On this page

1. Youth parliament

2. Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

3. Higher education student union(s)

4. School student union(s)

5. Other bodies

Youth parliament

In Croatia, a National Youth Parliament does not exist.

Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

Youth Council is an interdepartmental advisory body of the Croatian Government with the mission to participate in developing youth public policies.

Pursuant to the Croatian Government Decision on Establishing the Youth Council of 11th March 2021 (OG 26/2021) the number of Council members has increased, and the number of representatives of associations and organizations of youth and for youth in that governmental advisory body.

In pursuing its mission, the Council especially:

1. Participates in continuous monitoring and analysis of the public policy related to and/or influencing youth in the Republic of Croatia
2. Participates in giving opinion to the Croatian Government on draft regulations of particular significance for improving the status of youth
3. Follows up the work of ministries and other public administration bodies in implementing, monitoring and evaluating youth policies within their jurisdiction, and gives opinions and recommendations in that respect
4. Follows up the development of associations of youth and for youth and provides recommendations for the improvement of their work and support system
5. Gives recommendations for the development of youth policies and inclusion of youth at the local, regional, national and international level in delivering these policies
6. Monitors societal phenomena important for youth and recommends related measures
7. Assures continuous dialogue of state bodies, public administration bodies, civil society organizations, youth councils and the academic community, media and other representatives of the interested public, on the improvement of the status of youth in the Republic of Croatia
8. Executes missions in which the main purpose of the Council's agency is accomplished, with the aim of creating a stimulating environment for the improvement of the status of youth.

The Council has 33 members, representatives of public administration bodies and offices of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Association of Cities in the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Municipality Association and the Croatian County Association, representatives of scientific and educational institutions, the representative of the Croatian Students’ Council, and the representative of the National Student Council of the Republic of Croatia. A total of eight representatives of associations of youth and for youth are appointed on a proposal of the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, based on the conducted selection procedure, in accordance with the Criteria for the Membership in the Youth Council.   The President of the Council is elected from the pool of representatives of associations of youth and for youth, following their proposal. It has to be a person below 30 years of age. The President, Council members and their deputies are appointed for a two-year term and may be re-appointed.   The Council was established based on the Decision on Establishing the Youth Council of 2012, the Decision on the Amendments to the Decision on Establishing the Youth Council of 2015 and the Decision on the Amendments and Addition to the Decision on Establishing the Youth Council of 2017. The Council's agency is regulated by the Rulebook. Professional and administrative service is provided to the Council by the Central State Office for Demography and Youth.

Higher education student union(s)

According to the Act on Students' Council and Other Students Organizations (Zakon o studentskom zboru i drugim studentskim organizacijama, NN 71/07),  Students' Council is a student representative body which protects students’ interests, participates in the decision-making process within university bodies, and represents students in higher education structures. All universities, universities of applied sciences must have Students' Council, which all together form Croatian Students' Council (CSC).

Croatian Students' Council (CSC) is an umbrella organisation of all Croatian students that aims to meet the interests of more than 200,000 students of Croatian faculties, academies, as well as professional and vocational colleges. It was established in 1996 and is recognised by the Ministry of Education and Science, as the major student organisation in Croatia. It is considered as a ministry’s partner in the fields of the reform of higher education and the improvement of the student welfare, educational policies and student participation in the decision-making process. CSC became a full member of the European Student Association in 2001. In addition, CSC is one of the founders of the network of student unions from the South-East Europe (SEI – South-East Initiatives) and a member of MedNet – Mediterranean Network of Student Representatives.

Student representatives (student councils’ members) are elected in student elections where every student can cast a vote and be elected. The higher education student union is financed from the budget of the university budget.

School student union(s)

Student school councils are defined by the Act on primary and secondary school education (Zakon o odgoju i obrazovanju u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi, NN 87/08, 86/09, 92/10, 105/10, 90/11, 5/12, 16/12, 86/12, 126/12, 94/13, 152/14, 07/17, 68/18, 98/19, 64/20). According to the act, each primary and secondary school should have a student council and the representative of the student council participated in school bodies but without the decision-making rights. Primary and Secondary Student councils - students are encouraged at school, city, county and national levels to show their interest, to resolve problems through participating in a real school or community life with the support of teachers, parents, local community authorities and national school authorities. They are legally organized through:

• Students' county councils

• Students' city councils

• National students' council of the Republic of Croatia

Other bodies

No documents suggest that other bodies exist in Croatia.