slightly below the 2022 level, when it was 1 187 days. Country visit Croatia, 

Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 

25   Figures 21 and 22, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
26   Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. The level of perceived corruption is 
categorised  as  follows:  low  (the  perception  among  experts  and  business  executives  of  public  sector 
corruption scores above 79); relatively low (scores between 79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), 
high (scores below 50). 

6 

 
 
 
 
This  perception  remained  relatively  stable27  over  the  past  five  years.  The  2025  Special 
Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  92%  of  respondents  consider  corruption  to  be 
widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  69%)  and  61%  of  respondents  feel  personally 
affected by corruption in their daily lives (EU average 30%). As regards businesses, 90% of 
companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 63%) and 60% consider that 
corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  35%).  Furthermore,  40%  of 
respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter people from  corrupt 
practices  (EU  average  36%),  while  16%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses 
caught for bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 33%)28. 

The implementation of the first Action Plan for 2022-2024 under  the Anti-Corruption 
Strategy  ended  and  the  evaluation  is  ongoing.  In  August  2024,  the  Government  adopted 
the  Report  on  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  2022-2024.  Generally,  the 
implementation  is  on  track  with  79%  of  measures  implemented  and  8%  partially 
implemented.  Implemented  activities  include,  among  others,  the  adoption  of  the  Lobbying 
act29.  The  second  Action  Plan  for  2025-2027  was  adopted  in  May  2025  and  announced, 
amongst others, amendments to laws on the right of access to information and whistleblower 
protection, as well  as  measures  to  prevent  corruption in  local  and regional  self-government 
units30.  

Authorities  are  developing  a  track  record  of 
investigations,  prosecutions  and 
convictions of corruption,  including in high-level  cases31. The specialised anti-corruption 
police  (PNUSKOK)  and  prosecution  (USKOK)  continued  to  report  that  their  cooperation 
works well. In 2024, EPPO investigated 22 corruption offences in Croatia. The cooperation 
with  EPPO  faced  challenges  due  to  a  conflict  of  competence  between  national  prosecutors 
and the EPPO in one prominent case32. As demonstrated by the data, in 2024, 601 corruption 
offences were reported by PNUSKOK to the USKOK (down from 747 in 2023)33. The 2024 
Report  of  the  State  Attorney’s  Office34  shows  that  the  number  of  suspects  of  corruption 
offences in 2024 remained stable35 and that the number of criminal investigations increased36, 
with  new  corruption  cases  continuing  to  come  to  light,  including  by  high-level  officials.  In 
2024, the State Attorney’s Office indicted, after investigation, 155 persons (121 in 2023). In 

27   In 2020, the score was 47, while in 2024, the score was 47. The score significantly increases/decreases when 
it  changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

28   Data from Special Eurobarometer 561 (2025) and Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025).  
29   Croatian Government (2024). There are more activities included in the Action Plan that are explained later in 

this chapter. 

30   Croatian Government (2025).  
31   DORH  Report  for  2024.  Croatian  Government  (2025),  written  input,  pp.  19-21, and  country visit  Croatia, 

USKOK. 

32   On 19 November 2024, the State Attorney General reassigned a case of corruption, which was investigated 
both  by  the  EPPO  and  national  prosecutors,  to  national  prosecutors  (USKOK).  EPPO  (2025)  and  country 
visit Croatia, PNUSKOK, USKOK and EPPO. 

33   The statistics in PNUSKOK count criminal offences, not number of cases or suspects like USKOK. A single 

suspect may have committed several offences. Country visit Croatia, PNUSKOK. 

34   State Attorney’s Office (2025), pp. 224-228. 
35   In  2024,  the  State  Attorney’s  Office  received  criminal  notifications  regarding  1 464  alleged  suspects  of 
corruption  offences  (similar  to  1 491  in  2023),  representing  76.81%  of  the  total  criminal  notifications 
received by USKOK. Country visit Croatia, DORH and USKOK, and State Attorney’s Office (2025), p. 224. 
36   In 2024, investigations were opened concerning 149 persons (128 in 2023). State Attorney’s Office (2025), 

p. 224. 

7 

 
 
 
the  same  period,  the  courts  continued  to  deliver  more  judgments  than  in  past  years37.  As 
regards  foreign  bribery,  the  OECD  highlighted  that  Croatia  is  enhancing  detection  and 
awareness  of  foreign  bribery,  but  more  efforts  are  needed  since  it  also  found  that  Croatian 
authorities did not detect most of the allegations reported in the media and there have been no 
formal investigations38.  

There  has  been  some  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  revise  legal  provisions 
relevant  for  the  efficiency  of  investigation  and  prosecution  of  corruption  offences39. 
Working  groups  have  been  discussing  possible  revisions  to  legislation  since  2022  and  the 
government  plans  to  adopt  draft  legislation  by  the  first  quarter  of  202640.  The  Government 
indicated  this  may  include  measures  to  focus  the  competence  of  USKOK  on  more  serious 
forms of corruption which could include the offence of abuse of office, with other crimes left 
to  municipal  prosecutors.  The  State  Attorney  General  supported  amendments  that  would 
reduce  the  number  of  hearings  before  the  panel  of  judges  verifying  the  indictment,  for 
example by allowing in camera discussions or exchanges in writing41. 72% of all convictions 
in  USKOK  corruption  cases  cases  involved  plea  barganing  agreements,  without  a  full  trial 
taking place42. The percentage of USKOK cases where the investigation was finished within 
six  months  to  one  year  increased43.  In  terms  of  resources,  salary  increases  led  to  more 
applications for positions in USKOK but many candidates were found to lack the necessary 
skills  and  experience  to  be  recruited,  and  USKOK  considers  that  its  service  remains 
understaffed44. The State Attorney General supports amendments to the Law on USKOK that 
would  lower  the  seniority  requirement  for  the  Head  of  USKOK,  which  would  make  more 
candidates eligible45. As for court proceedings, the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Croatia 
includes a target on efficiency of corruption court proceedings46. Croatia has also amended its 
Code of Criminal Procedure to ensure that specific evidentiary actions, such as wiretapping, 
may also be imposed for the offence of bribery of representatives (i.e. deputies)47. Therefore, 
there  has  been  some  progress  on  the  implementation  of  the  recommendation  made  in  the 
2024 Rule of Law Report. 

