What’s happening in my country

Croatia

This page contains specific information about the planning and implementation of smart villages in Croatia. The information aims to orient people on policy planning, key contacts and resources on smart villages. However, it neither aims to be fully comprehensive, nor necessarily reflects the official government or European Commission position.

Explore how smart villages are being implemented in Croatia.

You can also visit the page of the Smart Rural 21 selected village: Babina Greda

Key CAP contact(s) :

Ministry of Agriculture
Website : https://poljoprivreda.gov.hr/

Support for Smart Villages under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

  • In 2018, the process of preparation of the 2021-2027 CAP Strategic Plan began. Workshops, seminars and trainings were organised with the aim of defining needs and objectives for the new funding period.
  • Although the term ‘smart villages’ is not used in the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (extended over 2021-2022), several Measures are important for the ‘smart’ approach (e.g. digi-talisation, new technologies in agriculture, innovation, renewable energy, environmental sus-tainability, asset based value-chain, quality schemes for agricultural products, basic services and village renewal, etc.).
  • The formal definition of ‘smart villages’ is still work in progress. There is an ongoing discussion among the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, and Local Action Groups (LAGs) on the implementation framework of the ‘smart village’ concept.
  • The ‘smart village concept, following the initial phase of awareness raising by numerous ac-tors, is now being officially recognised in the national strategic documents of the relevant min-istries (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds).
  • The ‘smart villages’ concept is becoming more visible in public institutions, the civil sector (NGOs and LAGs) and academia (universities). Among others, smart villages was the main theme of the 3rd Croatian Rural Parliament, attended by around 300 participants (mostly LAGs) and organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Croatian Rural Development Network (HMRR).
  • The 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan expresses the potential of smart villages in Objective 8: Pro-moting jobs, growth, social inclusion and local development in rural areas, including the bioe-conomy and sustainable forestry.
  • The 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan is related to the strategic document “Beyond the Farm” – Strategy of Agriculture in Croatia 2020-2030 (draft). This document states that territorial in-vestments in the development of smart villages will be supported under the intervention E.1. “Improve the market connectivity of rural areas”. According to this strategic document, smart villages are recognised as relevant in promoting local development, halting rural outmigration, and creating new rural jobs (especially outside the primary agricultural sector). The ‘smart vil-lages’ concept also encompasses the provision of quality rural infrastructure and services to ru-ral residents and businesses. In that way they will support integration of agri-food value chains, the establishment of linkages between the agricultural sector and related sectors, in particular food processing, tourism, ICT, and new bio-economy value chains. In contrast to an earlier ver-sion of the same document, which identified a clear territorial focus for this intervention (Dal-matia, Eastern Slavonia), the current document does not specify a territorial focus.
  • Several conferences promoting smart villages within the broader discussions concerning the CAP concept have been organised. Three conferences discussing the opportunities brought about by smart villages were held in Zagreb (2018, co-organised by the EU Parliament Member Ivana Maletić), Osijek (2019, co-organised by the EU Parliament Member Davor Škrlec and in July 2021, co-organised by the EU Parliament Member Tomislav Sokol, PhD).
  • There have been some recent developments at the regional and county levels mostly concern-ing the promotion of the ‘smart villages’ concept (translating brochures into Croatian, launch of a dedicated web page and giving presentations at the local level).
  • The Osijek-Baranja county is clearly leading the way with two public calls for smart villages project ideas, with almost 100 applicants over the last two years and overall budget of EUR 26 600 per call. In addition, the Administrative Department for Agriculture and Rural Develop-ment of the Osijek-Baranja county is currently preparing a decision on grants for the develop-ment of smart villages strategic documents and project implementation.
  • The Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje and Dubrovnik-Neretva counties are also recognising the poten-tial offered by the ‘smart villages’ concept.
  • The Ministry of Agriculture and the National Rural Network jointly organised (with the Croatian Rural Development Network) the 3rd Croatian Rural Parliament dedicated to smart villages (20-23.5.2019). Read the resulting Declaration.

Further information on CAP & smart villages :

Declaration of the third Croatian Rural Parliament ( 23/05/2019 ) - Croatian Rural Parliament (Language : Croatian)

Key NRN contact(s) :

Croatian National Rural Network (Nacionalna Ruralna Mreža)
Website : https://www.mrr.hr/

Activities of the National Rural Network (NRN) on smart villages

  • The National Rural Network is active in promoting the Smart Villages concept through publishing informative articles on its web pages. Articles provide information about activities (meetings, workshops) and publications on the topic.
  • The National Rural Network was actively promoting the 3rd Croatian Rural Parliament (2019) among its members, which main theme was Smart Villages.

