System of Multilevel Governance [1]
Representation: There are three associations of LRAs, for (respectively): counties, cities and municipalities:
Information and consultation: During the legislative process, information is provided to the LRAs to the extent that information is published on the Parliament's website.
No formal consultation procedure with LRAs exists. However, the representatives of the different associations are often invited to participate in working groups that draft relevant legal acts. In addition, the associations often organise round table discussions or other public events where presenting their opinion on the legal acts in public, raise concerns and propose solutions.
Coordination:
Vertical coordination:
Central state-LRAs: Central state administration monitors the work of LRAs. In particular, it supervises the LRAs' performance of the entrusted central state administration functions. It can aslo propose the dissolution of an LRA representative body if it: a) threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia; b) does not adopt the statute within 60 days from the date of its inauguration; c) frequently adopts acts that are contrary to the Constitution, national laws or other regulations or frequently and seriously violates law and regulations; d) permanently lacks certain number of members required for decision-making; e) is unable to make decisions during the period longer than 3 months; f) it does not call a referendum required by law.
Counties-municipalities and cities: Local authorities can co‑found regional development agencies or regional energy agencies together with their counties[5]
Horizontal coordination:
According to Article 54 of the Law on Local and Regional Government, two or more local self‑government units may jointly organise the performance of specific tasks: e.g. establish a joint administrative department, youth advisory board, a specialised agency or common public library.[6]
[1] Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Consultation procedures within European States, 2007.
[2] Hrvatska zajednica županija - http://hrvzz.hr/
[3] Udruga gradova u Republici Hrvatskoj - https://www.udruga-gradova.hr/
[4] Hrvatska zajednica općina - https://hzo.hr/
[5] A number of such agencies function, for example: AZRA – Varaždin County development agency - http://azra.hr/; DUNEA, Regional development agency of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, http://www.dunea.hr; ŽRA, County development agency of Osijek-Baranja County, http://www.zra.hr/; RERA, Regional coordination and development agency of Split-Dalmatia County, http://www.rera.hr/.
[6] Mladen Ivanović (project coordinator), Inter-Municipal Cooperation in the Republic of Croatia – Legislative, Institutional and Financial Framework for Inter-Municipal Cooperation and Examples of Good Practice, Zagreb, November 2010.