The Commission for the Resolution of Conflict of Interest continues to face difficulties 
in verifying asset declarations, as its resources are limited and digital tools are not yet 
fully operational. In Croatia, there are approximately 3 000 public officials required by the 

37   There were judgments concerning 314 persons in 2024 (179 in 2023). Out of the 314 judgments in 2024, 301 
were  convictions  for  corruption  (i.e.,  conviction  rate  of  96%,  compared  to  66%  in  2023).  As  regards  the 
sanctions  for  corruption  offences,  76  persons  received  a  prison  sentence  in  2024  (47  in  2023).  State 
Attorney’s Office (2025), pp. 224-225. 

38   OECD (2024). 
39   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Croatia to ‘Revise the Criminal Procedure Code and the Law 
on  the  Office  for  the  Suppression  of  Corruption  and  Organised  Crime,  in  line  with  the  Anti-Corruption 
Strategy, so as to further increase the efficiency of investigations and prosecution of corruption offences’. 

40   Croatian Government(2025a). 
41   Country visit Croatia, State Attorney’s Office. 
42   Country visit Croatia, USKOK. 
43   State Attorney’s Office (2025), p. 174. Cases where where the investigation was finished within six months 
or sooner: 42% in 2024 (compared to 16% in 2023, 35% in 2021). More investigations were finished within 
a year, namely about 69% in 2024 (57% in 2023). 

44   Country visit Croatia, USKOK. 
45   From 15 to 12 years. Country visit Croatia, DORH. 
46   The Recovery and Resilience Plan for Croatia includes target 238 which  states: ‘Reduction by 200 days of 
the  average  length  of  court  cases  for  corruption  and  organised  crime  offences  compared  to  Q1/2021  (999 
days)’. The target is part of tenth payment request, hence it has not yet been assessed by the Commission. 

47   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 

8 

 
 
 
Law  on  the  Conflict  of  Interest  System  to  declare  their  assets.  The  Commission  for  the 
Resolution  of  Conflict  of  Interest  (CRC)  decided  to  introduce  a  prioritisation  strategy  to 
render  more  effective  the  regular  content  verifications.  Therefore,  within  the  framework  of 
available human and technical capacities, CRC adopted an annual regular content verification 
plan to carry out, ex officio, regular content verifications of the last submitted and preliminary 
(administrative)  verified  asset  declaration  of  50  obliged  entities  of  certain  duty  categories, 
determined based on a random selection from the Register of obliged entities. In addition, the 
CRC verifies declarations where it has knowledge of increased risk based on complaints or 
media  reporting48.  The  CRC  is  also  tasked  with  supervising  the  obligation  of  municipal 
council members to declare shareholdings in companies above 5%. It continues to be difficult 
for the CRC to verify these submissions, which are made to local councils49. An IT tool was 
finalised that allows officials to automatically retrieve data about their property and property 
of their partner and minor children from existing state registers, as a facilitation in filling out 
the asset declarations, and for the CRC to compare data in submitted asset declarations with 
the data in these registers50. However, as the comparison tool is part of larger IT platform that 
remains under construction, the CRC notes that it can only carry out manual verifications and 
that the system does not yet automatically notify discrepancies between declarations and data 
in other registries, making cross-verification challenging51.  

Codes of ethics are in place at all levels of the administration and Government. At local 
level, all administrations have now adopted a code of conduct. In February 2025, a new Code 
of  Ethics  for  civil  servants  and  employees  at  state  level,  regulating  the  declaration  and 
handling of conflicts of interests, entered into force52. As regards the 2022 Code of Conduct 
for State Officials in Executive Bodies, the Implementation Council provided training on the 
Code  to  most  of  the  officials  covered  53.  In  2024,  it  provided  two  opinions  on  compliance 
with  the  Code,  following  the  received  requests.  The  number  of  opinions  that  the  CRC 
provided to public officials in 2024 remained at around 20054. The Parliament Committee on 
the Constitution, Standing Orders and Political System received two requests in 2024 relating 
to  alleged  breaches  of  the  Code  of  Ethics55.  The  OECD  has  suggested  that  Croatia  could 
invest in awareness raising and education about the Code of Conduct among parliamentarians 
and  parliamentary  staff,  including  by  developing  accompanying  guidance  and  concrete 
practice examples56.  

The  implementation  of  the  new  law  on  lobbying  is  on  track,  while  the  public  is  not 
directly  informed  about  meetings  between  lobbyists  and  officials.  The  law  on  lobbying 

48   CRC (2024), and OECD (2024), p. 12. (Plan for 2025 to be adopted still). 
49   2022 Rule of Law Report, Croatia. Even where the CRC would detect non-compliance, it lacks the power to 

investigate and impose a sanction. 

50   This  is  part  of  national  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan,  Milestone  no.  241.  The  milestone  is  part  of  sixth 

payment request, hence it has not yet been assessed by the Commission.  

51   Country visit Croatia, CRC. The Chair of the CRC resigned on 11 April 2025. Parliament approved the CRC 
Chair’s  resignation,  and  the  remaining  members  of  the  Commission  appointed  an  Acting  President  of  the 
Commission on 30 April 2025. 

52   Croatian  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  15,  and  country  visit  Croatia,  Ministry  of  Justice,  Public 

Administration and Digital Transformation.  

53   Two trainings took place in 2024. OECD (2024), p. 11. 
54  Country visit Croatia, CRC.   
55   Country visit Croatia, Parliament Secretariat. Violations of the Code of Ethics are not subject to sanctions.  
56   OECD (2024), p. 16. 

9 

 
 
 
entered into force on 1 October 202457. The same month, the CRC adopted the ‘Rulebook on 
Keeping  the  Register  of  Lobbyists’.  Officials  may  only  engage  in  meetings  with  entities 
included  in  the  register  and  the  CRC  can  impose  sanctions  for  violations  of  the  law.  The 
register  includes  data  on  lobbyists  but  not  on  the  meetings  that  took  place.  International 
guidelines  on  lobbying  recommend  making  publicly  available,  timely,  comprehensive  and 
detailed information on all lobbying activities58. Lobbyists must report annually to the CRC 
on their activities, including  who they meet, but this data will not  be recorded in  the lobby 
register, and it is made available only following access to information requests. The inability 
of the public to see what lobbyist their officials and representatives are meeting significantly 
limits transparency of interest representation59. As regards obligations for state officials, they 
are  required  to  regularly  disclose  important  meetings  with  third  parties  publicly  on  the 
website of the authority in which the official holds office or via social media60.  

