Croatia absorbed, in the period from 2013 to 8 September 2022, €8.13 billion from European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which is nearly 76% of the allocated EU funds, and the state budget ran a surplus of HRK 64.85 billion, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds said on Wednesday.

At the government meeting on Wednesday, Minister Nataša Tramišak presented a report on the absorption of ESIF funds, which was then adopted, the ministry said in a press release.

As the Ministry recalls, a total of €10.73 billion (HRK 81.56 billion) was available to Croatia from ESIF in the 2014-2020 period.

By 8 September this year, projects worth €13.64 billion (HRK 103.69 billion) were contracted, or 127.14% of the allocated funds.

A total of €8.13 billion (HRK 61.81 billion), or 75.79% of the allocated funds, was paid out, and €6.9 billion (HRK 52.47 billion), or 64.34% of the allocated funds, was certified.

If €763.17 million from REACT EU and €597.56 million from the Rural Development Program are added to the original ESI 2014-2020 allocation of HRK 10.73 billion, the total allocation until 2023 is €12.09 billion.

In the period from 2013 to 8 September this year, the difference between funds paid from the EU budget into Croatia’s budget and funds paid from Croatia’s budget into the EU budget amounts to HRK 53.45 billion in favour of Croatia’s budget.

Including the advance paid for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), Croatia has a surplus of HRK 64.85 billion, the Ministry said in the press release.