13.09.2023.
The director of the Fund, Luka Balen, and county mayor, Darko Koren, held a meeting in Koprivnica-Križevci County where they discussed the implementation of the project of construction of CWMC Piškornica and the possibilities for co-financing projects of energy efficiency in buildings.Other participants in the meeting were deputy director of the Fund, Mirko Budiša, head of the Sector for EU Fundsm Maja Feketić, and head of Intermediate Body Sanja Jelačić, as well as MPs Darko Sobota and Mišel Jakšić, director of CWMC Piškornica Mladen Ružman, and heads of County offices Melita Ivančić and Marijan Štimac.
Director Balen pointed out the excellent cooperation with the County and its towns and municipalities, saying that in the last five years, about 19 million euros of national funds had been invested in waste management projects, energy efficiency in buildings, as well as the use of renewable energy sources. Morevoer, an additional EUR 100 million was provided through the Fund's Intermediate Body for various environmental and energy efficiency projects. If the funds for CWMC Piškornica are added, the amount received from EU funds exceeds EUR 400 million.
County mayor Koren also praised the good cooperation between the Fund and Koprivnica-Križevci County, especially in terms of partnership on the implementation of the capital project CWMC Piškornica of national strategic importance, and which is co-financed by the Fund. Director Ružman talked about the dynamics of the CWMC Piškornica project, pointing out that the local community had extremely high expectations of the project, thinking the Fund for its support in all technical and procedural issues, especially those related to financing in the current phases of the project. County mayor Koren was also interested in co-financing solar power plant projects and energy retrofit of buildings, which is one of the priorities of the County's green energy policy. This is corroborated by the previously realised projects of energy renovation of schools founded by the County and the grants provided for this purpose for citizens.
Director Balen pointed out that the Fund, in cooperation with line ministries, was systematically working on creating new public calls and calls for proposals, bearing in mind the needs of our regional and local self-government units, economy and citizens. By the end of the year, he announced a new "package" of incentives, including for the installation of photovoltaic power plants in households, as well as for the energy renovation of family houses, and a co-financing scheme for the purchase of energy-efficient vehicles.
