For the modernisation of railways, Croatia plans to use around one of a total of €9 billion made available to it by the European Commission for the period from 2021 to 2027.

“The railway is high on our list of priorities,” Croatian Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Natasa Tramisak told reporters in Brussels where she was attending the European Week of Regions and Cities.

“We are aware that railway transport is a green mode of transport preferred by the European Commission and that in Croatia there is a lot of room to improve that kind of infrastructure. We must use the opportunity for that in the coming decade,” the minister said.

Two weeks ago, Croatia and the European Commission signed a strategic agreement that defines Croatia’s priorities for co-financing with European money in the 2021-2027 period.

Among them is the development of sustainable, smart and safe mobility, an item worth one billion euros, which includes the railway.

The document does not specify the projects. They will be known once entities from Croatia start applying for money from EU funds. The first applications are expected in the period from January to March.

During the previous financing period, from 2014 to 2020, the most expensive project in Croatia co-financed with EU money was the construction of Peljesac Bridge. The €420 million bridge in the southernmost Croatia was opened to traffic in July.

In the same financing period, another 18 major projects, including railway upgrade projects, were launched and the government expects them to be completed in the new financing period.

The European Week of Regions and Cities is a conference dedicated to the European Commission’s cohesion policy designed to reduce inequalities between the EU’s rich and poor regions by using EU funds.