Croatia
01©s
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations
Statement by
Dr, Nikola Ru2inski
State Secretary for Environment
Ministiy of Environment, Physical Planning and Construction
of the Republic of Croatia
at the High-Level Segment
of the Thirteenth Session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development
20 April 2005
New York
Check against delivery
Mr. Chairperson, Distinguished Colleagues, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, let me congratulate you, Mr. Chairperson, and members of the bureau on
your election as well as for all the effort put into organizing this session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development, which is of vital importance as it is the first
policy session after the World Summit on Sustainable Development. During this session,
we really need to find effective implementation measures for already defined sustainable
development policies in the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements.
At the outset, let me underline that Croatia aligns itself with the statement of the
European Union, but would like to point out some of its own national positions. We are
fully aware that national governments in partnership with local authorities bear the
primary responsibility for water resources management and supplying safe drinking water
to their people, as well as for reducing the proportion of people without access to
sanitation and for increasing the standards of living in human settlements, both in rural
and urban areas. In this regard, the Republic of Croatia tries to incorporate into its
policies and strategies the equilibrium of economic potentials, social sensitivity and the
necessity for preserving the environment to the highest possible extent.
An important feature of water management in Croatia is the international character of
most watercourses and a huge karst area. Due to this fact, water management is oriented
towards co-operation with other countries within this basin. Croatian water. management
actively co-operates with countries from the Danube River .Basin and the Mediterranean.
In this regard, regional cooperation and initiatives are very important and Croatia
welcomes the active involvement of the Economic Commission for Europe in these
matters.
The Physical Planning Strategy and the Strategic Water Management Master Plan,
which is in the process of being adopted, are two basic strategic planning documents for
water management, sanitation and human settlements in Croatia. They provide concrete
answers to challenges related to these three areas in Croatia.
Considering the limitations imposed by the transition process in terms of the
establishment of the public ownership system and the economic capacity of Croatia,
special attention should be paid to the selection of models which are affordable, in other
words, sociologically sensitive. They can be implemented gradually, based on the public
sector as the basic concept of public water infrastructure management, and on the
significant application of the solidarity principle at the national level, which would ensure
a more even development of all areas of the country.
Croatia is a relatively sparsely populated European country with 4.5 million inhabitants.
In Croatia, 76% of the population has access to water through a publicly owned, operated
and maintained water supply network. The rest of the population has access through local
or individual water supply facilities. Likewise, sanitation is provided to 40% of the
population through a publicly owned, operated and maintained sanitation network, while
the rest receives services through local or individual sanitation facilities. Therefore,
Croatia's Millennium Development Goal in the context of ensuring environmental
sustainability aims to increase the percentage of inhabitants connected to the public water
supply system to 94%, and those connected to the public sewage system with the suitable
purification of waste water to 65%. The fact that 5,400 settlements are inhabited by fewer
than 500 persons each represents a unique challenge for our country. The above
mentioned facts restrict a choice of policy options and specific actions that can be
implemented in a cost-effective way.
In the Strategic Water Management Master Plan, a gradual transformation of a model
based on the public sector as the basic concept for water infrastructure management is
foreseen, as well as a significant involvement of the solidarity principle at the national
level to ensure a more uniform development of all parts of. the state. Even though the
«polluter pays» and «environment user/beneficiary pays)) principles are applied in
Croatia, a revision of tariffs is necessary in order to adapt the price of water to the
sustainable development objectives. This will prevent the current slow down of the
development of municipal infrastructure, which requires significant investments in
municipal utility companies. In this regard, the Strategic Water Management Master Plan
envisages that problems related to water supply and sanitation infrastructure are solved in
an integrated manner involving all stakeholders, including the private sector.
A good example of having one institution that directs financing instruments towards the
development of .the municipal system at the national and local levels along with the use
of international grants and loans can be seen in the Coastal Cities Pollution Control
Project. It was launched by the Republic of Croatia and the World Bank, which provides
financing for the development of sanitation infrastructure. Project implementation at the
national level is ca-financed and coordinated by the water management company,
Croatian Waters, which in co-operation with local self-government units participates in
loan repayment. The project has just begun, and will be completed in eight years.
