Kroatië krijgt ondersteuning van €450 miljoen voor regionale ontwikkeling (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Directoraat-generaal Regionaal beleid en Stadsontwikkeling (REGIO) i, gepubliceerd op maandag 1 juli 2013.

The European Union welcomes Croatia as the 28th European Union Member State. Croatia applied to the European Union in 2003, and has succeeded in making all the reforms needed to join the EU on 1 July 2013.

Croatia will receive EUR 450 million Structural Funds as from accession for its first 6 months of membership. The budgetary proposal, currently under discussion between the EU institutions, sees Croatia being allocated around EUR 8 billion for the period 2014-2020. This investment will serve to reinforce the implementation and success of the reforms which are currently undertaken by the national authorities. They will be used with clear pre-set objectives in view of strengthening economic, environmental and inclusive growth in the country and the regions in line with the Europe 2020 objectives.

The funds will be invested in sectors where the needs are the most pressing, in particular strengthening the competitiveness of the country, increase of labour market participation and better matching of education and vocational training to the current market needs. Croatia is also encouraged to use the funds to strengthen its own assets, like the preservation and promotion of its outstanding natural resources, which can only have positive consequences for the tourism industry.

Croatia is currently involved in EU-funded cooperation programmes with Slovenia and Hungary, among others and will join forces with neighbours in the Balkans in the 2014-2020 funding period. It is also already an active member of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

Information on cohesion policy for Croatia

Website www.croatia-in-the-eu.eu

VIDEO: Croatia is joining in the EU! What do you think of when you think #Croatia? EU Commissioners give it a go here: http://youtu.be/cYnnU8xQhvI and here: http://youtu.be/GRqYtuqlEPs #croatiaeu #eu28

Croatia in the EU in figures - Eurostat

Panorama 46: The EU welcomes Croatia