Paying Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (PAAFRD)

The Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development is a public body competent for the operational implementation of direct support measures, rural development measures, maritime and fisheries measures (in the area of delegated functions) and measures of a joint market organization as well as keeping registers and registers and maintaining and the use of the Integrated Administrative and Control System (IAKS) through which they receive, process and control direct payments to farmers.

In coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, it implements the measures of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy financed from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia and the Budget of the European Union. This means that the Paying Agency is part of the management and control system of the following funds:

Of the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EFPF) and financed by direct support measures and measures of a common market organization
Of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EPFRR) from which rural development measures are financed
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EFPR) from which maritime and fishing measures are financed.
The Paying Agency is based on the accredited processes and procedures of the European Commission in accordance with the Regulations and the predefined criteria applicable to the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CFP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The Agency manages the following registers and databases:

Register of farmers with 165,712 registered farmers
ARKOD- System for Digital Identification of Land Plots; and accompanying registers (vineyard register, register of primary food producers, register of subjects in ecological production),
ISAP -centralized electronic database (for simultaneous data entry from all 26 APPRRRs in the Republic of Croatia) and
AGRONET is a protected internet application through which farmers view their farm data and electronically fill in their application for support.
It operates through the central office in Zagreb and 21 branches and 4 offices.

The work of the Paying Agency is overseen by the Governing Board appointed by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, whose chairman is the Minister of Agriculture. The other members are one representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds, and the representative of the Paying Agency workers' council. The work of the Paying Agency is also supervised by other bodies, both the Republic of Croatia and the EU, all with a view to ensuring an effective management and control system.

Vision 
More adequate life standard for farmers and fishermen and preservation of rural areas and their balanced development.

Mission
The mission of the Paying Agency is to connect Croatian farmers, fishermen and operators in rural areas with the institutions at national and European level which finance the development of agriculture, fisheries and rural areas through its programs and funds.