Brussels, 30/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner for Regional Development is in Zagreb to celebrate the launch of the partnership agreement signed by the European Commission and Croatia for the optimal use of European structural funds in Croatia. This gave the commissioner the opportunity to congratulate the country on the progress it has made in absorbing the funds already made available to it.
On 29 and 30 January, Corina Cretu visited the last country to join the EU, to make the agreement, signed in October of last year, official. It will allow no less than €8.6 billion to be made available, in 2014-2020, via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund and the European Social Fund. This European funding will help to achieve the objectives the country has set itself, working together with the Commission, in terms of competitiveness, education and infrastructure.
The commissioner met the Croatian Prime Minister, Zoran Milanoviæ, and his Minister for Regional Development, Branko Grcic. She congratulated them on the efforts made by their country in the successful transition from the management of pre-accession funds, and preparations for the programmes financed by the EU regional policy. Around half of the Cohesion Fund and ERDF from the previous period has already been absorbed, and further invoices could be submitted between now and December 2016. The commissioner seems convinced that with the help of the absorption fund 'task force', which she set up, Croatia will be able to make the most of the money still available. (MD)