Speakers at the presentation of the project in Zagreb on Thursday said that the adjustment of Croatia's environment-related legislation to EU standards and related international regulations was one of the most intensive areas of activity.
The town of Sibenik will join a pilot project to assess the environmental impact of development strategies.
The presentation of the project was attended by representatives of the European Commission Delegation in Croatia and the project team, the ministries of environmental protection, agriculture, sea, and culture, county officials, NGOs, the national Institute for Environmental Protection, the Agency for Environmental Protection, the Chamber of the Economy and companies which draw up environmental studies and documents related to regional planning.
The project started on 1 February 2006, and it is expected to last 18 months.
Currently there is no law in Croatia that would impose the procedure of strategic evaluation of the environmental impact of development strategies, and there is only evaluation of the environmental impact of a project. The procedure of strategic evaluation is expected to be introduced by the end of this year with the adoption of a new law on environmental protection.