At the closing conference of the Paperless commercial courts in Croatia project, key results and progress in the digitalisation of that country's commercial courts were presented. A particular focus was placed on the transitional phase towards fully paperless workflows. The commercial courts are leading this transformation by switching to paperless case files and, in the future, enabling fully digital courtrooms, which is expected to have a positive impact on the length of proceedings in commercial-court cases.
The project is co-funded by the European Union via the technical support instrument, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the European Commission.
Since its launch in August 2024, the project has worked closely with four pilot commercial courts-Zagreb, Varaždin, Dubrovnik, and Split. This cooperation has significantly enhanced the courts' preparedness to roll out paperless workflows. The project adopted a three-pillar approach, analysing legislative, IT, and business-process aspects essential for enabling the transition to fully paperless commercial-court operations.
Ivan Crnčec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, said:
"The digital transformation of courts is not an end in itself, but a tool to ensure faster and more accessible justice for citizens and businesses. This project clearly shows that modern justice can at the same time be efficient, transparent and fully compliant with European standards".
Kjartan Bjornsson, head of unit at the European Commission, stressed in his opening remarks:
"Our joint project has delivered a methodology and a roadmap with all the necessary elements to ensure a smooth transition to a fully digital case flow at the Croatian commercial courts. This will bring clear benefits for the Ministry, the courts, businesses and citizens. This transformative shift will help streamline court processes, improve efficiency, and enhance access to justice in Croatia."
Hanne Juncher (Director, Directorate of security, integrity and rule of law, Council of Europe) stated:
"This joint EU-CoE Project has been a pivotal step forward for the digitalisation of the commercial courts in Croatia, all while safeguarding judicial independence and aligning technological advancement with the requirements of human rights and the rule of law."
The closing conference brought together presidents and judges from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, the High Commercial Court of the Republic of Croatia, and commercial courts across the country. Participants also included other representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, the European Commission (SG REFORM) and the Council of Europe (Directorate General human rights and rule of law). The event further gathered members of the business and IT communities, the Croatian Bzar, the Croatian Association of court experts and appraisers, the Croatian Association of court interpreters and translators, the Croatian Association of bankruptcy trustees, and other key stakeholders involved in court proceedings.
The conference was an opportunity to discuss the next steps and reflect on the challenges and opportunities in the transition to a fully digital system at the commercial courts in Croatia. Partners renewed their commitment to work together to advance this reform and achieve the goal of a fully digital case flow.
Paperless commercial courts project
Croatia and the Council of Europe
Impact of the European Convention on Human Rights
