HUP: A More Transparent, Faster, and Simpler Implementation of EU Projects is Needed

Although the system for preparing and implementing European projects in Croatia has significantly advanced, there are still difficulties, and further steps are needed towards transparency, speed, and simplicity, it was stated on Tuesday at the conference of the Croatian Employers’ Association on the Challenges and Opportunities of the New Period of EU Funds.

The conference, held on Europe Day, was organized by HUP Association of Professionals for EU Funds (HUP EUPRO), and attended by the relevant minister Šime Erlić.

The Director General of the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) Irena Weber stated that entrepreneurs and system bodies need to apply the lessons learned from the past to utilize all available resources more quickly and easily.

– EU funds represent a great opportunity for investments in innovation and creating additional value for entrepreneurs, and they can achieve a level of profitability and competitiveness comparable to competitors in the European market in a short time. That is why HUP emphasized the redistribution of European funds in favor of private investments in the proposal of ten key reforms for this decade, as well as achieving the goals of the green transition, Weber highlighted. She added that only through continuous and partnership dialogue among all stakeholders in the EU funds system can the necessary step be made towards the common goal of making project implementation more transparent, faster, and simpler.

– The dialogue is not at a satisfactory level – concluded Weber.

HUP EUPRO brings together prominent consulting firms specialized in the preparation and implementation of EU projects, and the president of this branch of the HUP association, Natalija Zielinska, assessed that the system for preparing and implementing European projects in Croatia has significantly advanced, but that there are still a number of difficulties faced by users, consultants, and competent authorities.

When it comes to specific proposals for improvement, Zielinska emphasized the necessity of ‘unification’ of the procedures for preparing and implementing projects.

Namely, as she stated, there are currently several operational programs, each following a different method of approving funds, which should not be the case. – We as users need to have one universal protocol that defines the rules of the game – Zielinska stated.

There is also a need for even greater transparency of the system, in the sense that scoring criteria and methods of allocation should be publicly available.

– For example, after the completion of a specific allocation procedure, a public list of ‘happy winners’, that is, entrepreneurs, should be published, as well as the achieved scores, so that a broad picture of the entire system can be obtained – Zielinska believes.

She also highlighted the need for clear setting and adherence to rules and deadlines in the process of implementing tenders, as well as communication with key stakeholders, where she singled out timely announcement of tenders, with as much information as possible about the conditions, as essential.

She assessed that the system’s dialogue through ‘questions and answers’, aimed at clarifying tenders, is not at a satisfactory level.

Example of Poland

Zielinska is Polish, and she pointed out that Poland is first in drawing European funds, which is primarily the result of broad public participation in the programming process and in making key decisions and strategies.

For example, Zielinska assessed that such a concept was absent in Croatia during the programming of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), while in Poland, public consultations with numerous stakeholders, including local units and employer associations, were conducted over the course of a year to ensure that the program ultimately meets the specific needs of users.

– In Croatia, there is still a lack of quality dialogue and transparency in making key decisions – she assessed.

This Year, Five to Six Tenders from the New Financial Perspective

The Minister of Regional Development and European Union Funds Šime Erlić stated that by the end of the year, five to six tenders specifically aimed at entrepreneurs can be expected through the cohesion envelope of the new financial perspective 2021 – 2027, which will relate, for example, to innovation vouchers, investments in industrial transition, clusters, etc.

The first tender is expected within a month or two, and Erlić stated that the opportunities for entrepreneurs and the entire public sector are greater than ever before, considering that around 25 billion euros are available to Croatia from all available European sources, with nine billion euros allocated to the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

As areas where investments will primarily be encouraged, Erlić mentioned, among other things, the green transition, digitalization, new technologies, research and development, smart skills, and improving business competitiveness.

– These are the key areas where funds will be channeled in the next four to five years – he stated.

He noted that Croatia is completing the first financial perspective 2014 – 2020 this year, and is currently at 83 percent utilization of funds, out of the available 11.33 billion euros.

A series of realized European projects, more than ten thousand so far, have improved communities, cities, counties, the business and public sector, which Croatia can be proud of, bringing it a step closer to the most developed countries in Europe – Erlić emphasized.

He also reported that entrepreneurs have so far realized about 14 billion kuna in direct investments through the operational program for competitiveness and cohesion, creating around 11 thousand new jobs.