The State Audit Office reported no substantial violations of the rules on political party 
financing. As in previous years, most of the parties audited by the State Audit Office did not 
fully  comply  with  the  Law  on  Financing  Political  Activities,  Election  Campaigns  and 
Referendums in their operations61. The number of temporary suspensions of disbursement of 
funds for not providing annual reports, as well as the forfeiture of the payment of part of the 
funds  for  those  not  complying  with  the  reminder  to  provide  that  report  is  similar  as  in  last 
year62.  At  the  same  time,  the  State  Audit  Office  reported  that  there  were  no  substantial 
violations of the rules of political party financing that could indicate corruption63.  

The  Government  is  raising  awareness  about  the  harmfulness  of  corruption  and  the 
importance  of  whistleblower  legislation.  The  number  of  external  and  internal  reports  by 
whistleblowers  to  the  Ombudsperson  has  remained  stable  in  202464.  The  Ombudsperson 
notes that competent authorities often need a lot of time to follow-up on reports and need to 
be  reminded.  The  Ombudsperson  has  also  reported  about  significant  delays  in  legal 

57   2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Croatia;  OECD  (2024),  pp.  28-29;  Croatia  fulfilled  25%  of  OECD  criteria  on 
regulatory framework for lobbying and 22% of OECD criteria on implementation. Now that the Lobbying 
Law is in effect, Croatia fulfils 75% of criteria on regulations and 89% of criteria for implementation. 

58   OECD,  Recommendation  of  the  Council  on  Transparency  and  Integrity  in  Lobbying  and  Influence, 

OECD/LEGAL/0379, p.8. 

59   This criticism was also expressed by the OECD and civil society (Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025)). 
OECD also identified some gaps and areas where it could be better aligned with current best practice. For 
example,  the  definition  of  lobbying  is  narrow  as  it  only  focuses  on  direct  oral  or  written  communications 
with a lobbied person. In addition, the list of exemptions is quite broad, including persons participating as 
experts in meetings, sessions or consultations organised by government, and may offer important loopholes 
due to vague wording, see OECD (2024), pp. 28-29.  

60   The  Code  of  Conduct  for  State  Officials  in  Executive  Bodies  does  not  define  precisely  what  ‘important 
meetings’ are, leaving it to the discretion of the reporting person. OECD (2024), p. 27, there is currently no 
requirement for the proactive disclosure of ministers’ agendas (OECD (2024)). 

61   Country visit Croatia, State Audit Office. 
62   The State Electoral Commission decided in 37 cases (41 in 2022)  to temporarily suspend the disbursement 
of the funds. It issued 33 decisions (29 for 2022) on forfeiture of the payment of part of the funds for regular 
annual  funding  because  these  25  individuals  and  3  parties  did  not  submit  by  the  end  of  2024  the  annual 
accounts for 2023. 

63   31 of 47 political parties and 3 of five independent representatives. The irregularities identified by the audit 
of  political  parties  for  2024,  compared  to  2023,  continue  to  be  most  significant  in  the  area  of  financial 
statements and accounting. 

64   46  external  reports  in  2023,  compared  to  57  in  2023,  and  50  internal  reports  in  2024,  compared  to  38  in 
2023; the public sector tends to make more reports, and only 10% of the reports turns out to fall within the 
scope  of  the  law;  Country  visit  Croatia,  People’s  Ombudsperson  Office,  and  People’s  Ombudsperson’s 
Office (2025), pp. 247-259.  

10 

 
 
 
retaliatory  measures 

taken  against  whistleblowers65.  The 
proceedings  concerning 
Rehabilitation  Centre  for  Stress  and  Trauma  was  contracted  in  September  2024  to  provide 
emotional support to whistleblowers. The virtual assistant tool to provide information about 
whistleblowing rules and procedures remains in development and is expected to be finalised 
in  2025,  as  part  of  a  wider  IT  anti-corruption  platform66.  In  September  2024,  the 
Ombudsperson  also  presented67  a  Guide  for  reporting  irregularities  to  inform  potential 
whistleblowers and confidential persons on the personal and material scope of application of 
the  Act,  and  possible  legal  remedies.  Parliament  has  so  far  not  discussed  the  recent  annual 
reports of the Ombudsperson and the Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts of Interest, 
nor  has  there  been  a  follow-up  on  their  recommendations  by  the  addressed  entities68. 
Stakeholders  consider  that  prevention  and  education  should  be  stepped  up,  including  by 
awareness  campaigns  on  the  harmfulness  of  corruption69.  The  Ministry  of  Justice,  Public 
Administration  and  Digital  Transformation  continued  an  information  and  educational 
campaign  aimed  at  raising  awareness  of  the  harmfulness  of  corruption  and  encouraging 
citizens to actively participate in the fight against corruption70. The Ministry is evaluating the 
effects of this campaign.  

Measures  were  taken  to  address  corruption  in  public  procurement,  which  remains  a 
high-risk area of corruption. Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU shows that 
27%  of  companies  in  Croatia  (EU  average  25%)  think  that  corruption  has  prevented  them 
from  winning  a  public  tender  or  a  public  procurement  contract  in  practice  in  the  last  three 
years71.  27%  of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public  procurement 
review  body  (The  State  Commission  for  Supervision  of  Public  Procurement  Procedures-
DKOM)  as  very  or  fairly  good72.  The  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness  Scoreboard  on 
access  to  public  procurement  in  Croatia  reports  23%  of  single  bids  for  2023  (29%  EU 
average).  In  November  2024,  the  Minister  of  Health  was  arrested  on  suspicion  of  corrupt 
practices in public procurement procedures. The Ministry of Health has conducted an audit of 
all  extraordinary  public  procurements  in  healthcare,  which  provided  no  significant 
discoveries according to the Minister of Health73. The mandate of more members of DKOM 
expired.  While  Parliament  has  not  yet  appointed  (seven)  new  members,  interviews  with 
candidates were held in January 202574. As a result, only one out of the three councils solving 
appeals  is  operational75.  DKOM  did  not  transmit  any  reports  about  corruption  to  the  State 
Attorney’s  Office.  The  Electronic  Public  Procurement  Notice  (EOJN)  RH  platform  was 

65   Country visit Croatia, People’s Ombudsperson Office, OECD (2024), p. 13. 
66   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 
67   People’s Ombudsperson Office (2024) 
68   OECD (2024), p. 11.  
69   Country visit Croatia, State Attorney’s Office and USKOK. 
70   Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation (2025). 
71   Flash Eurobarometer 557 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2025). This is 2 percentage 

points above the EU average. 

72   Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
73   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Health. Večernji list (2025). 
74   Country  visit  Croatia,  DKOM.  The  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report  found  that  ‘safeguards  for  the  State 
Commission’s  independence,  particularly  regarding  the  appointment  and  discipline  of  the  members  of  the 
State Commission, could be further improved’.  

