ECOOSCARS AWARDED FOR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

ZAGREB, June 7 (Hina) - The Croatian Environment Protection Ministry on Friday night delivered "ecooscars", awards for environment protection to companies and individuals who contributed to protecting the environment in the past year. #L# The awards have traditionally been handed out since 1993, to mark June 5, the global environment protection day. Present at the award ceremony at Zagreb's "Opera" hotel were Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Environment Protection and Urban Zoning Minister Bozo Kovacevic, Vice-Premier Goran Granic and environment protection ministers from Poland, Macedonia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Monaco. In the category of environment protection in protected areas, awards were given to the Paklenica National Park and Medvednica Nature Park. In the category waste management, awards were handed out to the city of Rovinj, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Pozega's Teki company, as well as the company INA naftaplin. In the category general contribution for environment protection, an award was given out to the Croatian Bio-speological Society and to individual, Vjekoslav Martinko from Zagreb. In the category education in environment protection, the Fran Krsto Frankopan primary school from Zagreb won an award, as did the economy and trade high schools from Cakovec. A special posthumous award was given to a Croatian Television reporter, Lidija First, who greatly contributed to the environment protection programme. (hina) lml