The World Bank Office in Croatia
Contact: Vanja Frajtic
Phone: 01/ 2357 297
E-mail: vfrajtic@worldbank.org
www.worldbank.hr Ministry of Finance
Contact: Sanja Bach
Phone: 01/ 4591 198
E-mail: sanja.bach@mfin.hr
www.mfin.hr Zagreb, March 11, 2008 – The Croatian Minister of Finance, H.E. Ivan Suker, and the World Bank Country Manager for Croatia, Andras Horvai, signed today the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Grant Agreement in the amount of US$ 5 million for the Agricultural Pollution Control Project (APCP). Mr. Ivan Katalinic, Director of the Croatian Agriculture Extension Institute (CAEI), also signed a Project Agreement with the Bank to implement select activities under the Grant. The Project will assist the Government of Croatia in increasing the use of environmentally friendly agricultural practices by farmers in the Pannonian plain in order to reduce nutrient discharge from agricultural sources to surface and ground waters. The Project will also help Croatia in its efforts towards European Union accession, as project activities will help the country comply with the European Union Nitrates Directive while at the same time assist the Government in establishing a competitive agricultural sector. The Agricultural Pollution Control Project will be implemented as a pilot activity in three selected counties of Croatia: Osjecko-Baranjska, Vukovarsko-Srijemska and Varazdinska. These counties have been selected because of the high density of livestock, concentration of medium- scale livestock farms, as well as war related damages to manure storage and water monitoring infrastructure in some areas. The Project consists of four inter-related components: Component One – Mitigating Nutrient Loads to Water Bodies from Point-Source Pollution Component Two – Development and Promotion of Agri-Environment Measures, Component three – Public Awareness and Replication Strategy will comprise a national public information campaign to ensure that immediate stakeholders of the project, as well as other farmers, local and county officials, community groups and NGOs understand the benefits of the project and actively participate in its implementation and replication.
Component Four – Project Management “We hope that the successful implementation of the Project will benefit the environment by introducing environmentally friendly manure management practices and reducing the levels of pollution to surface and ground waters. The Project will also benefit farmers and the local community economically, as with the development and application of more competitive and innovative ways of farming, Croatia’s farmers will be able to compete on an equal footing with their European counterparts once Croatia joins the European Union,” said Andras Horvai, World Bank Country Manager for Croatia. “I am particularly happy to see the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Development continue its cooperation with the World Bank, as I have exceptionally positive experience in the implementation of a very complex project, „The Farmer Support Services Project“ from my first mandate. High Bank officials have rated this project one of the most successful ones – not only in Croatia, but in the wider region as well. This Grant of the Global Environmental Facility will assist in the implementation of the very demanding EU Nitrates Directive, whose implementation is necessary for the harmonization with the acquis and EU accession. The funds will be utilized for the construction of platforms for manure management at farms, to be implemented in cooperation with the Croatian Agriculture Extension Institute,” said Josip Kraljickovic, State Secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development. “We are happy that the Croatian Agriculture Extension Institute (CAEI) has been recognized and included in this Project, which will enable us to receive additional training and pass on the acquired knowledge to farmers. We will coordinate sowing of grasslands, and all-year-round coverage of the soil with crops in order to prevent soil and water pollution. I am convinced that the Project and the Grant are timely and are best targeting agricultural advisors of the Institute, and that the results of the implementation of the Project will significantly impact the behavior of farmers, thus reducing the pollution in agriculture, and enhancing environmental protection,” said Ivan Katalinic, Director of the Croatian Agriculture Extension Institute “By signing the Grant Agreement of the Global Environmental Facility we are continuing a long line of a total of 48 grants that we have signed with the World Bank so far. It will also be a follow-up of two agreements that have already been signed, the Loan Agreement amounting to EUR 25.5 mil. and the Grant Agreement for the Dutch Grant in the amount of EUR 4 mil. for the Agricultural Acquis Cohesion Project, which is being implemented successfully. We hope that this Grant will contribute to a significant increase in the utilization of environmentally acceptable practices, and raising public awareness of the use of environmentally acceptable agricultural practices,” stated Ivan Suker, Minister of Finance. Since Croatia joined the World Bank in 1993, the organization has been active in providing financial and technical assistance, policy advice and analytical services to Croatia. To date, the Bank has offered support for 38 operations with a total value of US$2.3 billion, and it has approved 49 grants at a total value above US$58 million. - ### - For more information about the World Bank's work in Croatia, visit
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