75   There  was  a  further  decrease  in  the  share  of  public  procurement  procedures  reviewed  by  DKOM  to  only 
2.6% of all published procedures in 2024 (down from 3.6% in 2023) which it considers is mostly due to the 
increase of review fees in October 2022. 

11 

 
 
 
further upgraded to simplify processes and making information easier accessible to the public 
and oversight authorities76. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The independently financed Agency for Electronic Media remains important for media 
oversight  and  promoting  pluralism.  Initially  planned  in  2024,  the  reform  of  the  Law  on 
Croatian Radio-Television and the Law on Electronic Media was delayed due to significant 
disruptions in the distribution of print media, which the Government aims to address through 
subsidies77. The Ministry of Culture and Media aims to present the revised Law on Media to 
Parliament  in  2025,  intended  also  to  implement  certain  provisions  of  the  European  Media 
Freedom  Act  (EMFA)78.  This  would  include  plans  to  expand  the  mandate  of  the  media 
regulator  –  Agency  for  Electronic  Media  (AEM)  –  to  encompass  all  forms  of  media, 
including  print79,  which  is  a  part  of  a  broader  effort  to  establish  a  unified  regulatory 
framework,  aiming  to  enhance  comprehensive  media  oversight.  AEM  remains  involved  in 
tackling  disinformation  and  hate  speech,  funding  several  projects  and  supporting  the  new 
national fact-checking platform80. Media literacy efforts remain a strong focus, with several 
projects funded in 2024, including initiatives to educate high school students on AI-generated 
misinformation.  The  Council  for  Electronic  Media  -–  the  governing  body  of  the  Agency  – 
faces  scrutiny  regarding  the  indefinite  re-election  of  its  members,  prompting  discussions 
about the implementation of term limits to prevent prolonged governance risk and introduce 
fresh perspectives.  

Croatia’s  public  broadcaster,  Croatian  Radio-Television,  is  undertaking  significant 
reforms to address financial and governance challenges. HRT is engaged in developing a 
robust reform and restructuring plan. Central to this initiative is the establishment of a new 
legislative framework that would focus on building a stable and independent financial model 
and would include governance changes, expected to be presented by the Government by end 
of 202581. Since 2010, HRT has encountered severe financial challenges due to an unchanged 
subscription  fee,  resulting  in  diminishing  revenues.  The  financial  difficulties  are  mostly 
related to the existing funding model, viewed by HRT and stakeholders as outdated82, which 
has led to  ongoing  discussions on alternative  approaches. To address  its financial situation, 
HRT  has  announced  the  reduction  in  its  workforce  by  approximately  1 000  employees, 
equivalent  to  one-third  of  its  staff83.  This  has  prompted  the  Government  to  provide  direct 
support  for  severance  packages,  with  voluntary  leave  programmes  already  in  progress. 
Government intervention was considered necessary but not sufficient to address the structural 
financial issues. According to MPM 2025, independence of Public Service Media indicators 
score in the high-risk band84, while concerns persist regarding media freedom and pluralism 

76  DKOM (2025).  
77   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media, and Croatian Newspapers Publishers Association. The 
sudden contract termination by the country’s sole retail distributor left publishers searching for alternatives. 
In response, the Croatian Post temporarily assumed responsibility for subscription-based distribution, while 
retail distribution channels remain unresolved. This situation threatens the affordability and accessibility of 
publications. 

78   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media.  
79   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media, and Agency for Electronic Media. 
80   Online platform, available at: https://tocnotako.hr/; Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media. 
81   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media, and HRT Management. 
82   Country visit Croatia, HRT Management, Croatian Journalists’ Association (2025), written input, p. 15. 
83   Country visit Croatia, HRT Management. 
84   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 25. 

12 

 
 
 
at HRT. Journalists have publicly reported issues of political influence, editorial interference, 
and censorship85, though HRT’s management contests these claims86.  

There was no progress yet to strengthen the legal framework and oversight mechanisms 
to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of state advertising at national, regional and 
local  level87.  State  regulation  of  resources  and  support  to  the  media  sector  scores  the 
medium-low risk band, however, the Media Pluralism Monitor notes issues with the lack of 
transparency  in  state  advertising88.  The  framework  for  allocation  of  state  advertising 
continues to raise significant concerns, with no progress made to strengthen it since the 2024 
Rule  of  Law  Report.  According  to  the  Government,  the  general  provision  in  the  Law  on 
Budget emphasises transparency in state spending89. However, some stakeholders have raised 
concerns about state advertising not being allocated based on transparent criteria, as well as 
challenges in fully meeting reporting requirements, particularly at the local level90. In some 
cases,  contracts  between  local  authorities  and  media  organisations  may  create  ambiguity 
between  promotional  content  and  journalism,  which  could  have  implications  for  editorial 
independence,  underscoring  the  importance  of  establishing  a  transparent  and  accountable 
system.  The  complexity  of  reporting  requirements  exacerbates  these  issues,  as  local 
authorities  often  struggle  to  fully  adhere  to  transparency  requirements.  The  Government  is 
preparing  legislation  on  the  implementation  of  the  EMFA  that  aims  to  address  this  issue91. 
However, overall, there has been no progress yet on the recommendation to ensure a fair and 
transparent allocation of state advertising. 

A  new  centralised  media  ownership  and  financing  database  has  been  launched  on 
AEM’s website. As part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the “Platform for Publishing 
Media Ownership Structure and Sources of Media Financing” has been launched. It aims to 
provide  information  on  media  service  providers,  including  their  ownership  structures, 
financial  sources,  state  aid  received,  and  market  concentration92.  It  includes  information  on 
media outlets  and their registered owners,  along  with  details  on revenues, funding methods 
and sources, and concession data and it aims to  tackle also the data on beneficial owners93. 
The database has been launched in view of the obligations of the European Media Freedom 

85   Country visit Croatia, Croatian Journalists’ Association. 
86   Country visit Croatia, HRT Management. 
87   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Croatia to ‘[s]tep up efforts to strengthen the legal framework 
and oversight mechanisms to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of state advertising at national, regional 
and local level, including the public tender procedure’. 

88   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 29-30. 
89   Article 144 stipulates the obligation to publish documents and information on spending of funds. Croatian 

Government, written input, p. 21. 

