Hrvoje Marušić obtained his B.Sc. degree in Maritime Transport and Trade from the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University in Rijeka in 1996. In 2004 he obtained his Master’s degree in Contemporary European Studies at the Institute for European Studies “Alcide de Gasperi” in Rome. Since January 2014 he has been Assistant Minister for European Affairs. His main responsibilities include: co-ordination of EU affairs at the national level in the capacity of Head of the Interministerial Working Group for the preparation of national positions in the context of the European Council and the Council of the European Union, national co-ordinator for Danubian and Adiratic-Ionian Macroregional Strategies, Co-Chair of the National Committee for Territorial Cooperation and Macroregional Strategies, Co-Chair of the Joint Croatian – Flanders Commission, Co-Chair of the Mixed Croatia – Baden-Württemberg Commission, Co-Chair of the Mixed Croatia – Bavaria Commission, Member-Coordinator of the European Semester Working Group, Member of the Interministerial Working Group for EU Funds Co-ordination. From 2010 to 2011 he was Director of the Department for Development, Infrastructure and Project Management of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. His responsibilities included preparation and implementation of regional strategic and operational development programmes, preparation and implementation of development projects (SME, tourism, social infrastructure, environmental protection, energy and sustainable development), support for FDI, co-ordination of EU affairs at the regional level (institutional building, information/education/training, preparation and implementation of EU funded projects), management of regional development agencies (Monitoring Committees of Regional Development Agency and the Regional Energy Agency). He has also worked as Advisor to the President, Head of ISPA Unit, Task Manager for Croatia and Expert for co-ordination activities related to EU and bilateral pre-accession assistance and preparation of EU-accession negotiations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
