National Development Strategy Croatia 2030: Roadmap for a Better Future

A similar situation is present in the water sector
, where Croatia has failed to meet the first deadline 
to satisfy the requirements of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and will struggle to meet 
future deadlines.
 
Croatia’s slow progress in reaching EU targets in the waste water sector is also connected 
with the low investment capacity of the responsible organizations. Even though substantial resources from 
the EU budget have been secured to support relevant investments, progress in the preparation and imple-
mentation of large infrastructure projects has been limited. 
160.
Water utilities are being confronted with the largest investment program in their history to 
comply with EU directives on wastewater treatment facilities.
One of the main difficulties is the lack 
of compatibility between the scale of these operations and the fragmented nature of the utilities. There are 
over 160 utilities in Croatia, many of which have insufficient capacity to efficiently manage large-scale 
infrastructure projects. Even though the first steps towards consolidation of water utilities have been made, 
the process is coming rather late and its effects will only be visible in a future period. Similar to the waste 
sector, implementation of key infrastructure projects is advancing very slowly. 
161.
Coverage of water services is high, but the supply network needs to be rehabilitated and up-
graded.
The average age of water pipes is more than 40 years, and the system suffers from maintenance 
backlogs. This poses a threat to water security due to high water losses, which undermine the financial 
sustainability of the system both in terms of increased cost of production and forgone revenues. 
3.
Conclusion
162.
The preparation of Croatia’s development strategy for the next decade is an opportunity to