While Šibenik is often classed as a shining example of the proper use of European Union Funds, one Istrian gem hiding below the radar is making even better use of the cash...
Šibenik, seen as the gateway to the Kornati islands, is certainly one of the Dalmatian coastal locations making the absolute best from Croatia's access to European Union money. The city is using large amounts of non-refundable cash for various projects and investments in tourism which are sure to generate huge profits from the increasing amount of visitors to this historical and picturesque Dalmatian city.
While Dalmatia is hardly in need of more publicity, Istria, which is only just being discovered by large numbers of international tourists, especially in relation to the long-standing popularity of numerous destinations located further south, is making some very smart moves when it comes to the use of EU cash, with one beautiful Istrian town in particular doing better than most.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 6th of March, 2018, data suggests that 96 cities across the country have been using the various helpful measures of this program for the past four years.
Mostly thanks to the Istrian water protection system being based in the town of Buzet, Buzet is, when judging from the analysis taken by the portal gradonacelnik.hr, now the top Croatian town for the withdrawing of EU funds through the Rural Development Program.
While 96 cities across Croatia are making excellent use of the popular program, the largest number of projects and approved grants have been acheived by none other than Buzet, as many as 11 projects worth 51.65 million kuna have been approved. Behind Buzet are Varaždin, Zabok and Opatija.
When viewed per capita, Buzet, with 8,422 kuna per capita, is also the first of the ten most successful beneficiaries of the Rural Development Program.
Otherwise, from the 17.9 billion kuna available through the Rural Development Program, from the year 2014 right up until the end of 2017, tenders worth 10.1 billion kuna were announced, and 6.2 billion kuna's worth were successfully contracted.
