ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS PROVIDED BY USAID TO CROATIA

ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The ecological donor programme "EcoLinks" by the US Agency for International Development will begin in Croatia with the third cycle of competitive challenge grants for businesses and local government in Croatia to address urban and industrial environmental problems with market-based solutions. EcoLinks, USAID and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) will allocate financial support for specific environment protection programmes through partnership projects, EcoLinks representative for Croatia Sandra Balent said. Two types of financial support will be granted: The Quick Response Awards (QRA) of up to US$5,000 and Challenge Grants of up to US$50,000. In the year 2000 organisations eligible to apply for an EcoLinks grant must be in on relate their activities to areas struck by was (former UN Protection Areas). Since these regions are mostly small and do not have a developed industry, five bigger towns were included (Sisak, Kutina, Zadar, Dubrovnik and Sibenik), USAID advisor Richard Gibson said. The third cycle of grants begins on January 18 with the topics: cleaner production, water quality management and global climate changes. The deadline for submission of project concept papers is February 21, and in June an international panel of judges will decide on which projects will receive the financial support. The fourth challenge grant cycle will be announced in May. (hina) lml