The total value of the projects is estimated at half a billion euros, Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Branko Grcic told a news conference, which was also attended by Entrepreneurship and Crafts Minister Gordan Maras, Science, Education and Sports Minister Zeljko Jovanovic, and Deputy Tourism Minister Oleg Valjalo.
The technical assistance programme will enable the finalisation of the 32 selected projects and improve their capability to apply for the EU's IPA pre-accession funds and later structural funds.
This is the first time that the state is helping in this way in the finalisation and creation of development projects that will apply for EU funding, Grcic said.
Nineteen projects refer to tourism and are expected to make Croatian tourism and society as a whole more competitive as well as invite the private tourist sector to start investing and employing, said Valjalo.
The regional development ministry set aside the HRK 30 million this year, while in 2013 the amount for this purpose will be higher because, Grcic hopes, with Croatia's EU accession, the amount of EUR 140 million available from the pre-accession funds will rise to EUR 450 million in the second half of 2013 and to EUR 1.1 billion in the first full year of EU membership.
For that, we need to have many more good projects ready, which prompted the government to support everyone working on regional development projects, including local units without their own funds, said Grcic.
Minister Maras said that 12 of those 32 projects refer to the public business infrastructure and were estimated at EUR 190 million in total, most of them for the construction and equipping of technology, innovation and business excellence centres, for example in Sibenik, Nova Gradiska, Slavonski Brod, Dubrovnik and Pula.
Twenty projects estimated at EUR 300 million refer to the public cultural and tourism infrastructure and include health resorts in Vela Luka, Veli Losinj and Biograd, northwest Croatia's digital museums, and an eco-museum on the island of Brac.
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.5)