Croatia

Basic information

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Mechanisms of Vertical Integration

National — sub-national linkages

Mechanisms of vertical integration are described in the Environmental Protection Act (OG 110/07). The Act sets out responsibility for sustainable development on different political levels, including national government, counties, cities, and other relevant stakeholders. This responsibility is regulated through sustainable development and environmental protection documents, of which NSDS is the highest level document that other such documents (Environmental Protection Plan, Environmental Protection Programme and Environmental Status Report) as well as all other development documents in Croatia have to be in accordance with. NSDS and Environmental Protection Plan regulate SD on the national level, Environmental Protection Programme regulates it on sub-national, regional level, while being in conformity with national documents, and Environmental Status Reports can be made at both national and sub-national level, referring to either the Plan or the Programme. The requirement for conformity of lower level sustainable development and environmental protection documents with the Strategy, the legal obligation of counties, the city of Zagreb and major cities to develop and adopt their Programmes and the obligation of submitting the Environmental Status Report every four years ensure that NSDS is implemented and has effects on sub-national level, as well.

EU linkages

The NSDS follows the principles of the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development and the renewed EU Strategy for Sustainable Development (EU SDS).

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Mechanisms of Horizontal Integration

Mechanisms of horizontal integration are also described in the Environmental Protection Act (OG 110/07). One that we have already mentioned is the requirement that: "Development documents pertaining to individual areas and activities cannot be in contravention to the Strategy".

In the field of legislation and official documents and policies, one of the means for achieving horizontal integration is the Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection Council. The Council was established by the Government for the purpose of achieving coordinated and harmonised economical development in the context of environmental protection and ensuring conditions for sustainable development. It also provides the continuity of professional and scientific basis for regulation of certain issues in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. Its members are representatives of various institutions and organizations. It has supervisory and advisory function and has the task to deliver opinions on:

• Proposals of documents in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development which are adopted by the Government or the Croatian Parliament,
• Proposals for and assessments of coordination in solving issues related to environmental protection and economic development,
• Proposals for and assessments of coordination in solving issues related to climate and ozone layer protection

The Council as independent body is member of the European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) network.

Another organization established for the purpose of assuring horizontal integration is the National Committee for the Development and Implementation of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia, which consists of state secretaries from ministries responsible for economy, labour and entrepreneurship, sea, transport and infrastructure, health and social welfare, regional development, forestry and water management and Central Office responsible for coordination of EU funds with the Minister of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction presiding.

In the context of drafting the NSDS, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction coordinated process of drafting the Strategy with other ministries and administrative bodies competent for the sectors of: the economy, health and social welfare, agriculture, forestry, water management, nature, education, science, sea, tourism, transport and development. The same principle will be followed for drafting of the Action Plans. Different aspects of SD fall under the competencies of various ministries, and various ministries and other institutions are being/will be involved in implementation of NSDS. Various ministries have been or will be assigned specific SD challenge from among those defined by the NSDS and be in charge of it. They will develop Action Plans for that challenge and work on the realization of that challenge in cooperation with the other ministries and institutions, coordinating those efforts.

Example of work in progress on implementation of NSDS (Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production): The first workshop on sustainable consumption and production, one of the challenges from NSDS, was attended by representatives from 9 ministries and several other institutions. A Steering Committee has been established composed of representatives of government, non-government organizations and business sector. A Working Group that consists of the experts designated by the Steering Committee is currently drafting this Action Plan.

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Evaluation and Review

Amendments to the Strategy or a new Strategy may be adopted every ten years, as well as sooner, by way of derogation, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction. Additionally, the Environmental Status Report - prescribed by the Environmental Protection Act (OG 110/07) and carried out every four years - has to include an evaluation of the realisation of NSDS goals.

