The limit values of the examined microbiological indicators (E. coli and intestinal enterococci), which represent the basis for evaluating bathing water quality, are of great importance for timely detection of negative environmental changes and remediation of pollution. Republic of Croatia in the national Regulation for bathing water quality (NN 73/08), has defined stricter criteria for evaluation, than those prescribed by the EU Bathing Water Directive (BWD, 2006/7/EC), for the same sea quality category. In addition to the stricter criteria for E. coli, the Regulation (NN 73/08) applied a lower E. coli/enterococci ratio (EC/ENT = 1.5) compared to that defined in BWD (EC/ENT = 2.5). The EC/ENT ratio of 1.5 was determined on the basis of the results of the study in which a highly selective agar mFC was used as the nutrient base for counting E. coli, which according to the results could underestimate the real number of faecal coliform bacteria, thereby reduce the EC/ENT ratio. Goal of this study was to examine the validity of current criteria for evaluating the bathing water quality according to the Regulation (NN 73/08). In the period from 2009 to 2017, data have been analyzed from the national bathing water quality monitoring program in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. According to data from a three-year period of application of current CCA cultivation media for counting E. coli (2015-2017), the mean value of the EC/ENT ratio is 1.8 (in the targeted range of microbiological concentrations), which is higher than the ratio applied in the Regulation (EC/ENT = 1.5). It was proposed the correction of criteria by increasing the limit value for E. coli from 300 cfu/100 ml to 400 cfu/100 ml, without changing the limit value for enterococcus. This would increase the EC/ENT ratio to 2. Using corrected limit values on the results from 2009 to 2017 (N = 21,802), for 3 % is decreasing the number of sites that were not evaluated greatly according to the criteria of the Regulation, as well as the proportion of unevenly evaluated samples for E. coli and enterococci. From 2014 to 2017 the uncertainty in the final grading of beaches in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in relation to BWD was reduced from three out of six beaches to only one. In order to increase level of protection of the population, the new proposed criteria would continue to maintain a higher level of safety for beach users in relation to the minimum defined by the BWD, but greater compatibility would be achieved in grading the quality category by applying both examined microbiological parameters.