Croatia will have HRK 850 million available until 2024 in donations from Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein, a conference on financial mechanisms from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway from 2014 to 2021 was told in Split on Monday.

“This HRK 850 million donation from Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein for the financial period from 2014 to 2021 is available until 2024 and the first calls for applications to use that money will be advertised soon,” Sime Erlic, state secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds,  told reporters.

He said that the money would be used to equip demonstration rooms in secondary and elementary schools in undeveloped areas of Croatia, for the development of the CARNET network in education centres for disabled children, and to improve social dialogue and civil society organisations.

Erlic also said that the money would be earmarked for the development of renewable energy sources and in that regard, he mentioned solar and sea energy, saying that this would be very important for the Adriatic counties.

He said that the project foresees establishing contact with project beneficiaries in donor countries in order to exchange experiences.

Justice Minister Ivan Malenica said that of the €100 million to be received in the donation, €13 million was earmarked for his ministry.

“The majority of that money, or €9.9 million, will go for the construction of a new Municipal Court building in Split, which should be completed by the second half of 2022,” he said.