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Croatia

Details of Croatia's support measures to help citizens and companies during the significant economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Commission has adopted support measures under the state aid Temporary Framework and EU state aid rules. These measures aim to help citizens and companies and mitigate the significant economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic:

  • On 20 December 2021, the Commission approved an amendment to an existing scheme to support the maritime, transport, travel and infrastructure sectors in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The amendment, following  previous ones in July, August, December 2020 and September 2021, includes an overall budget increase by €132,8 million and the extension of the measure until 30 June 2022. The purpose of the scheme is to provide liquidity to enterprises of all sizes affected by the coronavirus outbreak, enabling them to continue their activities, start investments and maintain employment.

  • On 17 November 2021, the Commission approved a €22.7 million scheme to support companies active in certain primary agricultural sectors affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants. The assistance, in the form of direct grants, is open to horse breeders, cattle, pig, poultry, sheep and goat producers and is expected to benefit around 22,000 businesses. The scheme aims to address the liquidity needs of the beneficiaries, and help them continue their activities during and after the outbreak.

  • On 5 October 2021, the Commission approved a €2.7 million scheme to support companies active in the poultry sector in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The public support, in the form of direct grants, is open to companies of all sizes registered as poultry farming or primary egg producers. The scheme aims to mitigate the liquidity shortages the beneficiaries are facing, and to address part of the losses incurred due to the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictive measures put in place to limit the spread of virus.

  • On 8 March 2021, the Commission approved a Croatian scheme worth approximately €396,000 to support pig farmers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the state aid Temporary Framework, the public support, in the form of direct grants, aims to address the liquidity needs of pig farmers that suffered a decrease in sales due to the coronavirus outbreak and to help continue their activities during and after the crisis, and is expected to benefit over 500 businesses.

  • On 12 January 2021, a Croatian State aid schemeof approximately €202 million to support businesses of all sizes active in the sports and tourism sectors and in their directly related sectors, such as hotels and restaurants, affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the Temporary Framework for state aid, the aid, in the form of guarantees on new working capital and investment loans, and subsidised interest rates for new loans, aims to help eligible companies access liquidity and continue their economic activity.

  • On 11 December, an approximately €9.3 million Croatian scheme to support enterprises active in certain primary agricultural sectors affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the state aid Temporary Framework, the public support, in the form of direct grants, is open to cattle and sow growers, and apple, mandarin, and potato producers. The measure is expected to support over 6,500 enterprises, and aims to address the liquidity needs of businesses that suffered a decrease in sales, as well as to help them to continue their activities during and after the outbreak.

  • On 30 June 2020, an approximately €80 million (HRK 600 million) Croatian scheme to support enterprises active in the maritime, transport, travel, infrastructure and related sectors that have been severely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. The support will take the form of State guarantees on new loans from banks or other financial institutions. The State guarantee will cover up to 90% of the loans. The scheme aims at providing liquidity to enterprises of all sizes affected by the coronavirus outbreak, thus enabling them to continue their activities, start investments and maintain employment. The scheme is expected to support over 1,000 companies.

  • On 18 June 2020, an approximately €40 million (HRK 300 million) Croatian scheme to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the cultural sector and the creative industry which were among the  most affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The ban on gathering and cancelling cultural events, closing theatres, cinemas and concert halls has had significant economic effects on entrepreneurs, independent artists and others active in the culture sector. The support will take the form of public guarantees on loans  with a nominal loan amount of up to maximum €800,000. The State guarantee will cover 100% of the loan. The scheme aims at providing liquidity to SMEs affected by the coronavirus outbreak, thus enabling them to continue their activities, start investments and maintain employment. Companies active in the cultural sector and the creative industry are eligible for aid under this scheme. The measure is expected to support up to 1,000 enterprises.

  • On 12 May 2020, an approximately €322 million (HRK 2.450 million) Croatian scheme for loan guarantees and subsidised loans to micro companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the scheme, the support will take the form of subsidised loans and State guarantees on loans. The scheme will be managed by HAMAG-BICRO - the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments. The scheme aims at enhancing the access to external financing of those micro companies and SMEs that are most severely affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, thus ensuring the continuation of their activities.

  • An HRK 30 million (approximately €4 million) Croatian scheme to support the fishery and aquaculture sector in Croatia in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The public support, which will take the form of direct grants, aims at ensuring that companies active in the sector, which are experiencing cash difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak, have liquidity to maintain their activities during and after the outbreak. The scheme, which will apply to the whole territory of Croatia (mainland and islands), will be open to companies of all sizes active in the fishery and aquaculture sector, including  those active in marine commercial fishing (capture fisheries), shellfish farming, warm-water (cyprinid) and cold-water (salmonid) fish farming, processing of fisheries and aquaculture products and fisheries cooperatives. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework adopted by the Commission on 19 March 2020, as amended on 3 April 2020.

  • On 9 April 2020, two Croatian schemes to support the Croatian economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The support takes the form of two schemes to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the two schemes, the public support will take the form of zero-interest loans and loans with subsidised interest rates, respectively. The schemes aim at enhancing access to liquidity by those companies which are most severely affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, thus ensuring the continuation of their activities.

  • On 6 April 2020, a Croatian liquidity guarantee scheme for companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The measure is in the form of State guarantees on loans, and will be accessible to all companies whose exports represent at least 20% of their yearly revenue. The guarantees will support lending to those companies, but will not take the form of export aid contingent on export activities. The scheme aims at limiting the risk associated with issuing operating loans to those companies that are most severely affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, thus ensuring the continuation of their activities.