A Database of Projects for Less Developed Areas is Being Created

The priorities of direct state aid will be development programs for growth, development, and improvement of socio-economic conditions in the least developed units of local self-government, which also include areas of special state concern, where the needs for development projects are greatest, while their financial, administrative, and human resource capacities are insufficient.

This was announced in Karlovac by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Branko Grčić during the presentation of the project “Preparing the Foundations for Utilizing Funds from the European Union: Creating a Database of Project Ideas for Less Developed Areas of the Republic of Croatia.”

This is a joint project of the Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), presented by its representative in Croatia, Louise Vinton. It will create a concrete catalog of at least 51 viable project ideas for financing from EU structural funds, particularly from the Regional Development Fund.

Of the total amount of 3,480,000 kuna, the Ministry will cover two-thirds, while UNDP will cover the remaining third. Launched in August, with a planned completion in November 2014, the project will be implemented in the areas of Karlovac, Sisak-Moslavina, and Lika-Senj counties.

So far, Grčić reminded, over 70 million euros have been allocated through UNDP to areas of special state concern through economic recovery programs and cooperation with local development agencies.

Last year, the Ministry allocated 30 million, and this year 45 million kuna to assist local self-government units in financing the preparation of EU projects, and this 3.5 million kuna for the joint project with UNDP is only one percent of the funds that the state has allocated for the preparation of EU projects.

Speaking about the work in the Ministry, Grčić stated that his “team” together with local and regional self-government has initiated the preparation of another 32 projects at the local level with a total value of 500 million euros.