The European Union will simplify procedures for EU-funded projects, but it can finance only good projects and not someone's dreams, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu said during a visit to the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar on Thursday, adding that Croatia had €10.6 billion at its disposal from EU funds by 2020.

“I think Croatia’s road to the EU was a long one, and I can only say you did an excellent job. Where cohesion policy is concerned, I can confirm that your country had withdrawn the most funds from European structural and investment funds, which helped create jobs, modernise infrastructure, but also support young people in developing necessary skills. Croatia is very successful in making use of the most important EU programmes,” Crețu said, adding she wanted to congratulate the government on their efforts to ensure recovery and development of the Slavonia region.

Crețu, currently on a two-day working visit to Croatia, talked with the people of Vukovar about the contributions of the EU cohesion policy to the prosperity of the Slavonia region. She was accompanied by Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Gabrijela Zalac.

“I can only say that the Slavonia, Baranja, Srijem Project has the full support of the European Commission, as well as my own,” she said.

Under the project, funds for investments in entrepreneurship, agriculture, education, health, research and development, and traffic, among others, were secured for the region in the period from 2014 to 2020.

Crețu said that the EU wanted to minimise the gap between western and eastern Europe, as well as within countries and between regions.

“The government’s main goal is to boost competitiveness and create balanced regional development, to respond to key social challenges, reduce poverty and increase the life standard for the people of Slavonia,” Minister Zalac said.

On Friday, Crețu is due to attend a meeting of the government’s Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem in the town of Beli Manastir.

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