Panel discussion on regulating lobbying for better democratic governance in Croatia

On Monday, 12 January 2026, a panel discussion entitled “One Year of the Lobbying Law in Croatia: Lessons Learned and the Role of Lobbying in Democratic Governance” was held at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Political Science.

The discussion focused on assessing the practical impact of the Croatian Lobbying Act one year after its entry into force, examining early implementation experiences, and exploring future trends in democratic governance, professional lobbying, and public affairs standards in Croatia and the wider EU context. The event brought together students attending the course “Interest Groups and Lobbying in the European Union”, along with other representatives of civil society organisations and the business community.

The panel included Sanja Pavić, Legal Advisor at GONG, Fabijan Popović, Senior Public Policy Manager, Adria (HR & SI) at Bolt, and Tomislav Vidović, Policy Officer at AmCham Croatia.

During the discussion, panellists agreed that while the Register of Lobbyists is publicly available and the number of registered entities has increased, the primary objective of the law - to enhance transparency in decision-making - has not yet been fully achieved. Several implementation challenges were highlighted, including the non-public nature of lobbying activity reports, the absence of publicly accessible information on contacts between lobbyists and decision-makers, and the continued presence of unregistered lobbying activities. These challenges were linked to limited incentives for registration, additional administrative burdens, and concerns regarding the proportionality of sanctions.

The discussion further emphasised that meaningful progress in transparency requires shared responsibility between lobbyists and public officials, particularly regarding the disclosure of meetings and interactions. Reference was also made to EU-level transparency mechanisms as potential points of comparison for future improvements.

Overall, the panel confirmed the importance of continued dialogue on lobbying regulation as part of broader discussions on democratic governance, transparency, and public trust. Students actively participated in the exchange, and the panellists contributed diverse and experience-based perspectives on both the challenges and possible directions for further development of the regulatory framework.

The discussion was moderated by Igor Vidačak, Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, and took place within the framework of the EU-funded Jean Monnet Chair project “Active European Democratic Citizenship for Resilient Society.”