Ćorić awarded 322.6 million non-repayable kuna

Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Ćorić signed contracts for the allocation of 322.6 million kuna in non-repayable funds from the European Structural and Investment Funds for four projects of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb, the State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ) in partnership with the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine (IMI), and the Nature Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Energy in partnership with the Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature, the Ministry of Environment and Energy announced on Monday.

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These are projects of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb, the State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ) in partnership with the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine (IMI), and the Nature Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Energy in partnership with the Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature. Their total value is 379.6 million kuna, and they are co-financed with 85 percent EU funds under the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion” 2014-2020.

Improvement of air quality, nature protection, and biodiversity

The projects will significantly contribute to fulfilling Croatia’s obligations as a member state of the European Union in the areas of improving air quality and protecting nature and biodiversity, the Ministry emphasizes in the announcement.

The project of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture “National Reference Laboratory for Emissions from Internal Combustion Engines for Non-Road Mobile Machinery”, with a total value of 57 million kuna, will enable the establishment of a National Reference Laboratory and a database on emissions of pollutants.

DHMZ, with the support of IMI, will implement the strategic project “Expansion and Modernization of the State Network for Permanent Air Quality Monitoring” – AIRQ, with a total value of 125 million kuna, which will improve the management and monitoring system of air quality to achieve effective control and management of air quality in urban areas, zones, and agglomerations.

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The project of the Ministry of Environment and Energy “Developing a System for Managing and Controlling Invasive Alien Species”, valued at 11 million kuna, will strengthen the capacities of officials in the system of official controls of invasive alien species to mitigate their harmful impact on native species and habitats.

The strategic project “Development of a Framework for Managing the Ecological Network Natura 2000”, with a total value of 186 million kuna, will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Energy together with the partner Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature to prepare final drafts of Management Plans for the areas of the ecological network Natura 2000 and the Forest Protection Program, thereby creating preconditions for managing at least 40 percent of the area of the ecological network Natura 2000 in Croatia.