Presentation of the LIFE project in the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning – 17 December 2002

On 17 December 2002 Božo Kovačević, Minister of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, and Jacques Wunenberger, head of the EU delegation to the Republic of Croatia, presented projects to be funded by the EU programme LIFE – Third countries in the premises of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning. Within the framework of the programme mentioned three projects will be granted financial assistance:

- The project “Conservation and Management of Wolves in Croatia” will strengthen the institutional capacities of wolf conservation and management and wolf population monitoring, establish a system for damage compensation and help raise the awareness and knowledge of the possible coexistence with wolves. The total project value is estimated at 664,810 EUR of which the EU donation will be 418,200 EUR.

- The project “Establishment of the National Ecological Network as a Part of the Pan-European Ecological Network and NATURA 2000” will make the nature conservation authorities competent for the fulfilment of international obligations (Habitat Directive and Bird Directive). The national ecological network will become a part of international networks and Croatia will be able to fulfil its obligations arising from the EU approximation process. It will also help qualify a network of staff for data monitoring and collecting. The total project value is 539,700 EUR, of which EU donation is 375,095 EUR.

- The project “Corine Database of Croatia’s Vegetation” will serve to interpret the satellite pictures and make a comparison with vegetation cover changes in the Republic of Croatia that took place between the years 1980, 1990 and 2000. The project is in the first place intended for authors of physical plans. The total value is 749,320 EUR and the EU donation amounts to 499,479 EUR. This presentation represents the official start of the project implementation in the Republic of Croatia.

Apart from Minister Kovačević the LIFE III projects were also discussed by Mr. Jacques Wunenberger, head of the EU delegation to the Republic of Croatia, Ana Štrbenac (MEPPP), Jasminka Radović (MEPPP) and Miroslav Vili (MEPPP).