Since the 12th session of the Commission, Croatia has made significant progress with
regard to the development of municipal water infrastructure. Central wastewater
treatment plants in Zagreb, Split and Vinkovci have been completed with loans from the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
Implementation of a project for sanitation has begun, as have wastewater treatments in
the coastal area in which some 50 systems are included. The government regards
construction of municipal infrastructure as a priority, and this is reflected in the provision
of administrative and direct financial assistance and state guarantees to these projects.
These projects are a continuation of a systematic and long-term orientation of the
government for effective action in order to achieve better living conditions of the
population and environmental protection in accordance with economic capacities. This
represents the realisation of the guidelines for sustainable development in the fullest
sense.
The principles of sustainable development are also incorporated in the Physical Planning
Strategy, which is reflected in the strategy that environmentally friendly economic
development has to be based on a firm and balanced spatial structure. In Croatia, a state
subsidised housing construction programme is implemented with the aim of giving
citizens access to housing. It is also viewed as giving impetus to the overall economy.
The programme is financed by public funds both from the central government and local
self-government units, by citizens' funds and funds of banking institutions, which have a
commercial interest in this programme. The programme of state-subsidised housing
construction enables local self-government units to buy dwellings for social categories of
the population. Dwellings are allocated to poor citizens on the basis of a priority list, and
citizens pay subsidised rent.
The process of urban transition is expected to continue in Croatia, so it is predicted that a
part of small rural settlements will remain without permanent inhabitants in the future.
We plan to slow down this movement of the rural population to urban areas through
systematic measures such as creating favourable working conditions and enriching
connections between urban and rural settlements.
Mr. Chairperson,
Finally, I wish to emphasise that, Croatia shares the problems of other countries with
economies in transition, but is additionally burdened by ever present consequences of
war. However, the Government of the Republic of Croatia is successfully coping with
these challenges, and gradually implementing - the guiding principles of sustainable
development in the fields of water, sanitation and human settlements.
Let me conclude by pointing out that the outcome of this session should be based on the
implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda
21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation with concrete and realistic decisions in
the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements that can be implemented at all levels
- international, regional, sub-regional, national and local.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations
Statement by
Dr, Nikola Ru2inski
State Secretary for Environment
Ministiy of Environment, Physical Planning and Construction
of the Republic of Croatia
at the High-Level Segment
of the Thirteenth Session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development
20 April 2005
New York
Check against delivery
Mr. Chairperson, Distinguished Colleagues, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, let me congratulate you, Mr. Chairperson, and members of the bureau on
your election as well as for all the effort put into organizing this session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development, which is of vital importance as it is the first
policy session after the World Summit on Sustainable Development. During this session,
we really need to find effective implementation measures for already defined sustainable
development policies in the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements.
At the outset, let me underline that Croatia aligns itself with the statement of the
European Union, but would like to point out some of its own national positions. We are
fully aware that national governments in partnership with local authorities bear the
primary responsibility for water resources management and supplying safe drinking water
to their people, as well as for reducing the proportion of people without access to
sanitation and for increasing the standards of living in human settlements, both in rural
and urban areas. In this regard, the Republic of Croatia tries to incorporate into its
policies and strategies the equilibrium of economic potentials, social sensitivity and the
necessity for preserving the environment to the highest possible extent.
An important feature of water management in Croatia is the international character of
most watercourses and a huge karst area. Due to this fact, water management is oriented
towards co-operation with other countries within this basin. Croatian water. management
actively co-operates with countries from the Danube River .Basin and the Mediterranean.
In this regard, regional cooperation and initiatives are very important and Croatia
welcomes the active involvement of the Economic Commission for Europe in these
matters.
The Physical Planning Strategy and the Strategic Water Management Master Plan,
which is in the process of being adopted, are two basic strategic planning documents for
water management, sanitation and human settlements in Croatia. They provide concrete
answers to challenges related to these three areas in Croatia.
