November the 16th, 2022 - One Croatian project is in the running for the title of best European project as we approach the marking of the anniversary of the Regiostars award.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the European Commission (EC), the executive body of the European Union (EU), will mark the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of its popular Regiostars award on Thursday in the Portuguese city of Evora. The Regiostars award works to promote projects co-financed by EU funds.

At the ceremony, the European commissioner, Portuguese Elisa Ferreira, will present a special award to one of the projects that has already been awarded since the establishment of "Regiostars" back in 2008. Among the fifteen candidates, who could be publicly voted for until Tuesday on the Regiostars website, is the Croatian project, e-school.

With it, 151 primary and secondary schools across the country received IT equipment and digital teaching aids, which accounted for 10 percent of all schools across the Republic of Croatia. The initiator of this pilot project is CARNET, a public institution that operates in the field of information and communication technology in this country.

Back in pandemic-dominated 2020, this Croatian project received the "Regiostars" award in the Belgian capital of Brussels, based on votes collected over the internet. Previously, CARNET had applied for that tender. With its cohesion policy, the European Commission tries to reduce inequalities between different parts of the EU, so through funds filled with taxpayers' money from 27 member states, it co-finances projects in the maximum amount of 85 percent. The rest is provided by the member states in which the projects themselves take place.

In the elementary school in Velika Ludina, which is around 30 kilometres from Sisak, students solve math problems on tablets and the smart board in the classroom gives the correct answers by itself.

"Just a decade ago, things looked completely different. If the professor wanted to visualise something, he had to be good with chalk and a blackboard, and the students learned exclusively from books," said Croatian journalist Boris Abramovic, the author of a five-minute film about the Croatian project that will be presented in Evora.

"In just seven years, the classic classroom has turned into something that the previous generation only saw in science fiction movies," adds Abramovic about that school in the north of Croatia. Damir Belavic, the professor of mathematics in the school in question in Velika Ludina, says that he himself has an "online notebook".

"Students have online notebooks, so even those who aren't at school can follow what is being done. On top of that, everything remains stored in these notebooks, so it's easy for me to distribute materials to students. I direct them to various links and we do various online exercises,'' he explained.

Classic paper notebooks, however, are still used. Juraj Bilic, the deputy director of CARNET, says that this Croatian project proved to be successful, but that it is not finished yet and more plans are in the works.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

August 3, 2022 - Bikademy – an academy where a good, strong connection is mandatory. The only other requirement is a bicycle. This innovative app explores cyclo tourism and places Croatia on the map of big European cyclo tourist destinations.

Bikademy is a unique Croatian product intended for all those who like cycling to explore new destinations and their cultural and natural heritage. It promotes cities and regions as desirable cyclo tourism destination, rewarding cyclists for their efforts. A bicycle is an ideal means of exploration, being slow enough to take in your surroundings, and fast enough to cover longer distances.

The Bikademy application is completely free for users who, just like in other academies, are called Bikademy Students. Within the application, you can choose from different Bikademy Studies, each representing a particular region, county, or city. Within each Study, there are different Exams, that is, locations and places of cultural or natural significance.

Photo: Bikademy

The main task of a Bikademy Student is to cycle to each Exam in the chosen Study. It is required to take a selfie and check in via the application. After passing all the Exams of the chosen Study, Bikademy Students receive a prize from the Bikademy sponsor, GIANT Croatia.

In just four steps, you too can pass the Bikademy Exam (photos attached).

1 Install the application and register

2 Cycle to the Exam (location)

3 Check in through the application

4 Repeat the previous two steps

Photo: Bikademy

One of the first Bikademy Studies was the Brod-Posavina County with seven Exams: Vrpolje, Gajna, Tvrđava Brod, Petnja, Stara Kapela, Cernik and Tvrđava Stara Gradiška. 

Check out the highlights of the Brod-Posavina Study here.

This Study is intended for more experienced cyclists who want to cover longer distances. The Exams are of similar difficulty for the four other four Slavonian counties. They reveal that Slavonia is not only made up of fields and valleys but also rich cultural heritage, natural resources, superb gastronomy and hospitality, at every turn. Although everyone knows about Slavonia, it is yet to be discovered as a hidden tourist gem perfect for cycling.

In cities like Zagreb, Šibenik, and Berlin, there are less demanding Studies for every traveler who wants to explore the area by bike.

