Croatia postpones new price rules days before October 1 deadline

ZAGREB, 28 September 2026 – Croatia will postpone the introduction of new rules requiring businesses to display so-called “anchor prices” after the Government responded to concerns raised by tradespeople, entrepreneurs and retailers.

The rules were due to take effect on 1 October 2026, expanding requirements for businesses to show additional reference prices alongside current prices and to publish price lists online.

Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar announced on Monday that the Government would propose delaying the implementation and withdrawing the decisions that were scheduled to come into force on 1 October.

“Over the past few days, I have carefully listened to the reactions of tradespeople, entrepreneurs, retailers and everyone who would have had to apply the new rules from 1 October,” Šušnjar wrote on X.

He said that, having spent almost 20 years as an entrepreneur, he understood the additional administrative work, system changes and costs that new requirements can create for businesses.

“If it turns out that we have set a solution too broadly or have not left enough time for its implementation, it is responsible to correct it,” he said.

Consumer protection goal remains

Šušnjar stressed that postponing the measures did not mean abandoning the Government’s objective of giving consumers clearer information about price changes.

The original measures were designed to allow consumers to see how the price of a product or service had changed by displaying a current price alongside a reference, or “anchor”, price.

The Government had previously announced that the expanded requirements would cover retail products and consumer services, with the rules applying to a much wider range of businesses than the previous system.

Under the rules originally scheduled for October, businesses would also have been required to publish current price lists online, with retailers required to update digital price lists regularly.

The measures had prompted concerns among businesses over the administrative burden and practical difficulties involved in applying the new requirements, particularly for services and businesses where prices can vary.

New rules planned for November

Šušnjar said the Government now intends to prepare a more permanent framework.

He said new regulations are planned to enter into force in November, covering the “base price” and publication of price lists.

According to the minister, the new rules will define reasonable exemptions and remove administrative requirements that do not provide a genuine benefit to consumers.

“We can misjudge, we can make a mistake, but I always try to be a responsible politician,” Šušnjar said.

He also announced that he would invite business and employers’ associations to a meeting to go through the details and work towards a revised solution.

The Government’s stated aim remains to ensure that consumers have accessible information about price movements and can compare prices when deciding where to spend their money.

The original decisions on additional, or “anchor”, prices and the publication of price lists were published in the Croatian Official Gazette in September and had been scheduled to apply from 1 October.

The precise details of the revised framework, including exemptions and the new requirements for businesses, are expected to become clearer ahead of the planned November regulations.

Posljednjih dana pažljivo sam slušao reakcije obrtnika, poduzetnika, trgovaca i svih onih koji bi od 1. listopada trebali primjenjivati nova pravila o sidrenim cijenama.

Gotovo 20 godina bio sam poduzetnik. Znam kako izgleda kada uz svakodnevni posao dođe još jedna… pic.twitter.com/kUBCQp1yDn

— Ante Šušnjar (@susnjar_a) September 28, 2026