The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) said on Friday that implementing the national development strategy required a strong involvement of all stakeholders and that the business community must be actively involved in achieving the strategy's goals.

“The national development strategy is very ambitious and sets demanding goals before the whole society over the next ten years. If we achieve them, Croatia will indeed become a competitive EU country of good and pleasant living for all its citizens, whose living standards will reach the EU average,” HUP director-general Damir Zoric said.

“The prerequisite for the successful implementation of the strategy is a strong involvement of all stakeholders in society who must insist together on monitoring and implementing the development goals. The business community must be actively involved in implementing the strategy and achieving these goals because their realisation depends on the results of the business sector. We are facing a challenging period and a lot of work,” he added.

The government on Thursday unveiled a draft national development strategy until 2030 and put it to public consultation over the next month. The strategy would be implemented through a synergy of public policies in four development areas including 13 goals.

The goals are: a competitive and innovative economy, educated and employed people, an efficient judiciary, public administration and state property management, global recognisability, a stronger international position and role, healthy, active and high-quality life of citizens, demographic revitalisation including a better status of family, security for stable development, ecological and energy transition to climate neutrality, self-sufficiency of food production and the development of bio-economy, sustainable mobility, digital transition of society and the economy, the development of underdeveloped areas and areas with development particularities, and greater regional competitiveness.