The Association of Cities appeals to the Government to include their representatives in the development of strategies for drawing EU funds allocated to Croatia in the next multiannual financial framework, as well as in the EU Next Generation program. The association states that cities, including city-owned companies and institutions, are the third largest group of beneficiaries in terms of the total contracted EU funds for the period 2014 – 2020, which is confirmed by data on the financial operations of cities.
– Revenues of cities from EU sources grew from 90.7 million kuna in 2014 to 1.79 billion kuna in 2019. This sufficiently demonstrates the role and potential that cities have in utilizing available funds – stated the Association of Cities, led by Željko Turk, adding that both cities and municipalities are ready to actively contribute to the programming and preparation of new projects, having ideas and needs for financing.
Projects in which cities and municipalities can participate include digitalization and smart cities, green economy and energy transitions, advanced transport and IT infrastructure, investments in social capital, knowledge, skills, and healthcare. Such investments would be carried out through local development partnerships, in whose creation and implementation citizens and entrepreneurs will play a significant role, they concluded.
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