Contacts
In Zagreb: Vanja Frajtic (+385-0)1 2357 297 vfrajtic@worldbank.org In Washington: Michael Jones (+1-202) 473-2588 Mjones2@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, December 6, 2007 – The World Bank today approved a US$5 million Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant for the Agricultural Pollution Control Project for Croatia. The Project will assist the Government in increasing the use of environmentally friendly agricultural practices by farmers in Croatia’s Pannonian plain in order to reduce nutrient discharge from agricultural sources to surface and ground waters. The Project will also help Croatia on its path towards European Union accession, as project activities will help the country comply with European Union Nitrates Directives while assisting the Government in establishing a competitive agricultural sector. “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. The Agricultural Pollution Control Project will be implemented as a pilot activity in three selected counties of Croatia: Osijecko-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. "This project will help local farmers be more competitive by helping them develop more sustainable and efficient ways to produce crops without threatening ongoing efforts to restore the Black Sea Basin," said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility. "This latest program is part of a larger regional effort to reduce nutrient loads from agricultural, municipal and industrial sources in the watersheds of the Danube River and Black Sea. We applaud the Croatian government's leadership in this area and look forward to working with them and our implementing agency, the World Bank to make clean water more accessible to everyone." The Project consists of four inter-related components. The first component will focus on promoting environmentally friendly and sustainable manure management practices, by for example, awarding grants to livestock farmers who introduce innovative and environmentally friendly ways of manure processing. The second component, will develop, promote and implement the EU compliant Code of Good Agricultural Practices in cooperation with the livestock farmers in the pilot counties. The third component, comprising of a public information campaign will ensure that the stakeholders of the project, farmers, local and county officials, community groups and NGO’s understand the benefits of the project and actively participate in its implementation. Finally, the fourth component will provide support to ensure successful management of the Project. 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 37 operations with a total value of US$2.3 billion, and it has approved 49 grants with a total value of US$57 million. About the GEF The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a 178 member-strong international financing body devoted to global environmental issues that support sustainable development. GEF grants flow to projects in developing countries related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $7.4 billion in grants and leveraging $28 billion in co-financing for over 1,800 projects in over 150 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), GEF has also made more than 7,000 small grants, up to $50,000 each, directly to nongovernmental organizations and community organizations. The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation. It plays the primary role in ensuring the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its investment experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, and other government and non-government sector resources that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies. Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.52 billion in GEF resources and $2.25 billion in Bank group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has mobilized additional co-financing of $5.48 billion from other donors. For further information on Bank’s GEF program, visit http://www.worldbank.org/gef. For further information on GEF, visit http://www.gefweb.org. - ### - For more information about the World Bank's work in Croatia, visit http://www.worldbank.hr |
RSS