At its 93rd session on 27 May 2025, the Government of the Republic of Croatia adopted a new Open Data Policy, which represents a strategic direction for the further development of openness and transparency of public administration data. It is a follow-up document to the previous Open Data Policy from 2018.
The Open Data Policy of the Republic of Croatia defines the principles and objectives for the opening and re-use of public sector data in the Republic of Croatia. The policy underlines the importance of open data as a basis for digital transformation, innovation, economic growth and strengthening of the transparency and accountability of public authorities. The document includes the legal framework of the EU and the Republic of Croatia and prescribes ways to ensure the availability of high-value datasets. It also defines mechanisms for coordination and monitoring of policy implementation, the role of the Open Data Portal as well as plans for future development and cooperation at national and European level.
Priority objectives of the Policy include:
- Increasing the quantity and quality of open data
Proactive disclosure of a greater number of relevant data held by public authorities, making it available to the public in a form that is usable, easily accessible, of high quality and interoperable with equivalent cross-border data, wherever possible. This includes strengthening the data collection, analysis and distribution processes to ensure their relevance and reliability for a wide range of users.
- Increasing the re-use of open data
The focus is on educating and informing the public, including the private and public sectors and citizens, about the importance and the potential of open data. The aim is to stimulate interest and awareness of the possibilities of using open data, thereby encouraging their wider application in order to benefit as many users as possible, whether it is for innovation, research or the development of new services.
- Increasing cooperation and partnerships in the field of open data
The aim is to create stronger cooperation between the public sector, the private sector, academia and civil society, with a focus on sharing knowledge, resources and experiences to ensure better governance, standardisation and publication of open data.
By adopting the Open Data Policy, the Government of the Republic of Croatia encourages the sharing of data held by public authorities with citizens, scientists, business entities and other stakeholders, for the purpose of improving social interactions, and stimulating innovation and the development of new products and services, in accordance with the principles of integrated openness and ‘open by default’. The Open Data Policy aims to create the basis for fair, accessible and effective access to the data of public authorities. Expected impacts include improving the quality of public services, fostering innovation and increasing knowledge and skills in the data field.
The Open Data Policy is intended for public authorities in accordance with Article 5(2) of the
Right of Access to Information Act (
Narodne novine Nos 25/13, 85/15, 69/22).
