EUSAIR Financial Dialogue 2020 – a path towards easier use of EU funds for the goals of the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy

At the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, a partner in the EUSAIR Facility Point project, organized the EUSAIR Financial Dialogue, an interdepartmental meeting of representatives of all managing bodies operating in the Republic of Croatia in order to make the preconditions for the best use of the EU funds that will be available to the Republic of Croatia in the next EU budget in the period 2021-2027 for the goals of the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy. Representatives of the ministries that manage various areas of implementation of operational programs, which are used to manage the part of the European Union budget intended for Croatia, were present. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs as the national coordinators for EUSAIR.

"Croatia is the coordinator of the Sustainable Tourism thematic pillar for the Adriatic-Ionian Strategy, but we participate in all four pillars and should think outside the box and think about blue growth, transport connections in the region and environmental protection," said Mislav Kovač, from the Ministry of Regional Development and Funds. European Union.

With as much as 10 billion euros in the next seven-year EU budget, Croatia will need to further improve co-ordination to make it easier EU funds using. Representatives of ministries and managing authorities pointed out in the discussion the problems that Croatia has encountered so far in "withdrawing" that money in terms of contributing to the goals of macro-regional strategies, which can be avoided through better coordination.

In the upcoming financial period 2021-2027, the implementation of the so-called flagship projects in the field of sustainable tourism and the strategic projects of the 4th pillar of EUSAIR Green Mapping, DES_AIR and CulTour AIR were presented. The entire region, which includes 9 countries, is facing transport and energy connections to the Adriatic-Ionian transport and energy supply routes. All projects should lead to the introduction of European Green Plan priorities, primarily responsibility and sustainability in the areas of energy, economy and business, transport, tourism, destination management, marine and other water resources management and conservation of ecosystems and habitats.