Twenty-five million euros for that purpose has been secured by the European Union and eight million by the Croatian government, said Cobankovic.
SAPARD is significant because it is the first pre-acession programme in agriculture from which the use of funds is based on EU procedures, the minister said, adding that the programme would examine the absorption capacities of Croatia's agriculture.
Applications may be submitted until October 31, Cobankovic said, adding that the European Commission consented to inviting new applications in 2007 if it was necessary and there was money left over after this year's applications.
Cobankovic said Croatia had completed activities related to SAPARD in 17 months, the shortest time among acceding and EU entry candidate countries.
Finance Minister Ivan Suker said the EC was now expected to confirm accreditation to a SAPARD agency before the programme could go into force.
He said the finance ministry would set up a special audit office to control the use of SAPARD funds, and added that everything must be done so that the EUR25 million provided by the EU should be used by the end of the year.