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Indicators and Monitoring

For the purpose of monitoring the realisation of the goals set out in the NSDS the Croatian Parliament shall review the Environmental Status Report at the state level for each four year period. The Environmental Status Report contains in particular an overview of fulfilment of the goals of the Strategy and the Environmental Protection Plan. The Environmental Status Report at the state level shall be developed on the basis of the National indicator list and 130 sustainable development indicators (SDIs) which are listed in the NSDS. Those 130 SDIs can be replaced or new ones can be added during the development of Action Plans at the proposal of associated institutions if the latest scientific knowledge shows that they are better for monitoring the status of sustainable development.

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Participation

The development of NSDS was based on a participatory approach so that NGOs, civil society and the business sector were also included in its creation. In the consultation process, a draft version of the NSDS was submitted to various stakeholders and posted on the lead ministry's web-site for 30 days and two public debates were held. Comments received in this way were taken into consideration in the final version of the Strategy.

Considering implementation of the Strategy and process of drafting of the Action Plans same participatory approach has to be respected. As it is propound in one chapter of the Strategy, the Action Plans will be prepared in workshops by mutual cooperation of all stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and the business sector. The NSDS also specifies for each of the identified challenges "institutions involved".

There are also two independent bodies established by the Government, the Council for Physical Planning of the Republic of Croatia and the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Council, which are also important stakeholders for the preparation of Action Plans, and whose members come from the ranks of governmental and non-governmental bodies, business sector and civil society.

For a detailed documentation of all advisory and participatory councils (for SD and/or the environment) in this country, please go to the EEAC website at http://www.eeac-net.org/bodies/croatia/hr_frame.htm and click on one of the listed institutions.

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Sub-national activities

There is a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable development, and a number of towns and counties are taking the initiative on their own, joining the international initiatives and campaigns in that direction.

Two Croatian counties and 20 towns (including the capital of Croatia, Zagreb) participate in the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and are signatories of the Aalborg Charter.

Seven Croatian towns (including the capital of Croatia, Zagreb) have made a commitment to help mitigate the climate change by reducing their CO2 emissions and improving the town's energy efficiency through creation of their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans and are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors: Zagreb, Rijeka, Duga Resa, Ivanic-Grad, Klanjec, Ozalj, Pregrada.

One Croatian county (Primorsko-Goranska County) and two towns (Zagreb and Koprivnica) are members of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, an international association of local governments as well as national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development, and that provide support for local government in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level.

Some sub-national activities are organized by public administration, like the following ones:

Croatian Primorsko-goranska County and its 'County Institute for Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning' work on sustainable development and support implementation of Agenda 21 on a local level and of Adriatic Agenda 21.

Centre for Sustainable Development of Northern Adriatic Islands works on the sustainable development of those islands with special accent on developing agriculture and sustainable tourism and the use of alternative energy sources.

Some other sub-national activities are the result of NGO, civil society and general public initiatives:

NGO Odraz (Sustainable Development of Communities) and the Local Development Network that they have founded work for the sustainable development of local communities, public participation in decision-making and sharing of information through networking. They promote LEAP method - Local Environmental Action Program. Links to their pages (unfortunately, the pages are only in Croatian): http://www.odraz.hr/stranice/o_nama.html and http://www.mreza-lokalni-razvoj.net/index.htm

NGO ZOE - Center for Sustainable Development of Rural Communities - works on the sustainable development and improvement of life in rural communities in Croatia and has founded Croatian Rural Development Network.

Centre for Sustainable Development - Ecological Park Pernat is a non-profit organization that is trying to revive and preserve everyday life in the part of island Cres that is dying out and to use certain elements of alternative energy sources there.

Croatian Center for Cleaner Production (CRO CCP) is a non-governmental non-profit organization, with the aim to promote concept of cleaner production in Croatia. Center's services are intended for industry, administration bodies, industrial associations, educational institutions, financial organizations and public. CRO CPC is a member of United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) Network of National Cleaner Production Centers.

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This Country Profile has been last updated on: Friday, 23 April 2010

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