Support provided through other national/ regional policies & initiatives

  • The main actors involved in awareness raising of the ‘smart villages’ concept are the civil sec-tor (the Croatian Rural Development Network, Croatian LEADER Network, ECOVAST, ODRAZ-Sustainable Community Development etc.), academia (University of Zagreb, University of Osi-jek), Members of the European Parliament (Ivana Maletić, Davor Škrlec, Tomislav Sokol, PhD) and some regional /county-level government (particularly, the Osijek-Baranja county).
  • The National Development Strategy (NDS) of the Republic of Croatia by 2030 is the most im-portant strategic document for the country. It was adopted by the Croatian Parliament in February 2021. It is under the responsibility of Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.
    The NDS defines 13 strategic goals, two of which explicitly mention smart villages.
    Strategic Objective 9 “Food self-sufficiency and bioeconomy development” recognises the role of smart villages. It emphasises investment in public infrastructure and services to help connect rural and coastal areas and islands to national and international markets. They are expected to be better integrated into value chains and to take advantage of opportunities arising from the digital economy and the bio-economy. The provision of quality infrastruc-ture and services in rural areas will also help to stop out-migration, create new jobs and im-prove social inclusion.
    Strategic objective 12 “Development of assisted areas and areas with development specif-ics” includes support for the development of mountainous rural areas and areas with devel-opmental specificities/challenges. One of the priorities is the “development of smart villag-es” (other priorities are e.g. demographic revitalisation of disadvantaged areas, economic regeneration of disadvantaged areas, connectivity and mobility, physical infrastructure, in-cluding broadband, etc.).
  • The Integrated Territorial Program 2021-2027 (ITP) is a document based on the National De-velopment Strategy. It is prepared by the Coordinating Body in cooperation with all relevant partners. The ITP is a multi-fund programme and involves the use of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Fair Transition Fund (FPT) to address specific problems at lo-cal and regional levels. The ITP is implemented under the EU’s Investment for Jobs and Growth objective under the EU’s Cohesion Policy.
    The ITP further develops smart territorial development, focusing on Smart Cities, Smart Is-lands, Smart Specialisation and the role of smart villages in assisted areas and areas with de-velopment specificities.
  • The following programmes, funded by EU Funds, are particularly relevant for financing digitalisation, innovation, renewable energy, environmental sustainability, asset based value-chain etc.: Operational Programme (OP) Competitiveness and Cohesion, OP for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Interregional Cooperation, Integrated Territorial Investments, Cross-border Cooperation, Programme for the integrated physical, economic and social regeneration of small towns in war-affected areas.
  • Other national programmes are also relevant for some aspects of the Smart Villages concept: A programme to improve infrastructure in areas populated by national minorities; a support scheme for mountainous areas; the Regional Development Support Programme 2018; A programme to improve the material conditions in primary and secondary schools; the Local Community Sustainable Development programme; and a Sub-programme for the Development of the Adriatic Islands.
  • On the regional level, in 2020 Osječko-Baranjska County started the prize-contest for development of project ideas for Smart Villages in order to stimulate, educate and raise awareness on the importance of the Concept for revitalization of the countryside. Furthermore, the County planned a conference on Smart Villages concept in April 2020, which was postponed due to COVID-19.

Key organisations & contacts

An independent civil society, non-profit organisation, bringing together professionals from various fields, who design and implement sustainable development concepts for the benefit of local communities. The organisation encourages and implements changes related to sustainability, operating at various levels, from local to national, to international.

It cooperates with other civil society organisations, the public, professional and business organisations, networks and experts, with many collaborators and volunteers contributing in the activities in addition to employees.

Key activities :
  • implementation of non-formal education for sustainable development;
  • organisation of thematic workshops, consultations and expert discussions;
  • implementation of activities and projects in the field of social innovation;
  • development, application and promotion of participatory management methods;
  • encouragement of and support to stakeholder networking on sustainable development issues;
  • promotion of networking among city representatives and other stakeholders, and transfer of knowledge and good practice in the field of sustainable mobility;
  • encouraging citizen involvement in decision-making processes;
  • active contribution to shaping and monitoring of implementation of public policies in areas that are related to ODRAZ’s work and activities.


