ZAGREB, September 21, 2018 – “The fact that we have already contracted 7.9 billion kuna or 42% of about 19 billion kuna in the current European Union financial perspective, means that European finances will contribute to Slavonia’s development,” Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told reporters after the 6th meeting of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem.
The prime minister believes that European money will contribute to demographic revival, infrastructure and social issues and eventually lead to a greater number of jobs and better quality of life in Slavonia.
“When we launched the idea of a project for Slavonia two years ago, we wanted to create a regular, systematic political framework for systematic and intensive investment in Slavonia,” Plenković said, adding that the signing of agreements valued at more than 640 million kuna after yesterday’s meeting of the council proved his government’s work on creating better living conditions in Slavonia.
European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu, who attended the Council session, spoke to reporters as well, saying that she was very glad to have attended the meeting and to hear about a number of quality projects aimed at making life in that part of the country better. She wished Croatia luck in implementing projects and making the most of the available potential with the help of EU money.
According to Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Žalac, the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem project has key results and concrete indicators that testify that the project is heading in the right direction. “I am particularly looking forward to big strategic investment projects that will create new chains of value in the economy, primarily for the next period, and that is what I discussed with the Commissioner yesterday and what we will propose to the European Commission for the next financial perspective,” Žalac said.
She added that a lot more effort would be needed so that “Slavonia could break even, let alone reach the positive development indicators from the period prior to the Homeland War.”
At the end of today’s meeting of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, about 15 agreements were signed for projects worth 641 million kuna, of which almost 446 million kuna is from European funds.
