According to data from the Ministry of Finance, Croatia has so far in 2016 withdrawn more than 660 million euros from EU funds, or more than five billion kuna, and just in the past week 200 million kuna, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds announced on Thursday.
If this trend continues, we can easily reach 8 billion kuna by the end of the year, the statement from Minister Tomislav Tolušić conveys.
For comparison, data from previous years is cited, reminding that Croatia withdrew 558 million euros in the entire 2015, and 548 million euros in 2014.
Since joining the European Union in 2013, Croatia has withdrawn only slightly more from EU funds each year than it has contributed, the statement says, adding that the latest results indicate that the utilization of funds will significantly increase and stimulate investments and economic recovery.
Most of the non-repayable EU funds in Croatia are directed towards projects in the fields of agriculture, transport, and environmental protection, as well as towards entrepreneurship development, investments in the renovation of student dormitories, projects of scientific institutions, cultural heritage projects, and many others, the statement says.
