A Commission Staff Working Document published on 23 July 2026 evaluates Croatia's implementation of the Nitrates Directive for the 2020–2023 period, highlighting a significant increase in surface water eutrophication and recommending expanded monitoring and action programme revisions. The document, based on Croatia's official report and EU data, notes that 50.6% of surface water monitoring points are now eutrophic or at risk, up 11.1 percentage points from the previous period, while groundwater exceedances of 50 mg/l nitrates remain stable at 1.4% of points.
The fiche covers Croatia's third action programme (2020–2023), which shifted the closed period for slurry application from 15 November–15 February to 15 December–15 March. Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) cover 8% of Utilised Agricultural Area and have remained unchanged since 2012, despite Croatia acknowledging the need for expansion. Monitoring network density is low: 2.4 groundwater stations per 1,000 km² (mostly within NVZ) and 1.5 surface water stations per 1,000 km², limiting comprehensive assessment outside NVZ.
Croatia conducted 82,602 inspections under the Water Act and Common Agricultural Policy conditionality, with 216 specific on-site inspections in NVZ. The Commission recommends reviewing measures to address high nitrate concentrations and eutrophication, improving monitoring outside NVZ, ensuring coherence with the Water Framework Directive, considering phosphorus limitations, and promoting best practices under climate change. The unchanged NVZ designation and rising eutrophication suggest that current measures may not adequately address evolving pollution patterns, particularly in the Sjeverna Hrvatska and Panonska Hrvatska regions.
Croatian farmers face potential stricter NVZ designations and action programme requirements, increasing compliance costs. National authorities may need to expand monitoring networks and revise NVZ boundaries, requiring additional resources. EU water bodies could benefit from reduced nitrate pollution if recommendations are implemented. The agricultural sector may face pressure to adopt best practices, affecting productivity in the short term.