Who has to comply
Public-sector since 2019; consumer services from 28 June 2025.
Croatia is a smaller market with a strong seasonal tourism economy, so many foreign sellers and booking platforms reach Croatian consumers, particularly around travel and hospitality. Under the EAA transposition, a non-EU store selling to Croatian consumers is covered on the country-of-consumption basis. A Croatian-language accessibility statement is expected, which tourist-facing foreign operators accustomed to English-only interfaces frequently overlook.
What the law actually requires
Zakon 17/2019 + EAA sets the technical bar at WCAG 2.1 Level AA via EN 301 549. On top of it, Zakon o pristupačnosti mrežnih stranica i programskih rješenja lists these operational duties:
- EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA
- Croatian-language statement
Penalties and how enforcement actually works
HRK-denominated administrative fines under the EAA implementing act.
Enforcement is centralised in the Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society (Središnji državni ured za razvoj digitalnog društva), which administered the 2019 public-sector regime and now extends to covered consumer services. The approach is centrally coordinated and complaint-driven, with administrative fines under the EAA implementing act. As a relatively new and smaller enforcement operation, Croatia is likely to concentrate its first enforcement cycle on obvious, visible non-compliance rather than exhaustive technical audits.
Reading the Zakon 17/2019 + EAA at the source
The law is cited as Zakon o pristupačnosti + EAA implementation (Zakon o pristupačnosti mrežnih stranica i programskih rješenja). Enforcement: Središnji državni ured za razvoj digitalnog društva. Key date: 28 June 2025. We have not yet linked a verified national source for Croatia; the European Commission's EAA page under Sources describes the EU directive the national law implements.
Sources
- European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) · European Commission
Links checked 12 October 2026. Not legal advice. Methodology · About Certvo