Key contact(s) :

Aleksandar Lukic (President)
Email : aleksandar@ecovast.hr

ECOVAST was founded in 1984 and promotes the well-being of rural communities and preservation of Europe’s rural heritage. The Croatian section was founded in 1993 and connects members, experts and all interested parties, as well as representatives of institutions, state administrations and regional and local governments, for the purpose of comprehensive and sustainable development and heritage protection in rural areas.

Key activities :

The main activity is aimed at preserving and improving cultural, historical, environmental, social and economic values, as well as the comprehensive and sustainable development of villages and small towns in Croatia. It works through the networking of human resources, ideas, activities, knowledge, practice.


The Croatian Leader Network is a national non-governmental association of Local Action Groups (LAGs) and support organisations / institutions, exclusively from the public and civil sectors.

Key activities :
  • First International conference on practical and theoretical implications of LEADER/CLLD approach in   South-East Europe, Opatija, Croatia, 2019. (https://www.see-leader.eu/)
  • Supporting LAGs in their activities.


The Croatian Rural Development Network is the oldest Croatian non-governmental organisation that focuses primarily on actively supporting the implementation of LEADER principles in the country. Its members are Local Action Groups (LAGs) and other stakeholders interested in rural development.

HMRR is the initiator and organiser of national Rural Parliaments.

Key activities :
  • National Rural Parliaments (http://ruralniparlament.com/)
  • Supporting LAGs in their activities.
  • Numerous projects supporting rural development (recent: ROAD – Rural Opinions, Advocacy and Development; NAGE – Networking and Advocacy for Green Economy etc.)



Further key resources

Approbation of seed crops
Ph.D. Jurica Jović - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 06/2021 )
This presentation on seed production options for own use and sale. The presentation was given at the fourth in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Marketing of agricultural products
Ph.D. Ljubica Ranogajac - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 06/2021 )
A presentation on marketing in organic production. The presentation was given at the fourth in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Microorganisms as starter cultures in the production of various fermented products
Ph.D. Suzana Kristek - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 06/2021 )
A presentation on the preservation and sales of processed organic products. The presentation was given at the fourth in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Modern vegetable production in greenhouses
Ph.D. Tomislav Vinković - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 06/2021 )
A presentation on the advantages of tomato production in controlled conditions and the properties of substrates for growing in greenhouses. The presentation was given at the fourth in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Economics of ecological agricultural production
Ph.D. Ljubica Ranogajac Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 05/2021 )
A presentation on establishing and maintaining favourable relations between the factors of organic production, including management of work processes to achieve economical and profitable production, and determining the differences between investment and profit in conventional and organic production. The presentation was given at the third in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

The importance of irrigation in agricultural production
Ph.D. Jasna Šoštarić - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 05/2021 )
A presentation on the importance of conventional, agro-ecological, and ecological irrigation. The presentation was given at the third in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21
Language : Croatian

Bioinsecticides and biofunficides – soil treatment as preventive meas-ure
Ph.D. Suzana Kristek - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 05/2021 )
A presentation on soil treatment with biopreparations, seed treatment and foliar treatment. The presentation was given at the third in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

The importance of biopreparations in ecological production
Ph.D. Suzana Kristek - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 05/2021 )
A presentation on the use of biopreparations as a substitute for mineral fertilisers, chemical fungicides and insecticides. The presentation was given at the third in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Microbiological preparations and their application in agricultural pro-duction
Ph.D. Jurica Jović - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 04/2021 )
A presentation on biofertilisers and the use of microorganisms for nutrients, detailing on microbiological preparations and the optimal time for use. The presentation was given at the first in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Smart agriculture
Ph.D. Suzana Kristek - Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 04/2022 )
A presentation on the concept of smart agriculture and its benefits for farmers, as well as the value of organic agriculture and the first steps for achieving it. The presentation was given at the first in a series of training events on organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies, organised by the Babina Greda village for local farmers, within the framework of the Smart Rural 21.
Language : Croatian

Training agenda on smart approaches to agriculture – Babina Greda (Croatia)
Municipality of Babina Greda , Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek ( 06/2021 – 07/2021 )
A series of event lecture and survey resources related to smart approaches to agriculture, including organic production, modern practices of farm management and production technologies. These were included in a capacity-building training for local farmers organised by the Smart Rural 21 village Babina Greda.
Language : English

