MINISTARSTVO PROSTORNOGA UREDENJA, GRADITELJSTVA I DRZAVNE IMOVINE

Their core work

Croatia's national ministry responsible for building regulations, spatial planning, construction standards, and state property management. In H2020, they acted as Croatia's designated national authority for implementing the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) — participating in successive Concerted Actions where EU member state ministries coordinate national transposition of binding EU building energy law. Their practical contribution is translating EU policy into Croatian building codes, energy performance certificate systems, inspection regimes, and nearly-zero energy building (NZEB) requirements. For any partner needing a direct channel into Croatian national building regulation, this ministry is the gatekeeper.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the first phase (2015–2018, CAIV_EPBD), the ministry's focus was foundational: understanding and transposing the existing EPBD framework, covering basic energy performance in buildings and the Concerted Action coordination mechanism itself. By the second phase (2018–2022, CAV_EPBD), the work had advanced considerably — the keyword set expanded to include NZEB definitions, the EPBD recast obligations, energy performance certificates, smart buildings, and national renovation strategies. The trajectory is unmistakable: from basic compliance to shaping a comprehensive national building decarbonisation framework.

This ministry is moving from passive EPBD transposition toward active shaping of Croatia's building decarbonisation policy — making them a relevant partner for projects targeting national renovation strategies, NZEB roll-out, or smart building readiness indicator implementation in Southeast Europe.

How they like to work

This organization exclusively joins as a participant — it has never led an H2020 project and is unlikely to do so, as Concerted Actions are structured for national authorities to learn and align rather than to lead research. Their consortia are large by design: both projects involved essentially all EU member state building authorities, meaning 28 countries and 32 partners in total. This is not a research partnership dynamic — it is a regulatory peer network where the ministry contributes by sharing national implementation experience and receiving guidance on best practice.

Their 32 partners across 28 countries reflect the pan-European nature of EPBD Concerted Actions, which systematically include every EU member state's national building authority. This is a policy peer network rather than a research network — broad but functionally specific to building energy regulation.

What sets them apart

This is not a university or research institute — it is the Croatian state authority with legal power to write building codes, issue ministerial decrees on NZEB standards, and mandate energy performance certificate systems nationally. That regulatory mandate is something no research consortium can replicate internally. For projects that need a national governmental partner with direct policy implementation authority in Croatia — particularly on buildings, energy efficiency, or urban development — this ministry is the natural and often necessary counterpart.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CAV_EPBD
  The larger of the two projects (EUR 117,328) and the more advanced, covering the full EPBD recast agenda including NZEB, smart building standards, and renovation strategies — representing Croatia's most substantive EU-level engagement on building decarbonisation policy.
• CAIV_EPBD
  The ministry's entry into EU research cooperation, establishing Croatia's position in the pan-European EPBD implementation network and laying the groundwork for the more complex CAV_EPBD phase.