Today, Croatia celebrates the twelfth anniversary of its accession to the European Union—a milestone that capped a decade of reform, modernization, and alignment with European values.
Since joining the EU on 1 July 2013, the country has recorded substantial economic and social progress. GDP per capita has grown from 61% to over 77% of the EU average, rising from 16,100 to 30,500 euro. Unemployment has dropped dramatically from over 17% to around 4%, while exports and tourism have reached record levels.
Over 17 billion euro in EU funding has been invested in key sectors such as infrastructure, innovation, digitalization, environmental protection, and social development.
In moments of crisis, such as the 2020 earthquakes, the EU’s Solidarity Fund provided over 1 billion euro in aid, embodying the true meaning of European unity and support.
Interreg programmes
In the border areas of Croatia several Interreg programmes have been implemented: Italy-Croatia, Slovenia-Croatia and Hungary-Croatia managed by the partner countries. However, with the accession of Croatia to the EU, two more Interreg cross-border cooperation programmes, Croatia-Serbia and Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro, have been established and are managed by Croatia.
In the framework of the Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2014 – 2020, 59 projects have been contracted with an investment of 54 million euro from EU funds. Projects in the areas of social care and public health, environment protection and energy efficiency, tourism, culture and entrepreneurship received financing.
In the current 2021-2027 financial period, almost 107 million euro is available for the beneficiaries from the border areas of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Interreg VI-A IPA programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro has four priority axes: Smart investments in research, innovation and competitive entrepreneurship; Green investments in environmental protection and efficient risk management; Accessible and resilient health services and Sustainable and inclusive tourism and culture.
Croatia’s journey over the past twelve years stands as a testament to the enduring value of EU membership.