Hina - Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić on Friday signed an agreement in Dubrovnik for the purchase of land in the Solitudo district aimed at resolving the issue of protected tenants.
The land purchase agreement was signed by Minister Bačić, Mayor Mato Franković, and the director of the state-owned Real Estate Agency (APN), Dragan Hristov. The contract covers the acquisition of 3,574 square metres of land, worth €2 million, along with project documentation, according to the ministry.
“With this project, we will resolve the issue of almost two-thirds of protected tenants in Dubrovnik,” Bačić said. He noted that 109 requests have been submitted in the city, 21 protected tenants have already been compensated through one of five available measures, contracts are being signed with two more families, and around 80 cases remain to be resolved.
The agreement is based on the law implementing judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in the Statileo v. Croatia group of cases, as well as a decision of the Croatian Constitutional Court. The Statileo ruling concerns apartments nationalised during the Yugoslav era that were allocated to third parties, granting them tenancy rights. This system was abolished in 1996, when holders of these rights were granted the status of protected tenants. Property owners sought the return of their apartments, and the European Court of Human Rights ordered Croatia to resolve the issue.
Mayor Franković said it is important to resolve the issue for both protected tenants and property owners, adding that the agreement will almost fully solve the problem in the city. The city will provide infrastructure, while the government will ensure housing construction through the ministry and the APN agency.
Bačić noted that more than 1,300 requests from protected tenants have been submitted nationwide. The state is obliged to provide a sufficient number of housing units to accommodate tenants while returning properties to their owners. So far, more than 300 protected tenants have been compensated, while others have opted for alternative measures.
In January this year, an agreement was signed for the construction of 152 apartments for protected tenants in Zagreb’s Blato district, while a building with 58 apartments will also be constructed in Split’s Sirobuje district. In addition, the state-owned Državne nekretnine company is currently renovating around 300 apartments in cities with the highest number of protected tenants to prepare them for occupancy under the programme.
The Ministry of Construction noted that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in December 2025 ended its 11-year supervision over Croatia on this issue, following the adoption and implementation of relevant laws and policy measures.
Minister Bačić today also visited two energy renovation projects: the Dubrovnik Police Administration building, worth €2.3 million, and the Dubrovnik General Hospital, a €20.2 million project.
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