Major green infrastructure projects, Bačić: EU funding will not stop

Hina - Representatives of towns and municipalities in Zagreb County were awarded 12 contracts worth €19.1 million on Tuesday for green infrastructure projects, with Construction Minister Branko Bačić saying the projects would become the “lungs of our cities” and help them adapt to climate change.

Bačić presented the contracts in Velika Gorica for urban green infrastructure development projects in Zagreb County, funded with €19.1 million in grants.

He described green urban infrastructure as a “strategically planned network of natural or semi-natural structures” comprising green and blue areas such as parks, trees, shrubs, green facades, waterways and lakes.

“The more such spaces we create, the more we contribute to decarbonisation,” Bačić said. He noted that decarbonisation was not only a Croatian but also a European priority, as the EU aims to become climate-neutral by 2050. He also warned that buildings were the largest energy consumers, accounting for 40% of all energy use in Croatia.

EU funding will continue

Commenting on the EU’s largest-ever financial package for Croatia for 2028-2034, worth €16.8 billion, Bačić said “all those sceptics who believe the allocation of EU funds will stop” were wrong.

The strong demand for green infrastructure funding was demonstrated by the latest call, under which nearly €150 million worth of applications were submitted within three hours for the initially planned €71 million. The ministry subsequently secured an additional €60 million, raising total funding to €131 million for 72 local government units, Bačić said.

Zagreb County was the most successful county, with projects involving the planting of 87,000 trees and shrubs covering 330 hectares of urban areas. Bačić said around 340,000 people live in the county, or one in ten Croatian residents.

Velika Gorica receives largest allocation

The largest allocation went to Velika Gorica, which received €4.45 million for a green network project, connecting key public spaces through seven urban points and three corridors. Mayor Krešimir Ačkar said the project would adapt nearly 100,000 square metres to climate change and create a “safer and healthier environment”, especially for children.

The municipality of Brckovljani received €2.78 million for the Božjakovina Green Park project, creating 2.9 hectares of new green infrastructure. Jakovlje municipality was awarded €2.55 million for establishing a green urban network.

Sveti Ivan Zelina received €2.11 million for the development of 35,000 square metres, including a sports and recreation centre, fire station and town centre. Brdovec was awarded €1.9 million for green infrastructure at Januševec hill, Vrbovec €1.69 million for a town park and cycling path with a tree-lined avenue, Stupnik €1.39 million for two parks and six urban points, Pušća €1.36 million for revitalising three urban points, and Jastrebarsko just over €1 million for green infrastructure development in Domagović.

Among the smaller projects was Kloštar Ivanić, which received €432,000 for renovating a park dedicated to war veterans and the entrance area of the settlement.

News | Information