Croatia Enters Final Phase of Accession to the OECD

On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Marko Primorac met with representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) who are in Zagreb on August 27 and 28 as part of the second final mission, aimed at discussing the draft Report for the II. Economic Review of the Republic of Croatia, which is a mandatory prerequisite for accession to the OECD and represents Croatia’s final step towards membership.

Primorac stated at today’s press conference in Banski Dvori after the narrower cabinet meeting that the II. Economic Review is essentially completed, comments from the OECD have been received and discussed with the main secretariat of that organization. Regarding the competencies of the Ministry of Finance, this primarily concerns the development of the capital market, in the context of which Primorac also reminded of the memorandum of understanding signed on Monday between the finance ministries of eight countries, aimed at regional integration of the capital market.

An important topic in the Ministry of Finance’s portfolio is also the reform of the public enterprise management system, for which a new law on public enterprises of special interest has been adopted, as well as the law on CERP. A very important item from the Ministry of Finance’s portfolio for entering the OECD is also the establishment of a mechanism for verifying foreign direct investments, he noted.

According to Primorac, this law has also been completed, will soon go to public consultation, and involves the Government’s establishment of a body that will identify, based on criteria, specific entities that manage critical infrastructure and resources, have access to confidential information, or are otherwise identified as strategic sectors.

For them, it will be prescribed, the minister explained, that when receiving a potential offer for acquiring a qualifying stake, which is 10 percent or more, they must first obtain the opinion of the Ministry of Finance, or the commission that will verify these foreign direct investments. This particularly concerns those investments that may potentially come from third countries, i.e., those that are not EU member states, Primorac noted.

In a statement from the Ministry, it is stated that the mission of the OECD representatives is focused on considering a comprehensive analysis of the Croatian economy and formulating guidelines for the future. We expect it to result in a positive opinion from the OECD, which will confirm Croatia’s engagement and readiness for membership. This would also confirm that the Croatian economy is fully aligned with the most developed ones, they stated in the announcement.

After this visit, the OECD Economic Development Analysis Committee will meet on October 14 of this year, and the presentation of the II. Economic Review to the wider public is planned for January 2026. The OECD emphasizes the comprehensive reforms implemented by the Ministry of Finance, the dedicated work on aligning with the practices and standards of the Organization, and the effort invested in the accession process, it is added in the statement.

The Ministry of Finance actively participates in the work of nine OECD committees and is the holder of 41 legal instruments. At the same time, preparations for the legislative framework for foreign investments and the tax system are being carried out, thereby rounding off the reform process and further strengthening the resilience of the Croatian economy.

Accession to the OECD is one of the main strategic goals of Croatia’s foreign policy, and achieving this goal confirms the long-term orientation towards stability, sustainable development, and international cooperation. According to current estimates, Croatia could complete the OECD accession process faster than any country to date, the Ministry stated.