Through its social networks, Bikademy presents its cyclo tourism destinations, and examples from practice, but also continuously rewards its followers. They are preparing new surprises and opportunities soon, so make sure you follow them on social networks.

If you would love to see Bikademy in your area, feel free to contact them, as they are expanding beyond the borders of the Republic of Croatia.

As for your holidays, choose your destination and explore it by bike, get to know the culture and nature of the region, and win prizes. Cycle your exams!

To learn more about some of the people behind the movement, check out TCN's interview with Krešimir Herceg.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, explore our lifestyle section.

April 21, 2022 - Osijek is fast developing and is on the road to restoring its glory as the regional centre of eastern Croatia. The city's administration takes pride in the various EU projects which they have been implementing, whether it's infrastructure and development, or education and employment. The latest - free communication skills training in Osijek!

SiB.hr writes about one of the more recent programs of the Osijek City Administration in collaboration with the Algebra University College and the EU Centar Association, which is the continuation of the EU project "Green Jobs and Communication for Work - a Guarantee of a Better Future in Slavonia". Deputy Mayor Dragan Vulin, the Head of the Administrative Department for Social Welfare, Pensioners and Health Romano Kristić, and President of the EU Centar Association Domagoj Vidaković spoke about the next activity of this project.

"I would like to thank the EU Centar Association and the Algebra University College, which are implementing a project worth more than 1.1 million kuna together with the City of Osijek. It has been running from July 16, 2020, and will continue until July 15 this year. It is important to note that the entire project was funded from the European Social Fund. These are wide-reaching funds that remain in our area and are spent for good purposes. Software development training is currently in progress, for a total of 250 hours during four months. We have 28 participants, who should finish the course by the beginning of June this year. Today, we are starting a Facebook campaign or a public call for all those interested in another activity, which is communication skills training. It will last 22 days, starting after May 1. The main goal is to ensure that our participants are more competitive when entering the labour market," said Vulin, adding that these activities will also help provide the economy with staff in the field of development technologies.

According to the head of the Administrative Department Roman Kristić, the contract for this project was signed in 2021 and will be successfully implemented. The City of Osijek helped select the target group of unemployed people who will undergo training in the Python program and education in communication skills, and provided them with top experts and mentors.

Domagoj Vidaković from the EU Centar announced that the communication skills training will be intended for marginalised groups and the long-term unemployed, from 18 to 29 years of age if they have been unemployed for at least 6 months, and those above 29 who have been unemployed for 12 months or longer.

"We invite them to get information about these activities and apply through the project website Zelena zanimanja”, said Vidaković.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 14, 2022 - MEP Karlo Ressler has visited the city of Osijek, where he was presented with several Osijek-Baranja County projects currently in progress that were financed by European funds.

As SiB.hr writes, after a reception in the Osijek-Baranja County, MEP Ressler was accompanied by the prefect Ivan Anušić to visit the construction site of the Economic Centre, which is also financed by European funds

"Osijek and the Osijek-Baranja County do not need additional instructions on how to withdraw money from European funds because they do an excellent job", said MEP Karlo Ressler during his stay in Osijek, adding: "It seems to me that the idea, the perception of a difficult situation as it used to be is no longer associated with the Osijek-Baranja County nor the city of Osijek, and I also think that the new mayor Radić certainly played a big role not only in that but everything that the county has been doing in recent years".

In the company of Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić, MP Ressler visited the construction site of the Osijek Fortress, which is another project financed with European money.

"The city of Osijek is a large construction site, which I explained to MEP Ressler. At the moment, the value of investments in the area of the city of Osijek exceeds one billion kuna, and is largely financed with European money”, said Osijek Mayor Radić and thanked MEP Ressler for showing interest in the city of Osijek and the Osijek-Baranja County.

After the reception in the Osijek-Baranja County, accompanied by the prefect Ivan Anušić, MP Ressler visited the construction site of the Economic Centre, which is also financed by European funds.

"We are implementing numerous projects through the funds of the European Union, through a new financial perspective where our office in Brussels, which has a permanent representative of our 5 Slavonian counties, communicates directly with our MEPs, including Mr. Ressler", said the prefect of the Osijek-Baranja County Ivan Anušić. He concluded that the Osijek-Baranja County and the City of Osijek really have something to boast about.

