National Development Strategy Croatia 2030: Roadmap for a Better Future

Broad areas for policy interventions 
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Tighten early retirement conditions and increase pension decrement rates for early retirement.
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Link the statutory retirement age to life expectancy.

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Croatia 2030: Roadmap for a Better Future
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Correct minimum pension formula to ensure that minimum pension beneficiaries in two-pillar regime 
are as well-off as beneficiaries of one-pillar regime. 
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Introduce zero pillar (national pension) scheme for senior citizens without pension benefits, preferably 
subject to income and means testing. 
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Improve the institutional setup of the second pillar to facilitate a more active asset management for 
pension funds and an integration of accumulation and pension payment phases. 
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Strengthen the third pension pillar; consider introduction of auto-enrolment with opt-out option. 
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Rationalize the categories of pensions under special regulations and accelerate their convergence to 
general rules. 
Balanced territorial development
Broad areas for policy interventions 
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Further strengthen regional planning and monitoring system, including strong multi-level coordination 
mechanisms and partnerships. Move beyond the fragmented county level planning and emphasize 
more the role of the leading cities as poles for regional growth. 
•
Embed contribution to balanced territorial development as a relevant policy goal across the range of 
sectoral policies with highest impact on the regional development. 
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Further develop and upgrade integrated development approach as a policy approach to development of 
urban and rural areas. Develop new tools for development of islands and hilly and mountainous areas 
based on integrated development approach. Use EU funds to increase the impact of such approach. 
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Improve investment policy for lagging areas: (i) increase incentives for investments into lagging areas; 
(ii) increase the institutional capacity of lagging areas for investments’ attraction; (iii) in collaboration 
of central, regional and local level prepare a range of investment opportunities for investors into lag-
ging areas. 
•
Use knowledge and experience gained during the implementation of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem 
Project for targeted interventions in other lagging regions in Croatia.
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Strengthen the capacity to implement smart solutions on islands through the establishment of a spe-
cialized, inter-disciplinary, coordination body that will assists island authorities and actors through 
establishing strategic partnerships with entrepreneurs, universities and civil society to develop smart 
solutions for islands that are sustainable, integrated, transferable and scalable. 
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Improve knowledge and strengthen the capacities of city authorities to implement smart cities solutions
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Strengthen competencies of the local authorities on islands to implement smart islands solutions.