On Wednesday, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for an “anti-SLAPP” law aimed at protecting journalists and other public actors from malicious lawsuits. It also proposed amendments to the Law on Obligations to strengthen consumer protection, encourage longer use of products, and reduce waste, Hina reports.

Through the Act on the Protection of Persons Engaged in Public Participation, Croatia is transposing an EU Anti-SLAPP Directive into its national legislation, introducing safeguards against manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings – strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

The law aims to remove obstacles to the smooth conduct of civil proceedings while providing protection to natural and legal persons involved in public participation in matters of public interest, such as journalists, publishers, media organizations, whistleblowers, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, NGOs, trade unions, artists, researchers, and members of the academic community.

Procedural safeguards are introduced to protect individuals and entities targeted by abusive litigation. These include securing estimated legal costs, early dismissal of claims, reimbursement of legal expenses, financial penalties, and other sanctions.

If a court determines that a claimant has engaged in abusive litigation against public participation, it will impose a financial penalty: for legal entities, 20% of the value of the dispute (up to a maximum of €20.000), and for natural persons, 10% of the value of the dispute (up to a maximum of €5.000).

This law provides for a broader scope of application than the Directive itself, meaning it will apply to both domestic and cross-border civil and commercial cases, said Damir Habijan, Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation.

The Judicial Academy has been designated as the single contact point, and the deadline for aligning with the Directive is May 7, 2026.