Codification of Civil Law in Croatia: Challenges of multiple crises for the reform of Croatian civil law

Croatian civil law underwent numerous significant transformations during the late 20th and early 21st centuries after the country gained its independence from the former Yugoslavia and then gained accession to the European Union (EU). The Croatian legal system is complex, with numerous acts governing civil law. It lacks a unified Civil Code. Therefore, during the EU accession process, numerous sources of law had to be coordinated in order to achieve the transposition of EU norms, and where necessary, harmonisation of the domestic legal system to EU standards. These legislative needs were later complemented by the necessity for the mitigation of various crises by modifications in the civil law after the Great Recession of 2008, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as natural disasters that struck the country. The chapter traces the progress of the development of Croation civil law during this significant period.

Keywords: Croatia, civil law, law of obligations, European Union accession, crisis management