The Šagulje Wast Management Center is the joint project of Brod-Posavina, Požega-Slavonia, and part of Sisak-Moslavina County in Eastern Croatia.
The future Regional Waste Management Center in Šagulje near Nova Gradiška has been approved for grants from the co-financing Fund for the implementation of EU projects at the regional and local level for 2018 for HRK 1.2 million, reports Vecernji List on November 23, 2018.
Funds have been allocated for the preparation of the study and project documentation based on the grant agreement for projects funded from the Cohesion Fund in the financial period of 2014-2020. The estimated value of the complete project documentation for the Šagulje center is HRK 15 million, of which HRK 14.7 million has so far been withdrawn from European funds. The remaining HRK 300,000 will be co-financed by the center itself, or the county founders.
“With the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, we signed two contracts on July 20th of this year for which we were awarded HRK 13.5 million for the preparation of the study and project documentation. Subsequently, we reported on a public call from the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds, issued on July 31. They met all the prescribed criteria and, therefore, we have been granted another HRK 1.2 million in funds,” explains Josip Grgić, the Director of the Center.
The Waste Management Center in Šagulje is the joint project of Brod-Posavina, Požega-Slavonia, and part of Sisak-Moslavina County, all units of local self-government in their area and finally all inhabitants of this part of the region. The project is worth HRK 130 million and is one of the most significant investments in Brod-Posavina County.
With the three signed contracts, as much as 98 percent of the funds needed to produce the documentation have been drawn, thus achieving the goal of maximizing the use of European money in the preparation of the project. However, it is still difficult to say when the center will be open.
“Ahead of us is producing the study and project documentation that is very extensive and the process itself will take three years. This is followed by the implementation of the project. When we will begin operating on the center, it is difficult to say. Construction should start in 2021 or 2022, but the public procurement procedure, tender for the selection of contractors, appeals and all that we have to do in Croatia, which is extremely important to us today, should also be taken into account,” says Grgić.
What we do know is that the center will ensure the establishment of a complete waste management system in the three counties and contribute to less landfill disposal on landfill sites on the one hand, and greater reuse, recycling and composting on the other.
“By putting the Šagulje center in function, we will improve the quality of life. Citizens will have a cleaner and healthier environment because all useful raw materials will be used and there will be no waste all around us. The goal is to become an integral part of the developed world and to function like the rest of Europe,” concluded Grgić.
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