90   Croatian Journalists’ Association (2025), written input, pp. 14-15. 
91   Croatian  Government  (2025a).  While  the  Law  on  Media  as  amended  in  2021  requires  such  funds  to  be 
distributed  based  on  a  public  call  including  relevant  criteria,  it  does  not  specify  these  criteria  or  any 
procedural safeguards. In this context,  clear criteria, good practices and oversight measures are missing to 
guarantee  the effective and transparent functioning of the allocation procedure. 2024 Rule of Law  Report, 
Croatia, pp. 22-23. 

92   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media and Croatian Newspapers Publishers Association. 
93   Novilist.hr (2025). 

13 

 
 
 
Act94.  It  allows  searches  by  media  and  individuals  and  aggregates  data  from  several 
institutions while being available in an easily accessible manner95. 

While  journalists  primarily  rely  on  the  Law  on  Media  to  access  public  information, 
authorities  are  not  bound  to  reply  within  any  deadline  and  there  is  no  independent 
oversight.  As  a  result,  investigative  journalists  are  increasingly  turning  to  the  Law  on  the 
Right  of  Access  to  Information,  which  provides  a  fixed  deadline  and  enforcement  by  the 
Information Commissioner. At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Justice, Administration, and 
Digital Transformation established a working group to draft amendments to the Law on the 
Right of Access to Information with the aim of improving the right to access to information, 
finding  the  best  solutions  to  improve  the  application  of  this  Law  and  eliminate  possible 
shortcomings  in  its  application.  It  is  expected  to  conclude  its  work  by  the  end  of  2025. 
Journalists  reported  that  public  authorities  often  delay  responses,  provide  partial  or 
incomplete information,  or invoke personal data protection as a frequent  basis for refusal96. 
The new criminal offence for unauthorised disclosure of information from ongoing criminal 
investigations  continued  to  raise  concerns  among  stakeholders  for  their  possible  impact  on 
journalistic sources97. 

Journalists still face a number of challenges although efforts to improve their safety are 
ongoing.  The  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2025  highlights  the  medium-high  risk  as  for 
journalistic  profession,  standards  and  protection98.  Regarding  journalists’  safety,  the 
cooperation  agreement  signed  in  2023  between  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior  and  journalists’ 
organisations  has  reportedly  improved  relations  between  police  and  media  workers, 
particularly at the national level99. As part of the agreement, journalists are invited to attend 
presentations  and  trainings  raising  awareness  of  the  safety  of  journalists100.  Moreover, 
stakeholders  point  to  the  need  to  ensure  awareness  about  the  protocol  to  avoid  inconsistent 
application101. Since the publication of the 2024 Rule of Law Report, the Council of Europe’s 
Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists has registered four 
new  alerts  relating  to  a  lack  of  adequate  protection  under  defamation  and  insult  practice, 
threats and harassment, and attacks on physical safety and integrity102. The Mapping Media 
Freedom  monitoring  report  has  flagged  seventeen  alerts,  twelve  of  which  concern  verbal 

94   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media.  
95   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture  and Media. The Ministry described that this platform integrates 
data from various internal and external systems, including the AEM system, the National Identification and 
Authentication System (NIAS), and the Tax and Court Registries. 

96   Croatian Journalists’ Association (2025), written input, p. 18; Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 5.  
97   Croatian Journalists’ Association (2024). As reported last year, amendments adopted in March 2024 to the 
Criminal Code exempted journalists from liability for the offence for unauthorised disclosure of information 
from ongoing criminal investigations. This new offence is in force since April 2024. Until February 2025, 
the  State Attorney’s Office  initiated six investigations related to this offence. None of these investigations 
were undertaken against journalists. Some stakeholders continue to raise concerns about the potential threats 
to  journalistic  freedom  from  the  perspective  of  protection  of  sources.  Country  visit  Croatia,  GONG  and 
Croatian Journalists’ Association. Some stakeholders have also explored how this law interacts with existing 
media  protections,  such  as  those  established  by  the  Law  on  Media.  Country  visit  Croatia,  Croatian 
Journalists' Association and the Ombudsperson’s Office.  

98   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 14. 
99   Country visit Croatia, Ministry of the Interior and Croatian Trade Union of Journalists.  
100  AEM.hr (2025). 
101 Croatian Journalists’ Association (2025), written input, p. 17. 
102  Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025). 

14 

 
 
 
attacks,  four  relate  to  incidents  of  interferences,  two  relate  to  physical  assaults  and  the 
remaining two to legal incidents103. 

Work  on  the  recommendation  to  address  the  issue  of  strategic  lawsuits  against  public 
participation  targeting  journalists  (SLAPPs),  is  ongoing104.  SLAPPs  remain  a  serious 
concern in Croatia. The Media Pluralism Monitor indicates the medium-high risk band in the 
category  of  protection  of  freedom  of  expression105.  The  Ministry  of  Justice,  Public 
Administration and Digital Transformation established a working group to begin discussions 
on  transposing  the  Anti-SLAPP  Directive,  bringing  together  representatives  from  the 
Ministry  of  Culture  and  Media,  judges,  and  legal  scholars106.  The  National  Coordination 
Committee,  formed  in  March  2024,  has  made  limited  headway  in  supporting  the  National 
Plan for Culture and Media (2023-2027) and journalist safety107. A survey conducted by the 
Croatian  Journalists’  Association  counted  that  as  of  May  2025  at  least  696  active  lawsuits 
against journalists and media outlets were recorded108, 125 of which were filed by influential 
figures of public life, such as politicians and judges109. Most cases relate to insult and slander, 
criminalised under Criminal Code, and civil lawsuits with high damage claims110 continue to 
exert financial pressure, especially on smaller media outlets. The Ministry of Justice, Public 
Administration,  and  Digital  Transformation  reviewed  civil  damage  lawsuits  in  2024  to 
estimate  the  number  of  potential  SLAPPs.  The  analysis  found  that  25  civil  cases  and  7 
criminal cases could be considered SLAPP. Of 25 civil cases, 10 were finalised, including 5 
that had been ongoing since 2023111. The National  Action Plan includes  measures to tackle 
SLAPPs112.  In  May  2025,  the  Working  Group  on  SLAPPs  and  the  National  Coordination 
Committee  for  the  Implementation  of  Measures  of  the  Action  Plan113  presented  an 
educational  brochure  on  combatting  SLAPPs114.  Moreover,  a  series  of  joint  trainings  for 
judges and journalists has been conducted in all regional centers of the Judicial Academy in 
Croatia115. Lower courts often fail to apply protections effectively whereas stakeholders have 
also  noticed  the  inconsistency  in  court  practices116.  The  educational  material  and  trainings 
prepared  by  the  Working  Group  also  serve  as  a  tool  for  judges  and  lawyers  to  identify 

103  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025). 
104  The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Croatia  to  ‘[m]ake  further  efforts  to  address  the  issue  of 
strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  targeted  at  journalists,  including  by  reviewing  the  legal 
provisions  on  defamation  and  encouraging  wider  use  of procedural  rules  that  allow  dismissing  groundless 
lawsuits, taking into account the European standards on the protection of journalists’.  