Improving the quality of life and stopping the outflow of young people from rural areas – Smart Village approach
Aleksandar Lukic - University of Zagreb , Local Action Group “Prigorje-Zagorje ( 19/05/2022 – 20/05/2022 )
A presentation by Aleksandar Lukić, PhD, at the fourth edition of the event “LET US PROVE THAT WE CAN”, organised by the European Future of Young in Rural Areas (EFYRA) project, led by the ‘Prigorje-Zagorje’ Local Action Group
Language : Croatian

Smart Villages: Revitalising Rural Services
( 09/07/2018 )
A video with Croatian subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : Croatian, English

National Development Strategy
Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds ( 02/2021 – 2030 )
The document sets out a strategic vision and direction for Croatia by 2030. It includes four development directions and their related 13 strategic goals. The broader development directions are: sustainable economy and society; strengthening crisis resilience; green and digital transition; and balanced regional development.

Smart Villages Croatia
Revent Smart
A web portal dedicated to Smart Villages, featuring a blog area on various sub-topics and a media clippings space.
Language : Croatian

Smart Villages video
Croatian National Rural Network (Nacionalna Ruralna Mreža)
An animated Smart Villages video produced by the Croatian Rural Development Network, showing how Europe sees the future of the European countryside.
Language : Croatian

Public contest for ‘Smart Villages’project ideas in the Osijek-Baranja County
Osijek-Baranja County
Since 2019, the Osijek-Baranja County has been organising an annual contest for ‘Smart Villages’ project ideas. The best projects are awarded cash prizes fora total amount of HRK 200 000 (EUR26 400). Almost 100 project applicants have participated in the call to date.
Language : Croatian

Support for implementing the ‘Smart Villages’ concept in disadvantaged and mountainous rural areas
Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds ( 2020 – Ongoing )
A decree by the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds to include support for implementing ‘Smart Villages’in disadvantaged and mountainous rural areas.
Language : Croatian

Smart Villages booklet
Zagorska razvojna agencija, ZARA (Zagorje Regional Development Agency) ( 2021 )
Information for cities, municipalities and associations in the area Krapina-Zagorje County
Language : Croatian

Guidelines on Smart Villages
Zagorska razvojna agencija, ZARA (Zagorje Regional Development Agency) ( 2021 )
A guidance book prepared on the basis of Smart Villages-related publications of the European Network for Rural Development.
Language : Croatian

EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds ( 2020 )
In 2020, Croatia held the presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. One of the five thematic objectives of the presidency was ‘Inland waterways, tourism and Smart Villages’.
Language : Croatian

Guide to European policies and funding sources for rural development and the development of Smart Villages
Ivana Maletić MEP ( 24/10/2018 )
Publication overviewing European policies and funding sources for rural development, with an emphasis on Smart Villages.
Language : Croatian

“Smart villages – digital attire of tradition” Conference
Davor Škrlec MEP ( 01/03/2019 )
During this one-day conference held in Osijek, the ‘Smart Villages’ concept and its possibilities were presented and discussed.  The event was organised by the EU Parliament member Davor Škrlec.
Language : Croatian

“Smart Villages – Let’s Wake up Croatia – an example of Zagreb County” Conference
Ivana Maletić MEP ( 26/10/2018 )
During this one-day conference, the ‘Smart Villages’ concept and its possibilities in the Zagreb County were presented and discussed.  The event was organised by the EU Parliament member Ivana Maletić.
Language : Croatian

Conference “Pametna sela” (Smart Villages) – Osijek
Tomislav Sokol MEP - Osijek-Baranja County ( 09/07/2021 )
During this one-day conference,the ‘Smart Villages’ concept and its possibilities were presented and discussed. The event was organised by EU Parliament member Tomislav Sokol, PhD, and Osijek-Baranja County.
Language : Croatian

Summary Highlights of the Smart Village Strategy of Babina Greda (Croatia)
Municipality of Babina Greda ( 12/2020 )
The Summary Highlights of the Smart Village Strategy of Babina Greda has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Language : English

Smart Village Strategy of Babina Greda (Croatia)
Municipality of Babina Greda ( 12/2020 )
The Smart Village Strategy of Babina Greda has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Language : English

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