The mandate of the aforementioned Members of the Fiscal Policy Commission, who were appointed by the Decision of the Croatian Parliament (Official Gazette 69/2019) on July 12, 2019, expired on July 12, 2024.

The work and activity of the Fiscal Policy Commission in the Republic of Croatia developed through several stages. First, by the Decision to Establish the Fiscal Policy Commission (Official Gazette 40/11) brought in 2011, the Fiscal Policy Commission was established as an expert body presided by the then minister of finance. Under the resolution and decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the following members of the Fiscal Policy Commission were appointed:

  • Danijel Nestić, PhD, representative of the Institute of Economics, Zagreb
  • Vjekoslav Bratić, PhD, representative of the Institute of Public Finance
  • Ante Žigman, PhD, representative of the Croatian National Bank
  • Vesna Kasum, MSc, BEcon, representative of the State Audit Office
  • Prof. Lajoš Žager, PhD, representative of the School of Economics of the University of Zagreb
  • Prof. Nikša Nikolić, PhD, representative of the School of Economics of the University of Split
  • Prof. Hrvoje Arbutina, PhD, representative of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb.

 

Needing to strengthen the Committee’s independence pursuant to the provisions of the Council Directive 2011/85/EU on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States and to enhance the role of the Committee as the body supervising the implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (NN 156/2010), on 18 December 2013, the Croatian Parliament brought the decision to establish the Fiscal Policy Commission (Official Gazette 156/13). Based on this Decision, the Fiscal Policy Commission became the second working body of the Croatian Parliament responsible for monitoring the implementation of the FRA, and in fact separate from the executive authority, i.e. the Ministry of Finance. Under the decision on the appointment of the members of the Fiscal Policy Commission (Official Gazette 30/14) of 28 February 2014, the following Commission members were appointed during the term of office concerned:

  • Vesna Kasum, MSc, representative of the State Audit Office
  • Danijel Nestić, PhD, representative of the Institute of Economics, Zagreb
  • Vjekoslav Bratić, PhD, representative of the Institute of Public Finance
  • Ante Žigman, PhD, representative of the Croatian National Bank
  • Assistant prof. Saša Drezgić, PhD, from among the representatives of schools of economics
  • Nataša Žunić-Kovačević, PhD, from among the representatives of faculties of law.

 

Transposing Council Directive EU 2011/85, the new Fiscal Responsibility Act from 2018 (Official Gazette 111/18) was imbued with greater regulatory authorities and additionally strengthened the role of the Fiscal Policy Commission which was defined as a permanent, independent, autonomous and expert body tasked with a more serious role of a supervisor of the application of the FRA as well as the implementation of the state’s fiscal policy in its entirety. Pursuant to the transitional provisions of the FRA, in its most recent term, from the first constitutive session held on 24 September 2019 until the election of its new chairperson, the Fiscal Policy Commission was headed by the chairwoman of the Croatian Parliament’s Finance and Central Budget Committee, Mrs Grozdana Perić. After a successful public call and selection, on 12 November 2021, the Croatian Parliament elected and appointed prof. Sandra Krtalić, PhD from the University of Pula, the first chairwoman of the Fiscal Policy Commission. By the appointment of the chairwoman, the process of electing the members of the Fiscal Policy Commission was completed, because the other six members, nominated by independent institutions, had already been appointed since 12 July 2019 as follows:

  • Maroje Lang, PhD, representative of the Croatian National Bank, Deputy Chairperson
  • Vesna Kasum, MSc, representative of the State Audit Office
  • Maruška Vizek, PhD, representative of the Institute of Economics, Zagreb
  • Vjekoslav Bratić, PhD, representative of the Institute of Public Finance
  • Associate prof. Domagoj Karačić, PhD, Faculty of Economics, University of Osijek, from among the representatives of faculties of economics, and
  • Assistant prof. Zoran Šinković, PhD, Faculty of Law, University of Split, from among the representatives of faculties of law.