A four-year research project has been launched at the University of Rijeka to examine how the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM) influences the design, implementation, and content of national public policies in the Republic of Croatia. The project focuses on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the key instrument through which the RRM is implemented at the national level.
The research investigates how the goals and instruments of the NRRP are defined, how planned reforms and investments are implemented, and what changes in public policy have been triggered by this new form of European financial and strategic conditionality. Special attention is given to the green and digital transitions, as well as to sectors that traditionally fall outside the direct competences of the European Union.
The project is hosted by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) at the Institute for the Future of the University of Rijeka, and is part of the Public Policy Colloquium programme, which aims to integrate public policy education into university curricula.
The project is led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marko Kovačić, and the research team combines document analysis and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to track and interpret the dynamics of reform processes in Croatia. Building on previous research on policy objectives, the project contributes to academic debates on the Europeanisation of public policy and provides insights for policymakers, civil servants, and reform analysts.
The project is funded by the University of Rijeka through its institutional research grants scheme in the category of Experienced Researchers, with a total amount of €41,565.31 for the 2024–2028 period.
Project collaborators: dr. Ana Petek, prof. (CPCS/FPZG), dr. Krešimir Petković, prof. (FPZG), dr. Anka Kekez, assoc. prof. (FPZG), dr. Marjeta Šinko, assoc. prof. (CPCS/FPZG), dr. Mario Munta, assoc. prof. (FPZG), dr. Nikola Baketa (IDIZ), dr. Borna Zgurić, assoc. prof. (FPZG)