15.07.2026.
Today, the director of the Fund, Luka Balen, together with the minister of environmental protection and green transition, Marija Vučković, handed over contracts to civil society organisations whose projects will be co-financed under the Public Call for direct co-financing of projects of associations in the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency.A total of 66 projects will be co-financed, for which 1 million euros have been provided. The selected projects cover activities aimed at preventing waste generation, encouraging reuse, nature and biodiversity protection, educating citizens about climate change, as well as numerous environmental drives in local communities.
Addressing the representatives of the associations, the director of the Fund, Luka Balen, thanked them for their dedicated work and pointed out that civil society organisations have an important role in initiating positive changes. "Climate change, biodiversity loss and responsible resource management are challenges we face every day. That’s why your role is extremely important because with your projects you educate citizens, bring together local communities and show that concrete changes can be achieved through joint action. The Fund and the Ministry have been developing partnerships with associations for many years, and so far, we have co-financed 392 projects with a total value of EUR 5.5 million. The keen interest in this year's public call confirms how necessary such programmes are, which is why we plan to announce a new call in the autumn to continue our support to quality initiatives that contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development," said Balen.
Minister of environmental protection and green transition Marija Vučković pointed out that civil society organisations represented an important partner in the implementation of environmental protection policies and green transition.
"In cooperation with the Fund, we continuously provide support to associations that contribute to nature conservation, responsible environmental management and the development of sustainable practices. We have recognised their efforts and dedication, so we increased the total amount of funds from 400 thousand euros in previous public calls to as much as 1 million euros last year," said Minister Vučković, adding that associations are often the first initiators of positive changes on the ground because they educate citizens, bring together local communities, carry out concrete actions and contribute to making environmental protection a part of everyday life.
In addition to the contracts for associations, as part of the Call "Improved Management of Protected Areas and Areas of the Natura 2000 Ecological Network", in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, the Minister also awarded three contracts for the financing of nature conservation and restoration activities in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, the Krka National Park, and the area of the ecological network of Lake Vrana and Ravni Kotari (Vrana Lake Nature Park). The goals of the projects are to improve the management of protected areas, restore valuable habitats, preserve species and increase the resilience of ecosystems to climate change. Their total value is about 7 million euros, of which 5.9 million is provided through EU grants.
As part of the event, the participants were also addressed by the state secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Zrinka Raguž and the director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU Programmes and Projects, Dragan Jelić. The ceremony was also attended by state secretaries Anja Bagarić, Tanja Radić Lakoš and Željko Vuković, director of the Directorate for EU Projects, European and International Cooperation Anamarija Šopron Bognar, and Aljoša Duplić, the director of the Institute for Nature Conservation.
