COGITO

Professor Ivan Koprić

Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb
September, 3rd 2009
 Croatia
Independence at the beginning of the 1990s
Self-management legacy (public interest, public
participation, social welfare)
War and rebellion (1991-1995) and the period of
reconstruction
Economic transition (from social ownership economy to
free market economy)
Privatisation of social ownership as grounds for economic
way of thinking, neo-liberalist tendencies and
managerial doctrine in the public sector
Europeanisation efforts have raised the issue of good
governance
4,437,460 inhabitants; 6,750 settlements; 56,594 sq km;
89% of Croats
The Croatian Public Administration System
Structure:
a) State administration
-ministries (16)
-state administrative organisations (9)
-central state offices (3)
-offices of state administration at county level (20)
b) Local and regional self-government
c) Public services (services of general interest) –
central or local responsibility; reforms;
independent regulatory agencies
Personnel:
a) 65,000 in state administration
b) 14,000 in self-governments
c) over 200,000 in public services at both central
(180,000) and local level (23,500)
 Territorial Organisation
 Two-tier system
- 418 communes + 68 towns
- 20 counties + City of Zagreb

 Increase in number of local units (from 486 to 555; 14,2%)

- communes: 429 (2.6%); 1.371.987 inhabitants (31%)
- towns: 126 (+ Zagreb with special status) (85.3%); 3.065.473
inhabitants (69%)
- average: 7,967 inhabitants in 12 settlements
- large towns (since 2005; over 35,000 inhabitants – 15 of them)
- self-government below municipal level (territorial committees)

 No changes in number of counties, but changes in their role

and structure
- average: 211,308 inhabitants with Zagreb; 183,000 without it; 334
settlements
- large differences and disparities between counties

 The City of Zagreb: 779,145 inhabitants; city and county

status + transferred state administrative tasks (otherwise
organised within the offices of state administration)
 NUTS II: three statistical regions (North-West C., Middle and
Eastern-Panonian C., Adriatic C.)
 Competencies
Local units (towns and communes): regulation of settlements and
housing, spatial and urban planning, utility services, childcare,
social welfare, primary health care, elementary education, culture,
physical education and sports, consumer protection, environment
protection, fire protection, and civil defence
Large towns have two more groups of affairs: issuing location and
construction licences and other urban planning documents, and
maintenance of public roads
Counties: education, health services, spatial and urban planning,
economic development, traffic and traffic infrastructure, planning
and development of a network of educational, social, cultural and
health institutions, issuing location and construction licences and
other urban planning documents in the territory outside large
towns, and maintenance of public roads outside large towns
 Conclusions

1. Legal situation: to complete regulatory

framework of local self-government
2. Introduction of direct elections of mayors
3. Rationalisation of local and regional structure?
4. Lack of financial resources
5. Promotion of regional and local development as
one of the main task
6. Hesitating decentralisation with low political and
public support
 Thank you!

Professor Ivan Koprić

Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb
Mailto: ikopric@pravo.hr