EU Cohesion Policy: Croatia got 1 billion euro recovery support following devastating earthquakes
Today, Croatia takes stock of its reconstruction efforts to recover from the damages following the devastating earthquakes of March and December 2020 in Zagreb, Petrinja and the Sisak Moslavina county, the European Commission (EC) said on July 6.
This recovery was supported by a total of one billion euro from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which was granted in two tranches in 2020 and 2021.
The earthquakes caused damage to about 26 000 buildings. Thanks to the EU support, Croatia could invest in the rapid reconstruction of infrastructure and schools, universities, hospitals, and cultural heritage sites, the EC said.
For example, the EUSF funded the reconstruction of the Zagreb Cathedral, the Merkur Clinical and Sisters of Charity hospitals, several faculties at the University of Zagreb, the Dr Ivan Merz primary school in Zagreb and the container settlements that were set up in the Sisak Moslavina county to provide temporary housing.
The coordination of the reconstruction and recovery efforts after the earthquakes and the implementation of the funding were extremely challenging.
The EC said that 1330 contracts were signed, involving 609 beneficiaries and 304 construction companies. A total of 10 500 construction workers were engaged in the reconstruction.
(Đorđićeva Street building damaged in the 2020 Zagreb earthquake, February 26 2021. Photo: Milan Kušnjačić, via Wikimedia Commons)
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