With the aim of attracting and promoting investment in the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Republic of Croatia, the Act on the Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons (NN 94/13, 14/14) was adopted for the first time in 2014 as a lex specialis of the former Mining Act (NN 53/ 13, 14/14). The aim of the lex specialis was to regulate the activities of exploration and production of hydrocarbons, in accordance with all European Union directives and the best global practices of countries with extensive experience in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons.
In 2018, a new Act on the Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons (NN 52/18, 52/19, 30/21) was adopted, which was subsequently amended in 2019 and 2021 to clearly regulate every step in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons and geothermal waters, the storage of natural gas and the permanent storage of carbon dioxide.
Under the provisions of the Act on the Establishment of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (NN 14/14, 73/17, 84/21), the Agency is responsible for overseeing the implementation of activities concerning the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, geothermal waters for energy purposes, underground gas storage and the permanent storage of carbon dioxide.
With the aim of achieving greater economic benefits for the Republic of Croatia, the Ordinance on Fees for the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (NN 25/20) was adopted, which establishes the fees for exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, as well as for the exploitation of geothermal waters for energy purposes, the storage of natural gas and the permanent storage of carbon dioxide in geological structures.
The most important acts and regulations:
- Act on the Establishment of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (NN 14/14, 73/17, 84/21)
- Act on the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (NN 52/18, 52/19, 30/21)
- Act on Safety in Offshore Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (NN 78/15, 50/20)
- Ordinance on Fees for the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons (NN 25/20)
- Ordinance on Basic Technical Requirements, Safety and Security in the Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons from the undersea of the Republic of Croatia (NN 52/10)
- Ordinance on Petroleum Projects and the Procedure for the Review of Petroleum Projects (NN 87/2022)
- Ordinance on Reserves (NN 95/18, 87/22)
- Ordinance on Professional Qualifications for the Performance of Certain Tasks in Petroleum operations (NN 95/18, 87/22)
- Ordinance on the Construction of Petroleum facilities and plants (NN 95/18, 101/22)
- Ordinance on the permanent gas storage into geological structures (NN 95/18, 87/22)
- Act on the Market for Petroleum and Petroleum Products (NN 19/14, 73/17, 96/19)
- Ordinance on the calculation of average daily net import, i.e. input, average daily consumption and level of stocks of oil and oil products (NN 43/16, 116/19)
- Ordinance on access to the data room and the use of data (NN 52/2023)
