The National Bank is responsible, within its rights and duties, for stability of the currency and for liquidity of payments in state and abroad.

In accordance with that provision, the National Bank was established under Croatian Law by Government Regulation of 23 December 1991, a provisional act made permanent by legislation of November 1992.

[3]: 5 In June 1995, even before the Croatian War of Independence had come to an end, the National Bank organized the first Dubrovnik Economic Conference (DEC), an annual event that has been held without interruption since then, including in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[3]: 6  Also in 1997, the CNB became a full member of the Bank for International Settlements;[3]: 10  Banking sector restructuring occurred throughout the 1990s, culminating in the resignation of all members of the CNB's Council led by Governor Marko Škreb in July 2000 in response to the Croatian Parliament's refusal to accept its report for 1998 and the first half of 1999.

The Croatian National Bank is autonomous and independent in achieving its objective and carrying out its tasks.

Functional independence implies a clearly defined objective and autonomy in the choice of measures and instruments for its realisation.

Personal independence guarantees the protection of CNB officials from external pressures, excludes conflicts of interest and precisely defines the conditions for the appointment and removal from office of the Governor and other members of the CNB Council.

Financial independence implies the possibility for the CNB to autonomously obtain funds for the purpose of executing its mandate, with the income and expense determined by the monetary policy stance.