Transition Countries Transport Policies versus EU-Enlargement

According to the new Transport Strategy Draft, which has been prepared within the Governmental project “ Croatia in 21st Century” (English version of document is available on URL: www.croatia21.hr), development guidelines of the Croatian transport system have been articulated through key aspects of policy – institutional and legal issues, infrastructure and management issues. Main problems can be recognized in legal insufficiency, administration management as well as in commercial management in public sector. Strategic guidelines are directed toward full adopting of international, particular EU standards in national transport regulations, strict separation of regulatory and operational functions as well as governmental measures for free market strengthening in transport sector, primarily through commercialisation and privatisation of state-owned companies. Till now Transport Strategy proposal failed to be apply by Government because of political reasons. The trend of favouring the capital investments into road infrastructure is continuing through the project of progressive construction of motorways, and the inadequate investment policy is accompanied also by intensified regime of fuel taxes, which tends to be maximally eliminated in the development concepts of EU from the aspect of internalisation of external costs. The transport policy in Croatia is in continuo marked by inconsistency and branch fragmentation without development concept and comprehensive goals and is exclusively based on public financial sources (budget).