April the 5th, 2025 – Croatia is more than “just” tourism, and that has come to the fore over more recent years. EBRD (the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) projects offer opportunities for Croatian companies in various sectors.
As Glas Slavonije/Voice of Slavonia writes, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) projects represent business opportunities for Croatian companies in various sectors. That was emphasised in more detail at a recent conference organised by the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), the EBRD and the Ministry of Finance.
Total EBRD investments in Croatia by the end of 2024 reached almost five billion euros, and around 260 public and private sector projects were financed. Around 70 percent of the value of the total portfolio related to the private sector. This and more was emphasised the EBRD’s Regional Director for Central Europe, Miljan Ždrale. Unlike most countries in Croatia’s more immediate region, the majority of financing in Croatia relates to the private sector shows that this country is much more than a mere tourist country, “but that there are many other gems here that should be nurtured and further developed,” according to Miljan Ždrale.
EBRD investments in Croatia last year amounted to 300 million euros. Around 250 projects worth around 2.2 billion euros in public procurement were also conducted, and Croatian companies were free to participate in all of them. This proves that EBRD projects provide plenty of opportunities to Croatian companies in almost all imaginable segments of the economy.
The Director General of the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), Irena Weber, said that the EBRD has been contributing significantly to the development of the Croatian private sector and the financing of infrastructure projects for years now.
“This is what HUP has been continuously advocating for, that both public financing and financing from international financial institutions focus more on the private sector because it contributes to improving the business environment and strong GDP growth in Croatia,” Weber said.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Stipe Župan, said that the European Commission (EC) also actively encourages Croatian companies and companies from other EU Member States to apply for tenders for EBRD projects, as well as other international financial institutions.
He pointed out that in more recent years, Croatia and Croatian companies have made very significant progress in key areas of economic development. He concluded that Croatia is now very committed to improving its business environment.
