In this article, the author elaborately reviews the legal framework regarding environmental protection and waste management in Croatia. There will also be a retrospect in some parts to how legislation and the general situation concerning the topic were before Croatia had joined the European Union and what the impact of the accession was on legislative and implementation in practice. An overview is given on obligations stemming from the Environmental Act, the Waste Management Act as well as The Act on the Protection of the Nature, including material and procedural rights and obligations. The author also gives an overview on the responsibility of legal persons for criminal offences. The article concludes with a brief review of the interaction between investments, e.g., in the sectors of tourism and energy on one hand and the environment on the other and an outlook to upcoming challenges.