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Round table on the waste management: Croatia would have to invest around EUR 10 billion in environment by 2025
03.10.2008, 18:28
The second round table meeting focused on the waste management policy in the context of Croatia's accession process and Chapter on the Environment 'acquis' took place on 30 September 2008. The event was organised by the National Committee supervising Croatia's EU membership talks and was attended by representatives of Croatia's negotiating team, the European Commission, regional and local self-government bodies, environmental organisations, utilities companies and waste recycling companies.
The environmental topics are of significant importance for HR accession process in the context of its future membership to the EU. After Agriculture, the environment presents the second largest 'acquis' in terms of volume whereby it clearly shows growing importance which this policy has had in general EU policies.
In July this year Croatia submitted to the EU its negotiating position on the Environment chapter. The country was expected to meet one additional criterion for the opening of the chapter, on which talks are expected to start soon. The additional criterion concerns the drawing up of an action plan to build administrative capacities and secure funds for the implementation of the 'acquis'
Speaking at the event, Mr Nikola Ruzinski, State Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, said that Croatia would have to invest around EUR 10 billion in environmental protection by 2025 - 4.8 billion in water management, two billion in air protection, and 3.25 billion in waste management. He also said that Croatia had requested 11 transitional periods for the chapter on the environment, and rather long ones, because of the value of investments.
In this context, head of the EC Delegation in Croatia, Mr Vincent Degert said that the EU was ready to help Croatia in those efforts and that in the next two years Croatia would have EUR 40 million at its disposal for environmental protection and transport.
During discussion it was pointed out that the Environment chapter is one of the most extensive ones - as it contains around 300 directives and regulations and is one of the more complicated negotiation chapters. The bulk of objections were raised during the event debate regarding waste management concerned the decision-making process, poor communication between the central and local authorities and civil associations for environmental protection, and between the regions themselves, as well as to uneven regional development.
The island of Krk was mentioned as a positive example in the management of waste, recycling 25 percent of communal waste, as was the northwest of the country. The national average is around five percent. Otherwise, the EU average is 27 percent and the EU is considering increasing it to 50 percent by 2020.
Source: www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu