Croatia

Internet governance in Croatia encompasses a comprehensive regulatory framework, policies, and practices that oversee the use and development of the internet within the country. The primary legal framework regulating internet services is the Electronic Communications Act, which ensures compliance with EU directives and promotes competition and consumer protection. The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) oversees the telecommunications sector, including internet services, ensuring fair competition and safeguarding consumer rights.

The key players in Croatian internet governance include government bodies, ISPs, tech companies, and civil society organizations. The Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure is responsible for formulating and implementing internet policies.

Croatian stakeholders are active participants in various internet governance forums and initiatives at the regional and global levels. Croatian stakeholders participate in the annual South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEE+) and Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) events, which bring together stakeholders from the region to discuss digital policy-related issues and challenges. At the global level, Croatia is a member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Croatian also has a national internet governance initiative called Croatian IGF, which was established as a bottom-up, multistakeholder platform for discussing internet-related public policy issues.

Croatia has adopted several digital strategies in recent years to guide its digital transformation process.

• The Digital Croatia Strategy 2032 aims to drive Croatia’s digital transformation over the coming decade, focusing on enhancing the nation’s digital economy, digitizing public administration and justice systems, improving digital connectivity, and fostering digital skill development and employment opportunities. This strategy seeks to increase the share of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Croatia’s gross domestic product (GDP). The strategy aligns with the broader European Union’s vision for the digital decade and includes specific objectives such as reaching the EU average Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) rating by 2030. It also emphasizes the importance of digital skills training for all citizens.
• Croatia adopted the National Plan for Broadband Development 2021-2027 in 2021. The plan responds to the European Gigabit Society objectives 2025, partially the 2030 digital targets and the 5G for Europe Action Plan. The Croatian plan aims to provide connectivity with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps to all households while providing government offices and public buildings, such as schools and health facilities, with symmetric connections of at least 1 Gbps. It also seeks 5G networks in all main cities and towns and along major highways.
• The National Development Strategy is the national strategic action plan for 2018 to 2030, which aims to support the twin digital and green transitions of Croatian society and economy.

Croatia has taken several steps to enhance its cybersecurity capabilities and resilience in recent years.

• In Croatia, the Information Systems Security Bureau (ZSIS) serves as the national authority for network and information security. The country has two computer emergency response teams (CERTs): CARNet, and ZSIS CERT. ZSIS CERT is responsible for coordinating security and incident response for entities using a Croatian IP address or .hr domain. Additionally, the ZSIS CSI has jurisdiction over security matters in Croatian government institutions.
• On 15 February 2024, a new law on CYBERSECURITY LAW came into force. This law regulates procedures and measures to achieve a high common level of cybersecurity, criteria for categorizing key and important entities, cybersecurity requirements for key and important entities, specific requirements for managing domain name registration data and monitoring their implementation, voluntary mechanisms for cybersecurity, competent authorities in the field of cybersecurity and their tasks and powers, expert supervision over the implementation of cybersecurity requirements, penalty provisions, monitoring the implementation of this law, and other issues of importance to the field of cybersecurity.
• In 2015 the Government of Croatia adopted the National Cyber Security Strategy and the Action plan for the implementation of the Strategy. The strategy outlines several key objectives, including enhancing the security, resilience, and reliability of cyberspace, improving overall safety through a coordinated approach, strengthening the capacity to prevent and recover from cyber-attacks, promoting harmonized education programs and research in e-services, establishing effective information-sharing mechanisms, raising awareness among cyberspace users, fostering collaboration among institutions, developing a robust legal framework for the cyber dimension, and encouraging international cooperation in cybersecurity.
• Croatia has ratified the CoE Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).

Croatia has been working towards developing a national AI strategy. As of the available information, the final version of the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence of Croatia has not been completed.

Croatia has a growing AI industry, with the Croatian Artificial Intelligence Association (CroAI) being founded in 2019. CroAI brings together leading companies and startups in the field of AI in Croatia and seeks to position Croatia as a country of unique opportunities for the development of human-centric AI through a culture of dialogue between entrepreneurs and decision-makers at the national and European levels.

As of February 2020, CroAI had approximately 30 tech companies involved in the development of solutions based on AI technology, including Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and A1.