18.07.2024.

Today, the first contracts for co-financing projects that contribute to the sustainability of visitor infrastructure and contracts for projects for the development of smart and sustainable solutions and services in the public sector were awarded at the Poklon Visitor Centre on Učka. The contracts were handed over to the beneficiaries by the minister of environmental protection and green transition, Marija Vučković, and the director of the Fund, Luka Balen, and the event was also attended by Zlatko Komadina, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County prefect.

26 contracts were awarded in total, including those intended for the cities of Cres, Čabar, Rab and Novi Vinodolski, and municipalities Jelenje, Brod Moravice, Matulji, Mrkopalj and Vinodolska općina. These funds were available under public calls aimed at public institutions managing protected areas for projects that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint and increasing resilience to climate change in protected areas and areas of the Natura 2020 ecological network, as well as at cities and municipalities for projects of smart and sustainable projects in the transport system, digitalisation of public administration, and projects related to climate change and green transition. "The total value of the call aimed at national parks and nature parks, and other institutions in protected areas is worth one million euros, while the call aimed at local self-government units for smart and sustainable solutions is worth 5 million euros," said the director of the Fund. "Today, we are awarding the first 12 out of a total of 26 contracts for visitor infrastructure, which are worth 470,000 euros, and 4 out of 99 contracts for smart cities," explained Balen.

Co-financing contracts were awarded to representatives of public institutions of the national parks: Brijuni, Northern Velebit, Kornati, Mljet and nature parks of Učka, Lonjsko polje, Papuk, Biokovo, Kopački rit, Žumberak - Samoborsko gorje, Velebit and Vransko Lake, and to the mayors and municipality head Čabar, Jelenje, Vinodolska općina and Rab.

"We are witnessing climate change that is warming the European continent two times faster than other parts of the world, and the Mediterranean is especially at risk, which is why the green transition is a priority. In the light of the fact that at one point non-renewable energy sources will be depleted, Croatia has made leaps and bounds in the last eight years to increase the share and consumption of renewable energy sources. For such schemes, Croatia will have funds available from both conventional and new EU funds,” said minister Vučković, and announced the start of development of a national social plan that should provide help to and transform those groups and segments of society that will be most at risk by the green transition. For this purpose, 1.6 billion euros should be available from EU sources, and the funds should start to be used in 2026.