Legal Regulations in the Republic of Croatia as Well as Oil and Gas Exploration and Exploitation Activities

Abstract

Allhough Croatia does not belong to countries thal have an especiallyrich mineral wealth, it has a long tradition of mining industry.Even the beginnings of internal oil exploilation occurred in the middleof the nineteenth century, at the time when the oil era began withthe first oil-well in North America in 1859.The mining legislation in these areas is also very old, and it hasbeen recognizable by the existence or the mining provisions and lawssince the 16th century. Special mention has to be made of the AustrianGeneral Mining Law of 1854. that was valid for all countries ofthe Austro-Hungarian monarchy. In Croatia it remained in effect until1945.Present mining legislation in Croatia has been brought into conformity with the new legal system of the Republic of Croatia, but alsowith the current mining legislation of Europe, primarily of CentralEurope.The field of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Croatia iscovered chiefly by the provisions of the Mining Law but also by theConcessions Act, the Law on Geological Explorations and the MaritimeCode. These legal regulations allow the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas to run smoothly from it mining-and-legal standpoint.