For more, check out our business section.

ZAGREB, 17 Sept 2021 - Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak on Friday presented local government officials in the eastern city of Osijek and Osijek-Baranja County with contracts for co-funding EU projects worth HRK 48 million.

The contracts concern, among other things, the modernisation of tram infrastructure, the construction of an IT park and the energy efficiency renovation of schools in Osijek, the construction of a sports park in Beli Manastir, and the construction and equipping of kindergartens in several municipalities.

Tramišak said that this money came from the state budget and would cover the portion of funding for the projects the local government units would otherwise have to contribute themselves. She said that this would help them implement the projects that should be completed by the end of 2023.

Tramišak said that 640 projects worth about HRK 20 billion had been submitted to the Fund for co-financing projects at local and regional level.

"The Ministry's aim is to successfully conclude the financial perspective until 2020, and we have until 2023 to draw funds from it. In that way we will help local and regional government units and ensure full absorption of funding for this period," Tramišak said.

Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić said that the projects in his city are worth HRK 1.2 billion and that it would be very difficult for the city to finance them on its own. He announced projects exceeding HRK 2 billion for the next EU financial period 2021-2027, saying that they expected assistance from the ministry in their implementation.

For more on politics, CLICK HERE.

As Novac/Lidija Kiseljak/zupan.hr writes on the 28th of August, 2020, Zadar County was shortlisted for the best EU project with Project IRENE - Interregional Renewable & ENEergy efficiency network", which was registered within the category of Contribution to cross-border cooperation.

The leading partner in the project is the Zadar County Development Agency ZADRA NOVA, while the partners are Zadar County, the DELFIN Eco Centre from Montenegro, the Municipality of Tivat, the Association for the Economic Development from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the City of Mostar.

Project IRENE took place at the locations of Zadar County (Zadar, Smilcic, Korlat, Lisicic, Bibinje, Vinjerac, Novigrad - Gajine, Galovac, Privlaka), then outside of Croatian borders in Mostar, Tivat, Neum and Jablanica. The implementation of the project began on the 1st of July 2017 and lasted until the 31st of December 2019.

The total value of the project is 1,915,820 euros, and the amount of paid grants stands at 1,628,447 euros. Of that, other funds poured into the project amounted to 287,373 euros.

The aim of Project IRENE was to contribute to the protection and preservation of nature by encouraging the sustainable use of natural resources in border areas through joint development and the networking of local energy management systems, as well as to actively encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy systems in the public sector.

The value of the project is visible through the development of a common network of project ideas and enabling the development of new initiatives, specialist training and the equipping of existing and new energy efficiency teams with specialised equipment, as well as investing in infrastructure. Thus, Projct IRENE replaced the existing lighting systems that used mercury lighting with highly energy efficient lamps and installed a solar power system for the preparation of domestic hot water in these cross-border areas. The lighting system was replaced at locations in Zadar, Mostar, Tivat, Neum, Smilčcic, Korlat, Lisicic, Bibinje, Vinjerac, Novigrad, Galovac, Privlaka and Jablanica.

"The ZADRA NOVA Agency has given its contribution to the realisation of the European Union's energy and climate plan 20-20-20 with the planning and implementation of projects such as IRENE. Project IRENE is a step towards achieving the set goals of lower greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption and lower energy consumption compared to what is expected in the case of the non-implementation of special measures,'' said the director of ZADRA NOVA, Marina Dujmovic Vukovic.

''In accordance with the obligations accepted by signing the energy charter and the letter of intent, Zadar County has expressed a lasting interest in implementing activities to improve energy efficiency. Zadar County has authorised the ZADRA NOVA Agency to implement systematic energy management activities in its administrative area. These activities are regularly performed by the Agency, either through the monitoring of energy consumption in public buildings, consulting with the aim of saving or entering data into registers and data monitoring systems.

The lasting result and foundation of further work is the base of ideas and network of projects in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources developed through Project IRENE. It is therefore expected that the number and quality of projects in the field of energy that will be applied by local and regional self-government units and institutions will increase through a partnership approach to open tenders of European and national funding sources. In the seven-year period ahead of us, through two financial packages, over 22 billion euros will be made available to Croatia, and a significant part of that amount is aimed at encouraging energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources. Thanks to Project IRENE, the ZADRA NOVA Agency and Zadar County are more prepared for the opportunities that will be provided by the new, multi-year financial framework,'' Vukovic added.

