engleski

Croatian Institutional and Structural Adjustments Towards EU Regional Policy

As Croatia actively prepares for accession to the EU, it is crucial that it is well prepared for the introduction of EU Structural Funds and pre-accession funds. This will require a significant effort on the part of the government to strengthen the institutional base for the management of the Funds – from the centre of government to regions across the country. The National strategy for regional development will be a major part of that effort. The implications for approach to the analysis of regional policy in Croatia today is concentrate essentially upon three main fields of enquiry from two perspectives – top-down and bottom-up. These are: • Assessment of the overall policy framework for regional development, including the current legal framework in particular policies, legal acts and regulations which affect the development of those parts of the country which can be loosely termed “assisted areas” ; • Assessment of the institutional and administrative capacity in place, and • Appraisal of the types of regional development instruments currently deployed and their effectiveness in dealing with development needs at national, regional and local level. The central logic of the EU Structural Funds (2007-2013) is that by concentrating much of their resources on the least developed member states and regions, EU regional and cohesion policy can contribute to reducing disparities while raising the competitiveness of the EU as a whole. The outcome of this debate over the next years will have significant repercussions on the direction and management of national (regional) policy in Croatia, too.

competitiveness; regional perspectives

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