The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition (MEPGT) is the National Contact Point for the implementation of the LIFE programme in Croatia. In 2025, their project “Capacity Building for the Croatian National Contact Point for the LIFE programme (LIFE CAP4HR)” was submitted and approved, marking the third in a series of capacity building projects for the national contact point.

The project is set to run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028.

Despite the successful implementation of two previous LIFE CAP projects aimed at capacity building for the LIFE programme, Croatia has not yet reached its desired rate and quality of LIFE project applications, particularly in the areas of Circular Economy and Quality of Life, and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

With this new project, the National Contact Point plans to further enhance Croatia’s participation in the LIFE programme, focusing on increasing the number of projects in underrepresented areas. This will be achieved by addressing the identified reasons for the insufficient number and success rate of Croatian applications through:

• Raising awareness and educating potential beneficiaries via info days, regional workshops, project writing workshops, conferences, as well as by providing consultations and support for writing project proposals
• Promoting the LIFE programme and its complementarity with other funds
• Ensuring national co-financing in cooperation with the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (EPEEF) and seeking additional funding sources to help projects in finalizing their financial structure
• Initiating the preparation of strategic projects through information dissemination, workshops with experienced experts, coordination, and bilateral meetings with stakeholders
• Increasing the number of project applications from the private sector, academia, and local and regional self-government through targeted workshops, thematic brochures, and cooperation with sectoral networks
• Assisting with analysis and advice to improve rejected applications
• Managing a modernized website and social media platforms to increase information accessibility
• Networking with other EU and national networks and organizing a platform for sharing experiences with Croatian LIFE project beneficiaries

These activities are expected to result in a greater number and higher quality of approved LIFE projects, thereby contributing to the achievement of environmental and nature protection goals, the fight against climate change, and the transition to clean energy in Croatia.