Through Project IRENE, in Zadar County alone, 510 energy efficient lighting fixtures were modernised, in the Herzegovina-Neretva County in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 605 lighting fixtures were modernised, and in the area of ​​Boka Kotorska in Montenegro 593 lighting fixtures were modernised and one solar power system was installed for the preparation of domestic hot water. The old lighting at the pilot sites was inefficient, mostly mercury-based, and didn't comply with light pollution rules. The installation of new, environmentally friendly lighting fixtures has increased the savings of the system, which, when compared to mercury lighting, amounts to a minimum of 80 percent of the installed power. In addition, the modernisation of lighting systems at pilot sites aims to raise awareness of the possibility of financing projects in the field of energy efficiency from EU funds.

The education of children was also conducted and the population and the public sector were encouraged to use renewable energy sources and get better acquainted with energy efficiency through a specially designed promotional campaign. A specially designed play for children with the aim of educating them about energy efficiency and nature protection was shown 12 times. Consumer energy monitoring systems have also been installed with a display of consumption, savings and real-time statistics for three public buildings in the cross-border area, and energy audits have been prepared for 13 public buildings.

Pilot projects

"Zadar County has long decided to encourage renewable energy sources and this project is just one of the activities in this direction. What was especially interesting for us and what prompted us to enter this project is directing EU funds to the rural part of the county and the opportunity to use the funds to rebuild communal infrastructure and at the same time achieve significant savings,'' said Bozidar Longin, Zadar County Prefect County.

''Through this project, we've managed to strengthen the social, economic and territorial development of the programme area through the implementation of joint interventions in the field of environmental protection and sustainable energy. As part of Project IRENE, Zadar County also organised and implemented a promotional campaign with the aim of raising awareness in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources,'' he noted.

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October 30, 2019 - A new EU-funded project will help restore, valorize, and improve the UNESCO-protected historic center of Split and Diocletian's Palace. 

Splitski Dnevnik reports that the European Union’s Ministry of Regional Development and Funds announced a tender for proposals for the “Palace of Life, City of Changes Integrated Visitor Infrastructure Development Program of the Old Town and Diocletian's Palace”,  within the ITU Mechanism and Operational Program ”Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020 ".

The project is developed by the City of Split, along with partners, including the Split Tourist Board and the Split City Museum. The project's total estimated value is HRK 23.8 million, of which HRK 18.2 million is available in EU funds.

The project is based on restoring, valorising, presenting and improving the UNESCO site and historic center of Split, with Diocletian's Palace, including individually protected immovable cultural property, the Old Town Hall, and objects within the protected historic entity - like the Split City Museum and the southeast tower of Diocletian's Palace, with the associated depots of the City Museum in the building at Lukačićeva 5 and the exit to the southern part of the eastern wall of the Palace. The project aims to integrate the sites into the function of sustainable development of the local community and present Split as a city of layered and vibrant cultural heritage.

Investments foreseen in the project include conservation, restoration, and construction works and furnishing the facilities above, as well as establishing modern installations that will present the history and development of Split. Thus, more than HRK 7 million will be invested in renovating and furnishing the Old Town Hall, more than HRK 2 million in renovating and furnishing the Split City Museum, and over HRK 5 million in the southeast tower with the associated premises at Lukačićeva 5 and part of the eastern wall of the Palace. Creating contemporary presentations is set at HRK 3 million.

The remainder of the investment is related to the project’s technical documentation, which includes a plan for sustainable visitor management, expert work supervision, training and workshops, visibility, setting up a ticket and visitor tracking system, designing authentic and creative souvenirs, wine and gastronomy products based on local and cultural heritage, and project management.

All of this will contribute to the development of new cultural and visitor infrastructure, relieve the most burdened localities of the old city center, and develop an awareness of the importance of preserving the heritage and its role in the sustainable development of the local community.

At the same time, following the call requirements and the indicators of the Operational Program for "Competitiveness and Cohesion", the project will contribute to increasing the number of local and foreign visitors to the newly renovated cultural heritage sites and consequently contribute to the development of Split as a year-round cultural and tourist city.

Split Development Agency - RaST d.o.o. will accept tenders until November 28, 2019, and preparatory activities are already underway. 

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