"The European Union Natura 2000 Integration Project will help the various Croatian nature protection stakeholders such as the Ministry of Culture, the State Institute for Nature Protection, National and Nature Parks, county level nature protection institutions, farmers, and landowners to establish an integrated ecological network which will be aligned with the EU Nature Protection Legislation and the Birds and Habitats Directives, aimed at improving the current system of nature protection," the World Bank said in a statement on Thursday.
The funds from the loan will be used for financing small visitor centres, trails, and other infrastructure promoting Natura 2000 objectives and for buying fire-fighting equipment in four coastal Nature and National Parks.
"The project will also support development of data systems to improve collection of information through a biological inventory of species and habitat mapping. This will not only make it easier to monitor and protect endangered species and habitats, but will also enable Croatia to fulfill its reporting obligations to the European Union," the bank stated.