Zagreb - At a time when Europe is accelerating digitalisation and strengthening the role of rail in freight transport, the Sabor on Friday adopted a new law that modernises rules for rail freight transport and aligns the sector with modern market and technological conditions, in line with EU standards.
The new law replaces solutions dating back to the 1990s, developed in the context of a closed and monopolistic market, and responds to changes brought about by market liberalisation and the development of multimodal transport.
The law regulates contractual relations in domestic and international freight transport, including the rights and obligations of contracting parties, carrier liability, and conditions for electronic data exchange, with particular emphasis on the digitalisation of processes. At the core of the reform is the introduction of the electronic consignment note and the establishment of digital procedures, marking a shift away from the existing system based on paper documentation. This aligns Croatia’s legal framework with European rules that promote faster information flows, reduced administrative costs, and greater transparency in supply chains.
The new law also clearly defines responsibilities in cases where multiple carriers or different modes of transport are involved, thereby regulating the increasingly common practice of multimodal transport. In addition, it separates the roles of infrastructure managers and railway undertakings, in line with the liberalised market model of the European Union, while further strengthening legal certainty for businesses through alignment with national legislation, particularly the Obligations Act.
The law also ensures the implementation of the European framework for electronic freight transport information, including the obligation of digital transmission of regulatory data between businesses and competent authorities. In this context, the establishment of a National System for Electronic Storage and Exchange of Freight Transport Data is envisaged, enabling more efficient information exchange and oversight of goods transport. Its implementation will be entrusted to the Agency for Commercial Activity, which will carry out these tasks as a public authority.
Debate focused on state of Croatian railways
The parliamentary debate on the law was marked by broader concerns about the state of Croatian railways. MPs generally welcomed digitalisation and alignment with European rules, but also warned of long-standing neglect of the sector and weak transport connectivity in Croatia. In this context, the law was assessed as a necessary but insufficient step without parallel investments in infrastructure and services.
Žarko Tušek, State Secretary for railway infrastructure, transport, electronic communications and postal services, emphasised that the state is already implementing significant investments in the railway system.
“At this moment, we have nearly €1.7 billion in active investments in Croatian Railways – these are huge figures. We have not faced projects of this scale before. It is true that in recent decades railways were not a priority, but it is also a fact that railways are now a topic of the present and the future,” Tušek said, adding that the system is gradually adapting to new dynamics and priorities.
On the other hand, Dalibor Domitrović (SDP) warned about the underutilised potential of rail transport in the context of climate goals.
“Rail transport produces five to seven times less CO₂ emissions than road transport, yet despite this, the share of freight carried by rail remains low – only about 17% of total transport in the EU. Rail transport will certainly grow, develop and become an important factor in the freight transport chain in the future,” he said.
European Parliament advocated more ambitious solutions
The Croatian law builds on a broader European regulatory framework that in recent years has strongly encouraged digitalisation and strengthening of the railway sector’s competitiveness. Discussions in the European Parliament have emphasised the need to increase the accessibility and attractiveness of rail transport. Swedish MEP Johan Danielsson (S&D) highlighted the importance of integrating different transport services and stressed the need to develop unified booking and information systems. According to him, passengers must receive “guarantees” for alternative routes and better connectivity between operators, while information exchange between companies should enable the development of single tickets and multimodal solutions that take passengers to their final destination, regardless of the number of operators involved.
At the same time, in discussions on the digitalisation of freight transport, the European Parliament has warned that the sector lags behind significantly.
In a report prepared by former Austrian MEP Claudia Schmidt (EPP), it was highlighted that almost all cross-border transport in the EU still relies on paper documentation at some stage of the process, which is why the proposal on electronic freight transport information was seen as a long-awaited step. The report emphasises the need for a simpler, paperless, transparent, secure and reliable flow of information between businesses, users and public authorities, while also warning that the obligation to accept electronic documents should be expanded to fully accelerate the sector’s digital transformation.
By introducing the electronic consignment note and a national system, Croatia aims to respond to these challenges, creating the conditions for a more modern, efficient and competitive rail freight sector. The new law, focused exclusively on freight transport, also reflects the fact that the legal framework for passenger transport is already fully aligned with EU law, thereby avoiding overlap of regulations and further simplifying the regulatory system. In this way, Croatia joins the EU’s broader effort to make rail transport – both passenger and freight – a more competitive and sustainable alternative to road transport.
Croatian MEP Nikolina Brnjac (HDZ/EPP) noted that in negotiations with the Council of the EU on the two legislative acts, the European Parliament “advocated more ambitious solutions for both passenger and freight transport”.
“When it comes to passengers, the EP called for a higher level of protection, stricter rules in cases of train delays and cancellations and greater compensation for passengers, with particular attention paid to persons with disabilities and reduced mobility. It was also agreed that passengers have the right to rerouting after 100 minutes of delay, regardless of the circumstances, as well as a shorter advance notice period for assistance to persons with disabilities, reduced to 24 hours, and an obligation for new and modernised trains to include a certain number of bicycle spaces. These are concrete improvements that passengers can feel in practice,” said Brnjac, a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism.
“When it comes to freight transport, the EP advocated digitalisation. The goal is to reduce reliance on paper documentation and enable more efficient electronic data exchange in logistics. Ultimately, it was agreed that public authorities must accept digital freight transport information if it is submitted electronically by businesses, although paper remains an option, and that different IT systems must be interoperable and harmonised,” the Croatian MEP told Hina.