Defining Assisted areas
Assisted areas are parts of Croatian territory which are lagging according to development level in comparison to Croatian average and therefore they need additional development support. Definition of Assisted areas is based on calculation of Development index.
According to the Act on Regional Development, assisted areas are all counties, municipalities and towns with Development index below average (100%). That includes:
- Local self-government units classified as Groups I, II, III and IV (of total 8 groups) and
- Regional self-governments units classified as Group I and II (of total 4 groups).
Groups are defined based on principle that all local self-government units with Development index below average are divided in 4 groups with equal number of units, while all regional self-government units with Development index bellow average are divided in 2 equal groups.
Assisted areas may be defined separately on local and regional level. It is also possible to define assisted areas as all assisted counties and additionally local self-government units with Development index under 100% situated in more developed counties.
Although calculation methodology has been changed, list of assisted counties is very similar as according to the calculation from 2013. Only changes are that County of Šibenin-Knin which also earlier included many assited local unit is now included in the assisted areas and County of Međimurje is no longer considered as assited. As of 2018 assisted counties are (listed according to Development Index):
- Group I: County of Virovitica-Podravina, County of Sisak-Moslavina, County of Vukovar-Sirmium, County of Lika-Senj, County of Bjelovar-Bilogora and County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina;
- Group II: County of Požega-Slavonia, County of Karlovac, County of Osijek-Baranja, County of Šibenik-Knin, County of Koprivnica-Križevci and County of Krapina-Zagorje.
According to preliminary results for cities and municipalities, there are 11 of them that are no longer consider as assisted as of 2018: Antunovac, Drniš, Mursko Središće, Novigrad (kod Zadra), Poličnik, Posedarje, Pribislavec, Rakovica, Ston, Škabrnja, Vrsi. All of them are classified as Gropu V, except for Ston which is classified as Group VI. At the same time, there are 51 local units that previoulsy hasn't had the status of assited area and is considered as such according to new calculation. Total of 39 local units that gained the status are classified as Group IV (values of index are sligthly bellow 100%), however there are some units that are now classified as much less developed - Group II (Perušić and Pojezerje) and one of them is acctually classified as Group I (Lećevica).
Although new methodology is developed, most of units situated on the islands are not classified as assited (the only the with the status are Janjina and Sućuraj). Similar problem occurs with hilly-mountainous area - only 17 from total of 45 units are classified as assited.
Assisted areas are parts of Croatian territory which are lagging according to development level in comparison to Croatian average and therefore they need additional development support. Definition of Assisted areas is based on calculation of Development index.
According to the Act on Regional Development, assisted areas are all counties, municipalities and towns with Development index below average (100%). That includes:
- Local self-government units classified as Groups I, II, III and IV (of total 8 groups) and
- Regional self-governments units classified as Group I and II (of total 4 groups).
Groups are defined based on principle that all local self-government units with Development index below average are divided in 4 groups with equal number of units, while all regional self-government units with Development index bellow average are divided in 2 equal groups.
Assisted areas may be defined separately on local and regional level. It is also possible to define assisted areas as all assisted counties and additionally local self-government units with Development index under 100% situated in more developed counties.
Although calculation methodology has been changed, list of assisted counties is very similar as according to the calculation from 2013. Only changes are that County of Šibenin-Knin which also earlier included many assited local unit is now included in the assisted areas and County of Međimurje is no longer considered as assited. As of 2018 assisted counties are (listed according to Development Index):
- Group I: County of Virovitica-Podravina, County of Sisak-Moslavina, County of Vukovar-Sirmium, County of Lika-Senj, County of Bjelovar-Bilogora and County of Slavonski Brod-Posavina;
- Group II: County of Požega-Slavonia, County of Karlovac, County of Osijek-Baranja, County of Šibenik-Knin, County of Koprivnica-Križevci and County of Krapina-Zagorje.
According to preliminary results for cities and municipalities, there are 11 of them that are no longer consider as assisted as of 2018: Antunovac, Drniš, Mursko Središće, Novigrad (kod Zadra), Poličnik, Posedarje, Pribislavec, Rakovica, Ston, Škabrnja, Vrsi. All of them are classified as Gropu V, except for Ston which is classified as Group VI. At the same time, there are 51 local units that previoulsy hasn't had the status of assited area and is considered as such according to new calculation. Total of 39 local units that gained the status are classified as Group IV (values of index are sligthly bellow 100%), however there are some units that are now classified as much less developed - Group II (Perušić and Pojezerje) and one of them is acctually classified as Group I (Lećevica).
Although new methodology is developed, most of units situated on the islands are not classified as assited (the only the with the status are Janjina and Sućuraj). Similar problem occurs with hilly-mountainous area - only 17 from total of 45 units are classified as assited.
Assisted areas in period 2010-2017
Until 2018 assisted areas were counties, municipalities and towns with Development index under 75% or more precisely:
- Local self-government units classified as:
Until 2018 assisted areas were counties, municipalities and towns with Development index under 75% or more precisely:
- Local self-government units classified as:
- Group I - with Development index lower than 50% and
- Group II - with Development index between 50 and 75%;
- Group I - with Development index under 75%.
- 12 counties (11 of total 14 counties in Continental Croatia and County of Lika-Senj in Adriatic Croatia)
- 264 municipalities and towns (47 under group I i 217 under group II) - some of them already situated in assisted counties, while the others were mostly concentrated in Dalmatian hinterland.
Measures for Assisted areas
Assisted areas lag compared to national average and their development is additional supported with different types of measures such as:
New legislation on assisted areas is under preparation and it will provide the framework for future activities and measures for their development. Proposal of Act on assited areas is prepared for parliament procedure in 2018 and can be downloaded here, while proposal of Act on housing in assited areas is available here.
More on programmes and activities implemented as part of regional development policy for assisted areas is available at page Implementation of regional development policy
Assisted areas lag compared to national average and their development is additional supported with different types of measures such as:
- support for preparation and implementation of development projects through direct expert assistance, lower level of own co-financing for projects, additional scoring in selection process etc.,
- additional compensations (for exploitation of minerals, protected areas of nature...),
- tax reliefs for natural and legal persons in assisted areas,
- payment of part of income tax collected in the local unit classified as assisted as aid form State Budget,
- higher share in income tax division among central, regional and local level.
New legislation on assisted areas is under preparation and it will provide the framework for future activities and measures for their development. Proposal of Act on assited areas is prepared for parliament procedure in 2018 and can be downloaded here, while proposal of Act on housing in assited areas is available here.
More on programmes and activities implemented as part of regional development policy for assisted areas is available at page Implementation of regional development policy
Other specific areas
Act on regional development allows defining other areas with specific development issues.
More information on areas which are defined by other legal acts is available at page Legislation on specific areas.
Act on regional development allows defining other areas with specific development issues.
More information on areas which are defined by other legal acts is available at page Legislation on specific areas.