Strengthening the implementation of regulatory impact assessment in Croatia

The Commission aimed to enhance the analytical capacity of the Government Legislation Office (GLO) and the Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) in Croatia on applying appropriate methodological tools and processes for the implementation of the ex-ante and ex-post regulatory impact assessment (RIA). It also supported the dissemination of this knowledge among key actors and stakeholders in the RIA system in Croatia, such as line ministries. 

Context

Croatian regulatory framework has significantly changed since 2017 to address problems with inconsistent policy and legislation planning, poor preparation of new acts and lack of legislation implementation monitoring. In 2017, a new RIA law entered into force, simplifying the procedure, and shortening the process to assess the impact of laws. According to the OECD Review, the Croatian government made great strides in improving its regulatory policy. Nevertheless, challenges remain in ensuring that regulatory tools are implemented effectively. Ex-post reviews of regulations have led to enhancements in government internal processes. However, there is a recognized need to concentrate on whether laws and regulations are really meeting their intended objectives. Croatian authorities have recognized that currently HAKOM lacks the required tools and competences to perform a thorough analysis and anticipate the possible outcomes of its regulatory actions. The development of a RIA system aims to ensure the transparency of the regulatory procedure and to provide a tool for enabling stakeholder participation.

Support delivered

The project has been implemented together with the GIZ and is supporting Croatia in three main areas:

• Enhancement of GLO’s analytical capacity to implement methodological tools and processes in view of improving the overall regulatory performance in case of ex-post RIA application, by:
  • Reviewing the operational capacity, current work and methodological tools of GLO in respect of ex-post RIA application
  • Proposing an enhanced regulatory toolbox for ex-post RIA.
  • Designing a pilot application of the enhanced regulation toolbox.
  • Providing training and communication on the enhanced regulatory toolbox.
• Building capacity within HAKOM for applying adequate RIA methodologies and processes, by:
  • Reviewing HAKOM’s role and structure in RIA.
  • Supporting the development of a RIA operational / methodological toolbox.
  • Supporting capacity building of relevant actors and dedicated personnel.
• Dissemination of methodologies and processes in the most relevant public bodies, by:
  • Informing and training on the proposed methodologies and working processes.

Results achieved

The project enhanced GLO’s analytical capacity to implement appropriate methodological tools and processes of ex-post RIA in view of improving the overall regulatory performance; it built capacity within HAKOM for applying adequate RIA methodologies and processes; it disseminated the application of related methodologies and processes in the most relevant public bodies, by carrying out trainings on the operational work of GLO, HAKOM and key ministries.