European Union Solidarity Fund

On 12 November 2020, the Government adopted a Decision establishing the manner of allocating 683.7 m euro of grant funds from the EU Solidarity Fund, approved for financing the restoration of earthquake damages. Thereby a legal framework has been created for the coordination, implementation and monitoring of the system for use of these funds.

The Government Decision contains attachments that specify the types of operations to be implemented, the funds intended for them, the bodies in charge of individual operations and the respective scope (Annex 1 and Annex 2).

Implementing bodies shall announce public calls for various categories of costs, to which end-users shall apply. The National Coordinating Body for Implementation is the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, and the bodies responsible for the implementation of financial contributions according to their responsibilities are: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Culture and Media, Ministry of Defence, City of Zagreb, Zagreb County, Krapina-Zagorje County and the Fund for Reconstruction of the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje County and Zagreb County. The Central Finance and Contracting Agency for European Union Programmes and Projects (CFCA) is an independent audit body.

The third Interdepartmental Working Group for Monitoring the Implementation of the Financial Contribution from the European Union Solidarity Fund intended for financing the reconstruction of the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje County and Zagreb County held on 29 December 2020 discussed draft public calls, common national rules and agreed on the dynamics and follow-up. The procedures are governed by common national rules for the EU Solidarity Fund and according to them, individual calls regulate in more detail the issues of eligible applicants and eligible costs. All costs eligible within the meaning of the provisions of the Regulation establishing the EU Solidarity Fund that occurred from the date of the earthquake, i.e. from 22 March 2020, may be reimbursed on the basis of accepted project proposals and concluded contracts.

To recall, in accordance with the Government's conclusion of 10 June 2020, the Republic of Croatia applied for a grant from the European Union Solidarity Fund for alleviation of consequences caused by the earthquake.

Based on this application, the European Commission proposed to the European Parliament and the Council a grant amounting to EUR 683,740,523.22, of which an advance of EUR 88.9 million was paid at the end of August 2020.

At the plenary session on 23 November 2020 MEPs approved assistance to Croatia from the European Solidarity Fund in the amount of EUR 683.7 million for the remediation of consequences of the devastating earthquake in Zagreb on 22 March.

At the end of 2020, EUR 683 million of financial assistance was granted from the European Solidarity Fund to the Republic of Croatia for the remediation of consequences of the earthquake with epicentre in Zagreb. The competent ministries, the City of Zagreb, Zagreb County and Krapina-Zagorje County have announced public calls for the reconstruction of infrastructure in the fields of education, health care, transport and water supply and drainage, securing preventive protection measures and protection of cultural heritage, and for the purpose of securing temporary accommodation.

On 18 March 2021, based on the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment for the areas stricken by the December 2020 earthquake as well as additional analyses and studies, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds submitted to the European Commission an application for financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund for the reconstruction of areas affected by the earthquake series in the Petrinja area.