08.04.2024.
During their visit to Split-Dalmatia County, deputy Prime Minister and minister of physical planning, construction and state assets Branko Bačić and director of the Fund Luka Balen, presented Decisions on co-financing energy renovation of public sector buildings worth in total almost 600 thousand euros. The decisions were presented to the Town of Solin and Zagvozd Municipality for the renovation of town administration buildings, and to Gradac Municipality for the energy renovation of the preschool.Grants for this purpose were secured under the public Call for Proposals, implemented by the Ministry in cooperation with the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, for the energy renovation of public sector buildings published as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
"The buildings sector accounts for 50 percent of the total energy consumption, so the energy renovation of buildings is a priority not only for Croatia but the entire European Union. All these efforts are aimed at mitigating climate change. That’s why, together with the Fund, we have provided 120 million euros for the energy renovation of family houses, for which 12,000 applications were submitted. At the same time, a public call for proposals worth EUR 95 million for the energy renovation of apartment buildings was published", said minister Bačić.
In addition to the three foregoing decisions, Dugi Rat Municipality was granted 33 thousand euros from EU funds for the development of the green urban infrastructure strategy, the base document that contributes to strengthening the resilience of cities and municipalities to environmental risks and climate change.
Director of the Fund Luka Balen pointed out that the Fund, in addition to projects co-financed from EU funds under NPOO, had been implementing the “Green Side of the Street” programme for three years in a row, aimed at co-financing urban greening projects to local and regional self-government units. "So far, 122 projects have already been contracted which the Fund co-financed with EUR 28 million, and this year we have provided additional national funds amounting to EUR 17 million. The interest in the program is very high, which is really positive," Balen said.
