Reform Package in Focus
The Government of the Republic of Croatia has adopted a package of three key laws covering the areas of spatial planning, construction and energy efficiency in buildings. This comprehensive reform step is aimed at modernising the spatial planning system, digitalising procedures and ensuring sustainable development in line with European standards. According to the announcement published on the website of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets , the main objective of the package is to simplify procedures, enhance legal certainty and foster greater transparency in managing space and construction.
At the same time, the importance of combating illegal construction is underlined, as it has for decades been a significant issue in coastal and rural areas. The new laws introduce a number of instruments to prevent spatial devastation, while at the same time promoting energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of the construction sector.
Digitalisation and Procedural Simplification
One of the most important novelties concerns the digitalisation of the entire system for issuing building permits and managing spatial plans. Through the eDozvola and ePlanovi platforms, investors, designers and citizens will be able to monitor procedures, submit applications and communicate with public authorities entirely electronically. This reform removes long-standing administrative barriers that have often slowed down the development of construction projects.
The system will enable automatic collection of connection conditions to infrastructure – such as water, sewerage, electricity and internet – thereby reducing the need for physical visits to several institutions. According to the announcements, the procedure for issuing permits for simpler buildings, such as single-family houses and smaller auxiliary structures, could be shortened by up to 40%.
Protection of Space and New Urban Tools
The new Spatial Planning Act introduces a set of measures aimed at improving the rational use of land and preventing the uncontrolled expansion of construction areas. One of the key instruments in this respect is the institute of urban land consolidation, which allows for the merging of land in order to build infrastructure and public facilities more efficiently. This opens up the possibility of creating planned residential quarters and business zones, which is especially important for municipalities and towns that are developing.
Protection of the coastal zone and maritime domain is also being reinforced. The expansion of campsites and tourist zones outside existing settlements is being restricted, while at the same time the conversion of already used areas is being encouraged. The aim is to preserve the visual identity of the coast and to prevent further pressure on sensitive ecosystems. More details on the legislative proposals can be found in the article by Dnevnik Nova TV .
Campsites, Mobile Homes and Condominium Ownership in the New Rules
A special part of the new legislative framework concerns campsites, mobile homes and condominium ownership of tourist buildings. In recent years there has been a strong increase in interest for investments in campsites and glamping facilities, but also more and more cases of construction outside designated zones. The new provisions therefore clearly state that campsites and related tourist facilities may be built exclusively within tourist construction zones defined by local spatial plans of municipalities and towns.
The Act also introduces new standards for the construction of campsites in coastal restriction areas. The minimum distance from the shoreline must be 100 metres in separate construction areas outside settlements and 25 metres within settlements. At least 40% of the site must be landscaped or natural greenery, traffic and parking areas may occupy no more than 30% of the total area, while the site coverage of the campsite may not exceed 30% of its area, including all buildings and movable units. These rules are intended to secure a balanced ratio between tourist development and spatial protection, especially in sensitive coastal areas.
According to Minister Branko Bačić, mobile homes in the draft law are defined as “modular, prefabricated movable homes” for which neither a building permit nor a main design is required, but rather a location permit. Their placement will be allowed only within campsites and at locations that are designated for that purpose by the spatial plan, so as to avoid overdevelopment and excessive concreting of this valuable coastal area. The minister stressed that all details will be regulated by the Ordinance on Simple Structures.
In addition, the Act prohibits condominium ownership of tourist buildings in campsites and in lower-category apartment complexes. The intention is to prevent situations in which individual units within campsites could be sold as separate apartments, which would lead to a loss of functional unity of the tourist facility. Condominium ownership will be permitted only in higher-category facilities – for example, hotels with four or five stars – that meet strict technical and urban planning requirements.
This amendment has a twofold effect: on the one hand, it protects the spatial integrity of tourist areas and prevents haphazard development; on the other, it ensures that tourism remains under the control of the spatial plans. Campsites will have to have clearly defined boundaries, capacities, green areas and access to public infrastructure. In this way, a framework is created in which development and environmental protection are kept in balance – which is particularly important for regions such as Istria, where the pressure on space is the highest.
Energy Efficiency and Climate Resilience
The third law in the package relates to energy efficiency in the building sector. With it, Croatia is aligning with the EU directive on nearly zero-emission buildings (nZEB) and is taking on the obligation that all new buildings after 2030 must be zero-emission buildings. The goal is to reduce energy consumption in a sector that today accounts for more than 40% of the country’s total energy use.
The new law promotes the renovation of existing buildings through energy retrofits, the installation of solar energy, better insulation materials and low-emission heating systems. Particular emphasis will be placed on creating financial instruments that make such investments easier for citizens and investors – through subsidies, favourable loans and EU funds.
Transparency and Control
In addition to digitalisation, the laws introduce stricter control mechanisms. A central register of issued permits and building inspections will be established in order to make it easier to monitor procedures and prevent abuses. The new system will make it possible to detect illegal works in space more quickly, especially in the coastal area, where such practice is most widespread.
A greater role is also envisaged for inspection services, which will be given the authority to issue temporary bans on construction and to order the immediate removal of illegal structures in the early stages of construction. The aim is to prevent subsequent legalisation, which has too often been used in the past as a way to justify illegal building.
Impact on Investors and Local Communities
The new regulations bring a number of advantages for investors, designers and local government units. Digitalised procedures mean shorter deadlines and less paperwork, while clearly defined building conditions increase the legal certainty of investments. The transparency of the process will also facilitate cooperation between the private sector and public administration.
For municipalities and towns, the new framework brings greater autonomy in planning, but also greater responsibility for monitoring the implementation of spatial plans. This includes the possibility of preparing local development projects that are aligned with the goals of sustainable development and the energy transition.
In the long term, the reforms should result in a more competitive real estate market, in which all stakeholders – from citizens to investors – can rely on stable regulations and transparent procedures. This is also a prerequisite for attracting larger foreign investments in the field of green construction and sustainable urban development.
Conclusion
The package of reform laws on spatial planning, construction and energy efficiency is one of the most important legislative moves in recent years. Once implemented, Croatia will have a more efficient, digitally connected and environmentally responsible system of spatial and construction management. The success of the reform will depend on the capacity of public administration to implement it consistently, as well as on the readiness of professionals to make use of the new tools and opportunities the law provides.
The key goals – sustainability, transparency, energy efficiency and spatial protection – form the basis of Croatia’s modern urban development and an important step towards a better, greener and better-organised living environment.