105  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 12. 
106  Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. 
107  Croatian Journalists’ Association (2025), written input, p. 20. 
108  Croatian Journalists' Association (2025). 
109  The final results of the joint study by the Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo confirmed that 40% 
of court rulings against journalists between 2016 and 2023 bear SLAPP characteristics, with lawsuits often 
lasting over a decade. Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo (2024), p. 6. 

110  As  estimated  by  HND,  civil  defamation  lawsuits  remain  prevalent,  making  up  629  cases,  which  represent 
90%  of  all  legal  actions.  Some  journalists  raised  concerns  that  defamation  and  insult  remain  criminal 
offences, as they are often linked to SLAPP tactics. Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 12. 

111  Croatian Government (2025a). 
112  Country visit Croatia, Ministry of Culture and Media. 
113  National  Coordination  Committee  for  the  Implementation  of  the  Measures  of  the  Action  Plan  for  the 
Development of Culture and Media and the Council of Europe and the OSCE  Campaign for the Safety of 
Journalists. 
114  AEM.hr (2025a). 
115  Ibid. 
116  Country visit Croatia, Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo (2024), pp. 17-22. 

15 

 
 
 
SLAPPs early on and dismiss  such lawsuits117. Therefore, there has  been  some progress  on 
the recommendation to address the issue of SLAPPs targeted at journalists. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Impact  assessments  and  evaluations  of  laws  expanded,  and  the  portal  for  public 
consultations was introduced to local and regional levels. Following the entry into force in 
January  2024  of  the  new  Law  on  Better  Regulation  Policy  Instruments,  the  number  of 
regulatory  impact  assessments  increased  several-fold  to  23  draft  laws  (21%  of  all  2024 
proposals)  with  the  goal  that  majority  of  laws  proposed  in  2025  would  be  assessed118.  As 
regards  the  new  instrument  for  the  evaluation  of  regulations,  three  such  evaluations  of 
adopted  and  implemented  laws  were  carried  out  in  2024  (in  the  areas  of  State  aid,  for 
research  and  development  projects,  pension  adequacy  and  consolidation  of  land),  with  two 
additional planned for 2025. In 2024, there were 896 consultations conducted through the e-
Consultations portal119. The length of consultations further increased to  22 days on average 
(21 in 2023). The share of received comments that remained unanswered decreased to 13% 
(21% in 2023)120. In November 2024, the e-Consultations portal was opened for use by local 
and  regional  self-government  units121.  As  regards  its  2023  recommendation  to  the 
Government  authorities  to  provide  a  greater  number  of  reasoned  replies  to  comments,  the 
People’s Ombudsperson found that 42% of comments either did not receive a reply or were 
only  acknowledged  meaning  that  the  consultations  do  not  fulfil  its  purpose  as  they  are  not 
allowing  for  proper  participation,  and  therefore  repeated  its  recommendation122.  As  regards 
the  legislative  process,  the  share  of  laws  adopted  by  urgent  procedure  in  Parliament  has 
increased to 34% in 2024, as compared to 26% in 2023123. 

Over half of the companies surveyed in Croatia express confidence in the effectiveness 
of investment protection. 53% of companies are very or fairly confident that investments are 
protected by law and courts124. Business stakeholders raised the efficiency and quality of the 
justice system and the quality and frequent changes in legislation as the main challenges for 
investing in Croatia125. As regards authorities relevant for economic operators, 32% perceive 
the  level  of  independence  of  the  national  competition  authority  (The  Croatian  Competition 
Agency) as very or fairly good126. A number of judicial mechanisms are in place at the level 
of  the  High  Administrative  Court  to  ensure  the  implementation  of  their  judgments,  which 

117 AEM.hr (2025a). 
118  In  2023,  only  four  draft  laws  underwent  a  regulatory  impact  assessment.  Country  visit  Croatia, 

Government’s Office for Legislation.  

119  There  were  822  consultations  in  2023  and  1 028  in  2022.  Country  visit  Croatia,  Government’s  Office  for 

Legislation.  

120  In  2024,  a  total  of  4 735  individuals  and  legal  entities  participated  (6 441  in  2023).  Altogether,  127 
representatives  of  civil  society  organisation  took  part  in  public  consultations  (325  in  2023).  Country  visit 
Croatia, Government’s Office for Legislation. 
121  Croatian Government (2025), written input, p. 30. 
122  People’s Ombudsperson (2025), pp. 16-17. 
123  This was an increase compared to 2023, when Parliament adopted 26% of laws using the urgent procedure – 
which was then the lowest in a decade (ranging from 31% in 2021 to 81% in 2014). Croatian Government 
(2025), written input, p. 31. 

124  Figure  54,  2025  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  In  Croatia,  32%  of  companies  perceive  the  frequent  changes  in 
legislation  or  concerns  about  quality  of 
law-making  process  and  unpredictable/non-transparent 
administrative conduct as the main reasons for the perceived lack of effectiveness of investment protection. 
Figure 55, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

125  Country visit Croatia, AmCham. 
126  Figure 60, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

16 

 
 
 
include  the  possibility  to  substitute  the  annulled  administrative  act.  However,  these 
mechanisms  do  not  include  disciplinary  actions  against  the  responsible  officials,  or  the 
possibility to award direct or consequential damages or compensation127. 

On  1  January  2025,  Croatia  had  30  leading  judgments  of  the  European  Court  of 
Human  Rights  pending  implementation,  an  increase  of  3  compared  to  the  previous 
year128. At that time, Croatia’s rate of leading judgments from the past 10 years that had been 
implemented  was  at  68%  (compared  to  72%  in  2024;  32%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 2 years and 3 months 
(compared  to  3  years  and  4  months  in  2024)129.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation  for  10  years,  concerns  violations  of  the  applicants’  right  to  the  peaceful 
enjoyment of their property between 1997 and 2015 on account of statutory limitations on the 
use  of  private  flats  by  landlords130.  As  regards  the  respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31 
December 2024 there were 12 cases in total awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 
2  in  2023)131.  On  16  June  2025,  the  number  of  leading  judgments  pending  implementation 
had increased to 36132.  

