Partnership agreements between the European Commission and individual EU countries set out the national authorities’ plans on how to use funding from the European Structural and Investment Funds between 2014 and 2020. They outline each country’s strategic goals and investment priorities, linking them to the overall aims of the EU 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
EU’s 5 structural and investment funds (ESIF) are:
The proposed partnership agreement for the European structural and investment funds in the EU financial period 2014-2020 for the Republic of Croatia was handed to the European Commission in the April 2014. This document is the founding document and explains all the necessary focuses of all needed strategies that will be used in operating the partnership agreement. Partnership agreement and the strategies that are developed in its frame have to be aligned with the EU Strategy 2020. After finalization of the partnership agreement the operational programming for the period of 7 years is to be fixed.
The Partnership agreement for Croatia has still not been adopted by the EU, as it is the case with the majority of EU member states. At this moment only a few countries in the EU have had approval that their Partnership agreement is adopted by the EU. Up to now these countries are:
The European Commission on 30. April announced that it is analysing the official Partnership Agreements (PA) received from 28 Member States, the due date for the official submission of the PA for EU member state was the end of the April 2014. Also the draft Cohesion Policy Operational Programmes (OP) from 10 countries outlining their investment plans for EU Structural and Investment Funds for the 2014-2020 programming period were submitted to EC. The list of the statuses of the submitted OP and PA is also available on the EC internet sites.
The Partnership agreement for Croatia states the main priorities for the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds are:
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Innovative and competitive business and research environment
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Promoting energy efficiency, renewable energies and protecting natural resources
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Sustainable and modern transport and network infrastructure
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Enhancing labour market participation and quality of the education system
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Active inclusion and reduction of poverty
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Supporting the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of public administration and judiciary
The allocation of the funding for the Cohesion policy implemented in Croatia through the ESI funds is according to the 11 thematic goals prescribed in the EU Strategy 2020 is as follows from the following funds:
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ERDF €4,321,499,588;
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ESF €1,516,033,073
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CF €2,559,545,971;
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EAFRD €2,026,221,750.
In total the ESI funds will provide according to the Partnership Agreement €10,423,300,382 for the period 2014-2020.