Dubravka Suica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography of the European Commission (EC), ceremoniously handed over to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb on 30 November the EC’s decision to pay Croatia the third installment of EUR 700 million as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), Croatian media report.  This money has been deposited into the state treasury, making Croatia the first EU member state to receive more than 50% of payments relative to available funds, said Plenkovic in his comments at the Government’s session. Plenkovic reminded that since the start of the NPOO, Croatia has successfully implemented, as confirmed by the EC, 104 reforms and investments out of the same number planned, which serve as the basis for submitting three requests for funding from the RRF. Plenkovic also announced that in December, the Government plans to submit the next, fourth request.Plenkovic mentioned that the EC has also positively assessed Croatia’s modified NPOO, worth a total of EUR 10 billion, which includes EUR 4.2 billion in loans. According to Plenkovic, these funds will initiate investments in the construction of kindergartens, primary schools, and halls, centers for the elderly, and infrastructure for tourism, health, and transport, as well as projects in energy, water supply, tourism, science, and earthquake reconstruction.Meanwhile, in its statement issued earlier on 30 November, the EC noted that Croatia has thus received the third payment, following its request for payment submitted to the EC in July 2023, based on the fulfillment of 32 key milestones and 13 target values within this, the third payment request defined by the Council's Implementing Decision This includes reforms in the fields of healthcare; science and higher education; research and innovation; labor market; waste management; and renewable energy sources. There are also investments in the energy renovation of buildings, the green and digital transition of tourism, and the reduction of administrative burdens for businesses.With this payment, Croatia has now received a total of EUR 2.9 billion in support under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), noted the EC’s statement, informing that this includes EUR 818 million of pre-financing paid in September 2021, followed by three payments of EUR 700 million each in June and December 2022 – and on 30 November.The EC reminds that Croatia's NPOOs financed by grants amounting to EUR 5.5 billion, and in August 2023, Croatia submitted a request to amend the plan and add a chapter on the REPowerEU plan. The EC positively assessed Croatia's revised plan, which will be financed with a total of EUR 10 billion. (ICE ZAGABRIA)

Fonte notizia: HRT and Jutarnji list online edition 30/11/2023