BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 21. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is assisting Croatia’s Ministry of Finance in strengthening the country's capital markets through the development of a Strategic Framework for Capital Market Development, Trend reports.
As part of this initiative, a comprehensive review assessed Croatia’s current market conditions, identified key challenges, and benchmarked the country against peer markets. The Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA), the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE), the Central Depository & Clearing Company (SKDD), and other market representatives contributed to the process.
The framework outlines five key strategic directions: regional integration, digitalization, improved corporate governance, enhanced market liquidity, and the development of new investment products and financing options. A broader initiative aims to optimize the regulatory framework by reducing excessive regulation.
The Strategic Framework for Capital Market Development 2025–2030 and the accompanying Action Plan were presented in Zagreb, with a public consultation process to follow.
The EBRD, a major institutional investor in Croatia, has invested over 4.9 billion euros in 260 projects, including nearly 140 million euros in capital markets over the past five years.