Croatia’s Employers Urge Lower Costs for the Energy Transition

The Croatian Employers’ Association is calling for lower local costs and faster permitting to help the country expand renewable energy.

The group proposes abolishing municipal charges for facilities that already pay special energy fees. It wants the resulting benefits to reach local communities through community funds, lower bills and local investment.

HUP also proposes a maximum 30-day period to check whether an application is complete. If the relevant authority does not respond within that period, the application would be presumed complete. The association wants environmental-impact assessment procedures completed within 10 months, and screening on whether an assessment is needed completed within two months.

It says local charges should be standardized so project costs do not change substantially after investors make their decisions. HUP also wants clear interim deadlines, public bodies held responsible for delays, and publication of the actual duration of procedures and the reasons for exceeding legal deadlines.

Croatia aims to increase renewable sources’ share of gross final energy consumption from 28.5% in 2025 to 42.5% by 2030. HUP representatives Petra Sentić and Hrvoje Stojić cited European Commission estimates that the EU energy sector will need €660 billion in annual investment from 2026 to 2030. Croatia’s revised energy and climate plan estimates that measures through 2030 will require €33.8 billion, excluding new nearly zero-energy construction, with funding identified for about 32% of that amount through existing national and EU programs.