At the session held on 16 December 2022, the Croatian Parliament passed the Act on Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education, which regulates the internal quality assurance and quality enhancement of higher education institutions and research institutes, the external quality evaluation of higher education institutions and research institutes, and the organisational structure and competences of the Agency for Science and Higher Education.
The new Act (Official Gazette 151/2022) replaced the Act on Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education (Official Gazette 45/2009) on 30 December 2022, so the latter is no longer in force.
The new Act provides for the initial accreditation of research institutes in case of:
1. the establishment of a research institute;
2. a change in the status of a research institute.
The procedure of initial accreditation of a research institute is initiated when an application is submitted for the issuance of a licence for the research institute to operate. The application is submitted to the Agency using a standardised form and pursuant to the instructions provided by the Agency.
The external quality evaluation procedure determines the extent to which the research institute has met quality standards with regard to organisational structure, staff, premises and equipment, financial resources and the internal quality assurance and enhancement system.
The external quality evaluation procedure determines if the research institute has met quality assurance standards with regard to performing scientific and professional activity.