The State Geodetic Administration Successfully Implemented the EPPR Project, Transferring External Boundaries of Protected Areas to Cadastral Plans

The State Geodetic Administration presented the results of a project titled ‘Recording Special Legal Regime as a Contribution to More Efficient Management in Protected Areas’. The project, abbreviated as EPPR, was carried out in 8 national parks and 10 nature parks, including 2 strict reserves, which constitute the protected areas of the Republic of Croatia and are part of the European ecological network Natura 2000.

For most protected areas, it was not accurately known which cadastral parcels were within their boundaries before the implementation of this project, and they did not exist in official registers. Due to imprecise external boundaries of protected areas, the bodies managing them faced difficulties in preventing actions contrary to the Nature Protection Act.

– The EPPR project was an extremely extensive project involving numerous experts from the State Geodetic Administration, as well as external collaborators who implemented the project in the field in cooperation with national parks, nature parks, and property owners. It covers a vast area that encompasses about 8% of the land area of the Republic of Croatia. The State Geodetic Administration, as the project holder of EPPR, has laid the foundation for the effective implementation of the Nature Protection Act and for sustainable management of biodiversity in protected areas. Additionally, the State Geodetic Administration, through this and similar initiatives, is creating the foundations for an organized society where up-to-date property data available in real-time is the basis for economic growth and societal development – stated the Director General of the State Geodetic Administration, Antonio Šustić.

Through the implementation of project activities, geodetic-technical documentation was created, which is necessary for recording the special legal regime and a prerequisite for registering pre-emption rights in official registers within the boundaries of protected areas categorized as strict reserve (SR), national park (NP), and nature park (PP), and access to information and transparency of data for the wider public has been ensured. The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has been involved in the project from the very beginning.

– This project will have a long-term impact on the management of national parks and nature parks. Public institutions now know the exact boundaries of their areas, and all holders of rights to properties within the parks have transparent information about them. Numerous property owners in national parks now also have a new cadastral measurement of their properties at no additional cost. Preserved nature is our ally in the fight against climate change, and it is, along with the sun and the sea, the main reason for tourists coming to our Beautiful Croatia. Owning property within or near protected areas today is a wealth – stated the Director of the Nature Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Igor Kreitmeyer.

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Igor Kreitmeyer

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Cadastral measurement was carried out within the boundaries of 6 national parks (total area NP Risnjak, NP Krka, NP Northern Velebit, NP Brijuni, NP Paklenica, and part of the area of NP Plitvička jezera). The measurement was not planned for those national parks for which it was conducted in previous years (total area NP Mljet and NP Kornati, part of the area of NP Plitvička jezera). For all areas of national parks and nature parks, the external boundary of the parks has been determined.

– All parcels on which this project was implemented now have a designation of a special legal regime in the cadastre and land registry. This brings updated and digitally accessible data to state administration, local governments, and property rights holders. The State Geodetic Administration continuously works on updating and digitizing cadastral data, and the EPPR project is one in a series of projects that are part of a multi-year effort to modernize the entire system – stated the project leader of EPPR and head of the Cadastral Measurements and Infrastructure Sector of the State Geodetic Administration, Branka Vorel Jurčević.

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Branka Vorel Jurcevic

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National parks and nature parks can now manage the areas under their jurisdiction more easily.

– National parks and nature parks in Croatia make us all proud when we talk about the beauties of Croatia. We are aware of the moment in which nature protection is a priority, and we do everything to ensure that natural beauties and special features remain a legacy for numerous generations. The EPPR project has significantly improved the management system of these areas and will help us in our daily work because now we know where our boundaries are and how we will further preserve the space in accordance with the Nature Protection Act – stated the director of the Paklenica National Park, Natalija Andačić.

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Natalija Andacic

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The State Geodetic Administration (DGU) is a beneficiary of non-repayable funds under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020 (OPKK) Specific Objective 6iii2 ‘Establishment of a framework for sustainable biodiversity management, primarily the ecological network Natura 2000’, which finances the project ‘Recording Special Legal Regime as a Contribution to More Efficient Management of Protected Areas’ (EPPR).

The project is co-financed in the amount of 4,137,464.30 euros (31,173,724.75 kuna), and the total value of the project is 4,867,605.02 euros (36,674,970.00 kuna). The EPPR project started on February 1, 2019, and the deadline for completion is May 15, 2023.