Significant  progress  was  made  on  the  recommendation  to  improve  follow-up  to  the 
People’s Ombudsperson’s recommendations and on access to information133. The Public 
Ombudsperson’s  Office  fulfils  the  role  of  the  National  Human  Rights  Institution  and  is 
accredited with A-status134. In autumn 2024, the Government’s Office for Human Rights and 
Minority Rights collected information from all relevant authorities about the implementation 
of  the  recommendations  from  the  Ombudsperson’s  report  for  2023.  According  to  the 
Government,  the  analysis  has  shown  that  73.3%  of  recommendations  issued  in  2023  have 
been implemented, are being implemented, or are in the implementation plan (60.6% of those 
issued in 2022 were implemented in 2023)135. In 2024, according to the Ombudsperson, the 
improved,  as  around  61%  of  all 
further 
implementation  of 
recommendations given in 2023 have either been already implemented or are in the process 
of  being  implemented  (44%  of  those  issued  in  2022  were  implemented  in  2023)136.  As 
regards access to information, the Ombudsperson’s Office reported an improvement as they 
received  the  requested  information  during  both  field  visits  to  facilities  with  irregular 
migrants,  which  once  included  access  to  the  Police  ICT  system137.  Therefore,  significant 

recommendations 

127  Figure 49, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data  presented reflect exclusively the mechanisms in place at 
the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place at lower 
instance administrative courts. 

128  For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
129  All  figures  calculated  by  the  European  Implementation  Network  (EIN)  and  based  on  the  number  of  cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 2. 

130  Judgment of the ECtHR, 12027/10, Statileo v. Croatia, pending implementation since 2014.  
131  Council of Europe (2025), p. 156.   
132  Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
133  The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Croatia to ‘further improve the follow-up to recommendations 

and ensure a more systematic response to information requests of the Ombudsperson’. 

134  According to the Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (The Paris Principles). 
135  Country  visit  Croatia,  Government’s  Office  for  Human  Rights  and  Minority  Rights,  and  Croatian 
Government  (2025a).  In  agreement  with  Ombudsperson’s  Office,  authorities  published  an  annex  of  the 
Government’s  annual 
implementation  report  containing  descriptive  responses  on  recommendation 
implementation. 

136  People’s Ombudsperson (2025), p. 333. 
137  In  2024,  Ombudsperson’s  Office  conducted  five  such  field  visits.  Ombudsperson’s  Office  also  requested 
information  about  treatment  in  20  individual  cases  of migrants,  which  included,  in  12  cases,  a  request  for 

17 

 
 
 
 
progress was made on the recommendation regarding Ombudsperson’s recommendation and 
access to information. 

The shift toward multiannual funding of civil society organisations continued, while the 
new National Plan for Creating an Enabling Environment remains under preparation. 
The civic space in Croatia is considered to be narrowed138. As reported last year, the Working 
Group  developing  the  National  Plan  for  Creating  an  Enabling  Environment  had  technically 
completed the draft for internal governmental consultation139. The National Plan was still in 
development140.  CSOs  see  the  need  for  the  National  Plan  to  be  adopted  to  address  issues 
relating  to  the  financing  framework,  access  and  participation  in  decision-making  processes, 
and  institutional  framework  for  civil  society141.  In  2024,  the  shift  from  short-term  support 
towards multiannual systematic and continuous financing continued, and this expected to be 
sustained into 2025142. However, some civil society organisations consider the administrative 
burden in applying for funds to be a challenge143.  

copies of the Police case files. Country visit Croatia, Ministry of the Interior. Police provided information in 
all these requests. Country visit Croatia, People’s Ombudsperson’s Office. 

138  Rating given by Civicus, Croatia; ratings are on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, 

repressed and closed. 

139  2024 Rule of law Report, Croatia, p. 40.  
140  Country visit Croatia, Government’s Office for Cooperation with the NGOs 
141  Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 219. 
142  Country  visit  Croatia,  Government’s  Office  for  Cooperation  with  the  NGOs.  According  to  the  data  of  the 
National Foundation for Civil Society Development, in 2024, a total of 305 financial supports were provided 
for 18 program areas, and in 2025, 409 financial supports is planned to be provided for a total of 20 areas. 
The value of support, which was around EUR 3 million in 2024, would increase to around EUR 3.5 million 
for 2025.  

143  Some  civil  society  pointed  out  that  funding  is  primarily  focused  on  supporting  civil  society  organisations 
that  provide  social  services,  rather  than  organisations  contributing  to  better  public  policy  management, 
monitoring  reforms  in  the  rule  of  law,  combating  corruption,  and  enhancing  transparency.  Civil  Liberties 
Union  for  Europe  (2025),  and  country  visit  Croatia,  The  Human  Rights  House  Zagreb  and  Centre  for 
Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo with contributions from Croatian Journalist Association, Centre for Peace 
Studies,  Rainbow  Families  Croatia,  Zagreb  Pride,  Udruga  RODA,  Youth  Initiative  for  Human  Rights  – 
Croatia,  GONG,  Green  Action,  DKolektiv,  Center  for  peace,  non-violence  and  human rights  and  Croatian 
Platform for International Citizen Solidarity-CROSOL. 

18 

 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en. 

found 

be 

at 

AEM.hr  (2025),  Journalists  and  other  media  workers  of  Nova  TV  Presented  with  protocols  for  the 
Protection  of  Security,  24  March  2025  https://www.aem.hr/blog/2025/03/24/protokoli-o-zastiti-
sigurnosti-novinara-i-drugih-medijskih-djelatnika-predstavljeni-na-hrt-u/?lang=en.  

AEM.hr (2025a), Educational brochure presented to combat strategic lawsuits directed against public 
action (SLAPP lawsuits), 9 May 2025 https://www.aem.hr/blog/2025/05/09/predstavljena-edukativna-
brosura-radi-suzbijanja-strateskih-tuzbi-usmjerenih-protiv-javnog-djelovanja-slapp-tuzbi-2/.  

Article  19  (2024),  Croatia:  Brutal  assault  on  Dario  Topić  must  be  punished,  11  December  2024 
https://www.article19.org/resources/croatia-brutal-assault-on-dario-topic-must-be-punished/. 

Centre for Democracy and Law Mike Tripalo (2024), Strategic lawsuits against public participation 
(SLAPP)  in  the  Republic  of  Croatia,  30  September  2024  https://tripalo.hr/strateske-tuzbe-protiv-
javne-participacije-slapp-u-republici-hrvatskoj/. 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2025),  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2025,  Country 
report for Croatia, https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-pluralism-monitor/.  

for 
Liberties  Union 
Civil 
https://www.liberties.eu/f/pdfupg.  

