Croatia and EC Delegation Sign ISPA Financing Memoranda

The head of the European Commission Delegation to Croatia, Vincent Degert, and the Croatian state secretary and national ISPA coordinator, Martina Dalić, on Thursday signed memoranda on the financing of three projects in Croatia -- the construction of a new regional waste management centre and the preparation of projects relating to the environment and transport.

This brings to a close the planning of funds from the ISPA pre-accession fund, within which Croatia received 60 million euros in 2005 and 2006, Dalić said at the signing ceremony in the central Adriatic city of Šibenik, adding that the implementation of the projects would start after their ratification by the Croatian Parliament.

The regional waste management centre at Bikarac in Šibenik County is the first such project in Croatia to be co-funded through the ISPA (Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-accession) program. The value of the investment is 8.8 million euros, of which 6 million euros will be secured from the ISPA, while the rest will be provided by the local government unit, the state budget and the Energy Efficiency Fund.

The construction of the regional waste management centre aims to improve waste management in all 19 towns and municipalities in Šibenik County in conformity with Croatian and EU regulations.

The main purpose of "IPA (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance) Project Pipeline Preparation - Environment" is to provide technical assistance in preparing a national strategy document for the environment and assistance for infrastructure projects relating to water supply, waste water and waste management. The EU will co-fund the project with about 960,000 euros, while about 480,000 will be secured from domestic sources.

"IPA Project Pipeline Preparation - Transport" provides for technical assistance in preparing the necessary documents on traffic along the Zaprešić - Savski Marof railway corridor and for an operational program on transport. For this project, which includes the construction of a waste water purification plant in Karlovac and of a railway line between Vinkovci and Tovarnik in eastern Croatia, over 480,000 euros will be allocated from the ISPA program and about 260,000 euros from domestic sources.

Announcements