As part of the EU funded Regional Programme for the central banks from the Western Balkans

4 November 2021 

Within the Regional Programme for Strengthening the Central Bank Capacities in the Western Balkans with a view to their integration to the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), which is under way, the second part of the bilateral measure implemented in cooperation with the Croatian National Bank, took place. The implementation of this measure started in April this year. The cooperation is aimed at further strengthening of the function of our central bank in the field of international relations, especially in the process of European integration of the country. On the basis of their experience in the process of accession to the ESCB, as well as the cooperation with the European institutions after the country’s entry into the EU, the experts from the Croatian National Bank presented the draft Roadmap for the National Bank towards its membership in the ESCB. The Roadmap is outlined in three parts: the first one describes the organization of the international relations function of the CNB, the second one refers to the organization of the international relations function of the NBRNM and the third part is dedicated to the lessons from the Croatian experience that can be useful for the National Bank.

The shared experience of the Croatian National Bank is of great significance in strengthening the function of our central bank in the field of international relations and relations with the EU, in order to appropriately fulfill the role of the National Bank in the country’s EU accession process and beyond. The EU-funded program for strengthening of the capacities of the central banks from the Western Balkans started to be implemented in 2019, in cooperation with the Deutsche Bundesbank as Coordinator of the Program, nineteen other central banks from the European System of Central Banks and the European Central Bank and will be implemented by the end of this year. For this Regional Program, the European Union has allocated Euro 2 million through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II).