CROATIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Lovro Badžim, Badžim Law Practice
1. Athlete Conduct, Integrity and Enforcement 1.1 Anti-Doping Regimes Is Doping a Criminal Offence in the Republic of Croatia? Under Croatian law, doping as such – meaning the use of prohibited substances by athletes – does not constitute a criminal offence. Instead, it is treated as a misdemeanour under the Sports Act and gives rise to disciplinary and regulatory consequences within the sporting system. Criminal liability arises, however, at a different level of conduct. The unauthorised production, process - ing, distribution, sale, trafficking, or mediation of sub - stances prohibited in sport is criminalised under the Croatian Criminal Code, specifically Article 191.a. This provision targets those who place such substances on the market or induce others to consume them, rather than the athletes who use them. The basic form of the offence is punishable by impris - onment of up to three years. Aggravated circumstanc - es significantly increase criminal exposure. Where the offence is committed against a minor, within a school, or at a sports facility, the prescribed penalty ranges from six months to five years’ imprisonment. Organis - ing a network of distributors carries a sentence of one to eight years, while offences resulting in death are punishable by three to 15 years’ imprisonment. Accordingly, Croatian law draws a clear distinction: athletes who use doping substances incur misde - meanour and disciplinary liability, whereas those who manufacture or traffic such substances may face seri - ous criminal sanctions. Legal Status of Substances on the WADA Prohibited List Substances included on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are explicitly rec - ognised in Croatian law as “substances prohibited in sport”. Their legal treatment depends on the context in which they are used or handled. From a criminal law perspective, the unauthorised pro - duction, distribution, and sale of these substances are
treated in a manner comparable to offences involving narcotic drugs. This reflects the legislature’s view that trafficking in doping substances poses serious risks not only to fair competition, but also to public health. From a sporting and disciplinary perspective, the presence, use, attempted use, or possession of such substances by athletes constitutes a violation of anti- doping rules. These violations trigger disciplinary sanctions, including suspension, bans from competi - tion, disqualification of results, and the forfeiture of medals and prizes. The National Anti-Doping Authority in Croatia Croatia’s national anti-doping system is administered by the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), act - ing through its specialised Anti-Doping Service. This body serves as the central authority responsible for preventing and combating doping in sport at the national level. Its mandate is broad. The Anti-Doping Service plans and implements anti-doping measures, conducts testing and controls, adopts and enforces anti-dop - ing rules, carries out education and prevention pro - grammes, and co-ordinates activities with government bodies and non-governmental organisations. Crucial - ly, it ensures the implementation of the World Anti- Doping Code and the relevant international standards within the Croatian legal and sporting framework. Implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code in Croatia The World Anti-Doping Code is implemented in Croa - tia through national Anti-Doping Rules, which function as binding implementing instruments for all provisions of the Code and the associated international stand - ards. The Croatian Institute of Public Health conducts dop - ing controls, education programmes, and disciplinary proceedings in accordance with WADA rules and in co-operation with the Croatian Olympic Committee. Athletes, coaches, medical staff, and other persons involved in sport are legally obliged to comply with these rules, particularly with respect to testing obliga - tions and whereabouts requirements.
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