On the occasion of talks with the German Federal Minister of Economics, Philipp Rösler, the Croatian Minister of Economy, Ivan Vrdoljak, estimated the capital investment needs for the development of the local water sector to be approximately 10 billion Euros.
After Croatia s joining of the European Union, the projects will be financed mainly through the EU structural funds. Minister Rösler: "In future, there will be good chances for the many medium-sized companies on the German water sector to contribute their competence and establish partnerships in Croatia.“
Dieter Ernst, Member of the Board of German Water Partnership and participant of the business delegation that accompanied Minister Rösler to Croatia, gave an account of the various activities German Water Partnership is involved in in the region. In particular, he stressed the successful development of a national training and competence centre. „We are very happy that Minister Rösler s journey has increased the attention paid to our project and that the Croatian government has announced the necessary political support." Dieter Ernst said.
Together with the municipal water utilities Karlovac and the local university of applied science, GWP members engaged in Croatia have completed a two-year pilot phase for the establishment of the Training and Competence Centre Karlovac (TCC Karlovac). The centre focuses on education and vocational training for people working in the Croatian water and waste water sector.
GWP now expects that, apart from the German support, also in Croatia the necessary institutional and financial conditions to develop a sustainable business concept for the Training Centre Karlovac will be created. German Water Partnership will still be available as a central contact for the solution of further problems in water management.
