End of a fisheries project in Croatia

On 15 January an end-of project conference was held in Croatia entitled “Strengthening the Croatian administration responsible for structural policy and state aid for fisheries”. The project, with a grant of 650,000 euros from the EU, aimed to promote the necessary changes so that aid in the fisheries sector conforms to current regulations in the EU and so that this country has access to the European Fisheries Fund.

Thanks to all the activities carried out during implementation of the project, Croatia has adapted its legal framework to European Community regulations in the area of structural policy and state aid to the fisheries sector, and the administration has the necessary knowledge for its implementation. Likewise, great efforts were made during the 15 months of execution which allowed the preparation and presentation to the Commission of the First Operational Programme of the European Fisheries Fund for the 2007-2013 period. This programme was approved on 19 December 2013, and Croatia has received its first funds from the Commission.

The project was managed by the FIIAPP along with TRAGSA (Empresa de Transformación Agraria, S.A.), with the collaboration of the General Secretariat of Fisheries (Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs) and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture of Estonia.