Publication: Municipal Mergers and Associations: International Experience and Reform Options for Croatia
Date
2022-05
ISSN
Published
2022-05
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Croatia’s high degree of municipal
fragmentation has been consistently recognized as a weakness
and one of the main problems of its intergovernmental fiscal
system. The report argues that the problem of fragmentation
is in essence a problem of capacity. The objective of this
report is to review international experiences and lessons in
the promotion of local government mergers and municipal
associations to inform efforts to advance institutional
reform in Croatia and address the problem of low local
government capacity. The report is organized into six
sections. The first section is introduction, the second
section reviews the fragmented territorial administrative
structure in Croatia, and the third is devoted to unpacking
the concept of local government units (LGU) capacity. The
fourth section focuses on relevant international experience
related to municipal fragmentation and capacity
deficiencies, and the fifth examines incentive measures for
Intermunicipal Cooperation (IMC) and the creation of
associations or commonwealths. The sixth section lays out
policy options and recommendations for Croatia, prioritized
along a sequence for implementation.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2022. Municipal Mergers and Associations: International Experience and Reform Options for Croatia. © Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/38330 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”