Europe 

(2025), 

Rule 

of 

Law 

Report,  Croatia, 

Commission for the Resolution of Conflict of Interest (2025), Work Plan of the Commission for 2025, 
17 March 2025 
https://www.sukobinteresa.hr/sites/default/files/dokumenti_clanaka/plan_rada_za_2025.g_.pdf. 

Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025), 
https://fom.coe.int/en/accueil  

Croatian Government (2024), Report for 2023 on the implementation of the Action Plan for the period 
from  2022  to  2024  accompanying  the  Strategy  for  the  prevention  of  Corruption  for  2021-2030, 
https://mpudt.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/borba-protiv-korupcije/strateski-dokumenti-i-prioritetna-
podrucja/izvjesca-o-provedbi-dokumenata/21524. 

for 

Croatian  Government  (2025),  Action  Plan  for  the  period  from  2025  to  2027  accompanying  the 
2025 
Strategy 
https://mpudt.gov.hr/UserDocsImages//dokumenti/Antikorupcija//Akcijski%20plan%20za%20razdobl
je%20od%202025.%20do%202027.%20uz%20Strategiju%20sprje%C4%8Davanja%20korupcije%2
0za%20razdoblje%20od%202021.%20do%202030.%20godine%20(1).pdf . 

of  Corruption 

2021-2030, 

29  May 

prevention 

the 

for 

Croatian Journalists' Association (2025), CJA: At least 696 active lawsuits worth 3.1 million euro, 2 
May 2025 https://www.hnd.hr/eng/cja-at-least-696-active-lawsuits-worth-3-1-million-euros. 

Croatian Journalists’ Association (2024), Open letter to citizens about the dangers of amendments to 
the  Criminal  Code,  11  March  2024  https://www.hnd.hr/eng/open-letter-from-cja-to-citizens-about-
the-dangers-of-amendments-to-the-criminal-code.  

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2025),  Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

19 

 
 
Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2025),  Special  Eurobarometer  561  on  Citizens’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025), Media Freedom Rapid Response  – Croatia, 
https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-pluralism-monitor/.  

European Commission (2025), 2024 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Croatia. 

European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  (2024a),  EPPO  raises  concerns  over  rule  of  law  violations  in 
Croatia 
2025 
competence 
https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/media/news/eppo-raises-concerns-over-rule-law-violations-croatia-
following-conflict-competence. 

November 

following 

decision, 

conflict 

21 

of 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (2024b), Croatia: EPPO starts investigation against Minister of 
Health  and 
robotics  procurement,  15  November  2024 
https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/media/news/croatia-eppo-starts-investigation-against-minister-health-
and-seven-others-over-medical. 

seven  others  over  medical 

European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  (2025),  Contribution  from  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s 
Office for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office 
bhttps://www.eppo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-
03/EPPO%20Annual%20Report%202024_0.pdf.  

(2025a),  Annual  Report  2024,  3  March  2025 

Judgment of the Constitutional Court, U-I-2215/2022, 7 February 2023.  

Judgment  of  the  Court  of  Justice  of  the  European  Union,  Joined  Cases  C-554/21  Hann-Invest,  C-
622/21  Mineral-Sekuline  and  C-727/21  Udruga  Khl  Medvešcak  Zagreb,  11  July  2024 
https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-554/21.  

Ministry  of  Justice,  Public  Administration  and  Digital  Transformation  (2025),  ‘Start  a  change  – 
report  corruption’  information  and  educational  campaign,  https://mpudt.gov.hr/pokreni-promjenu-
prijavi-korupciju/28346?lang=en.  

Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation (2025a), Written input from the 
Ministry  of  Justice,  Public  Administration  and  Digital  Transformation  for  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Novilist.hr (2025), From next week, all data on media owners and sources of their financing will be 
publicly  available,  26  April  2025  https://www.novilist.hr/novosti/hrvatska/od-iduceg-tjedna-bit-ce-
javno-dostupni-svi-podaci-o-vlasnicima-medija-i-izvorima-njihovog-financiranja/?meta_refresh=true.  

OECD  (2024),  Implementing  the  OECD  Anti-Bribery  Convention,  Phase  2  Report  on  Croatia,  19 
December  2024  https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-anti-bribery-convention-phase-2-report-
on-croatia_675b0561-en.html. 

State Attorney’s Office (2024), Decision of the State Attorney General of the Republic of Croatia, 19 
November 2024 https://dorh.hr/hr/priopcenja/drzavno-odvjetnistvo-republike-hrvatske-odluka. 

State Commission for the Supervision of Public  Procurement Procedures (2025), Written input from 
the State Commission for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures for the 2025 Rule of Law 
Report.  

20 

 
 
Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. 

Večernji  list  (2025),  Minister  Irena  Hrstić  at  the  congress  of  the  Association  of  Employers  in 
Healthcare: 'We made a mistake, we must now bring primary health care back into focus', 23 May 
https://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/ministrica-irena-hrstic-na-kongresu-udruge-poslodavaca-u-
2025 
zdravstvu-pogrijesili-smo-primarnu-zdravstvenu-zastitu-sada-moramo-vratiti-u-fokus-1863643.  

21 

 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Croatia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2025 with: 

•  Agency for Electronic Media  
•  American Chamber of Commerce - Croatia 
•  Association of Judges (Judge Damir Kontrec) 
•  Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo 
•  Centre for Peace Studies 
•  Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts of Interest 
•  Croatian Journalists' Association 
•  Croatian Newspaper Publishers' Association 
•  Crosol - Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity 
•  GONG 
•  Government’s Legislation Office 
•  Government’s Office for Cooperation with NGOs  
•  Government’s Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities 
•  HRT – Croatian Radio and Television (Director General Robert Šveb) 
•  Human Rights House 
•  Ministry of Culture and Media 
•  Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation 
•  Ministry of the Interior 
•  Office of the Information Commissioner 
•  Office of the People’s Ombudsperson 
•  PNUSKOK - specialised anti-corruption police 
•  State Attorney’s Council 
•  State Attorney’s Office (including State Attorney General and USKOK-specialised 

anti-corruption prosecution) 

•  State Audit Office 
•  State Commission for Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures 
•  State Judicial Council 
•  Supreme Court (Vice-President Gordana Jalšovečki and judge Damir Kontrec) 
•  Trade Union of Croatian Journalists 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe   
•  Civil Society Europe   
•  European Civic Forum   
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  
• 
• 

International Commission of Jurists   
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

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•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International 

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