Background information

In Croatia, there are general documents and/or strategies for adapting to climate change at the national level and at lower levels, which are more concerned with impacts on certain areas (rural and urban environments, forests, etc.). Until now, Croatia has not introduced any preventive measures to help individual citizens to mitigate extreme weather conditions in advance. Therefore, the measure is reactive: when a natural disaster is declared, citizens can apply for compensation.

The protection against natural disasters due to the extreme weather conditions is regulated by the Law on mitigating and eliminating the consequences of natural disasters (Zakon o ublazavanju i uklanjanju posljedica prirodnih nepogoda - OG 16/19). The decision on proclamation of the natural disaster is made by the city/municipal council on the proposal of the mayor/chief of municipality (nacelnik opcine).

Content of measure

According to the Law, a natural disaster can be declared:

• If the total direct damage is at least 20 percent of the value of the original income of the local self-government average unit for the previous year;
• If the agricultural yield in the area of the local self-government unit is reduced by at least 30 percent of the average in previous three years;
• If the disaster has reduced the value of property in the area of the local self-government unit at least 30 percent.

In the event of a natural disaster, the head of the local government unit (on the basis of the expressed interest of the citizens which suffered the damage and after the committee has checked the allegations and determined the actual damage on the ground) submits a proposal to the city/municipal council for the declaration of a natural disaster for the area of the relevant town or municipality. In case the proposal is accepted, the head of the local government unit issues a decision on the declaration of a natural disaster, after which the local committees issue a call for damage reports with the following procedure.

After citizens submit applications on the prescribed forms with relevant documentation, the city/municipal commission considers the applications, assesses the damage and enters data into the Register of Damages, through which it is submitted to the County Commission for further processing. The county committee considers the applications of all cities and municipalities and submits a report to the State Committee, which proposes the Government of the Republic of Croatia to decide on the payment of aid.

When a regional or local self-government declares a natural disaster, then part of the damage is settled from the National budget.

Use of measure

The biggest damages occur due to water (about 70-80% of all damages), so it is the most pronounced in that segment.

For the storm on 19 July 2023 in the City of Zagreb and its surrounding, the City government did not ask the Government of Croatia for settlement of the damage, but determined the compensation from its own resources.

The last co-financing from the National government was for covering the costs of landslides in Varaždin and Krapina-Zagorje counties.

Brod-Posavina county (BPC) received €3.23 million and Požega-Slavonia country (PSC) €2.88 million from the state budget for storm damage on 19 and 21 July 2023. Thus, BPC will cover up to 40 percent of the damage caused to the buildings to applicants - natural persons, and PSC will cover up to 60 percent of the value of the reported damage. Damage to family and multi-apartment buildings in Brod-Posavina County was estimated at €8.14 million. Furthermore, the national Government exempted users of public land owned by the state from paying the user fee which is directed to the state budget. This refers to the period from 1 July to the end of 2023, as well as for the year 2024. The Government encouraged counties, cities and municipalities to do the same with the part that belongs to their revenues.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	Local funds National funds National Recovery and Resilience Facility

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved in mentioned measure because this is not in the scope of their activity and responsibility.

Views and reactions

Both social partners fully support all measures directed towards lessening the effects of extreme weather conditions.

Sources

• 08 February 2019: The Law on mitigating and eliminating the consequences of natural disasters (Zakon o ublazavanju i uklanjanju posljedica prirodnih nepogoda (narodne-novine.nn.hr)
• 27 October 2023: Lessening the consequences of the storm (Ublazavanje posljedica nevremena) (plusportal.hr)