Considering the limitations imposed by the transition process in terms of the
establishment of the public ownership system and the economic capacity of Croatia,
special attention should be paid to the selection of models which are affordable, in other
words, sociologically sensitive. They can be implemented gradually, based on the public
sector as the basic concept of public water infrastructure management, and on the
significant application of the solidarity principle at the national level, which would ensure
a more even development of all areas of the country.
Croatia is a relatively sparsely populated European country with 4.5 million inhabitants.
In Croatia, 76% of the population has access to water through a publicly owned, operated
and maintained water supply network. The rest of the population has access through local
or individual water supply facilities. Likewise, sanitation is provided to 40% of the
population through a publicly owned, operated and maintained sanitation network, while
the rest receives services through local or individual sanitation facilities. Therefore,
Croatia's Millennium Development Goal in the context of ensuring environmental
sustainability aims to increase the percentage of inhabitants connected to the public water
supply system to 94%, and those connected to the public sewage system with the suitable
purification of waste water to 65%. The fact that 5,400 settlements are inhabited by fewer
than 500 persons each represents a unique challenge for our country. The above
mentioned facts restrict a choice of policy options and specific actions that can be
implemented in a cost-effective way.
In the Strategic Water Management Master Plan, a gradual transformation of a model
based on the public sector as the basic concept for water infrastructure management is
foreseen, as well as a significant involvement of the solidarity principle at the national
level to ensure a more uniform development of all parts of. the state. Even though the
«polluter pays» and «environment user/beneficiary pays)) principles are applied in
Croatia, a revision of tariffs is necessary in order to adapt the price of water to the
sustainable development objectives. This will prevent the current slow down of the
development of municipal infrastructure, which requires significant investments in
municipal utility companies. In this regard, the Strategic Water Management Master Plan
envisages that problems related to water supply and sanitation infrastructure are solved in
an integrated manner involving all stakeholders, including the private sector.
A good example of having one institution that directs financing instruments towards the
development of .the municipal system at the national and local levels along with the use
of international grants and loans can be seen in the Coastal Cities Pollution Control
Project. It was launched by the Republic of Croatia and the World Bank, which provides
financing for the development of sanitation infrastructure. Project implementation at the
national level is ca-financed and coordinated by the water management company,
Croatian Waters, which in co-operation with local self-government units participates in
loan repayment. The project has just begun, and will be completed in eight years.
Since the 12th session of the Commission, Croatia has made significant progress with
regard to the development of municipal water infrastructure. Central wastewater
treatment plants in Zagreb, Split and Vinkovci have been completed with loans from the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
Implementation of a project for sanitation has begun, as have wastewater treatments in
the coastal area in which some 50 systems are included. The government regards
construction of municipal infrastructure as a priority, and this is reflected in the provision
of administrative and direct financial assistance and state guarantees to these projects.
These projects are a continuation of a systematic and long-term orientation of the
government for effective action in order to achieve better living conditions of the
population and environmental protection in accordance with economic capacities. This
represents the realisation of the guidelines for sustainable development in the fullest
sense.
The principles of sustainable development are also incorporated in the Physical Planning
Strategy, which is reflected in the strategy that environmentally friendly economic
development has to be based on a firm and balanced spatial structure. In Croatia, a state
subsidised housing construction programme is implemented with the aim of giving
citizens access to housing. It is also viewed as giving impetus to the overall economy.
The programme is financed by public funds both from the central government and local
self-government units, by citizens' funds and funds of banking institutions, which have a
commercial interest in this programme. The programme of state-subsidised housing
construction enables local self-government units to buy dwellings for social categories of
the population. Dwellings are allocated to poor citizens on the basis of a priority list, and
citizens pay subsidised rent.
The process of urban transition is expected to continue in Croatia, so it is predicted that a
part of small rural settlements will remain without permanent inhabitants in the future.
We plan to slow down this movement of the rural population to urban areas through
systematic measures such as creating favourable working conditions and enriching
connections between urban and rural settlements.
Mr. Chairperson,
Finally, I wish to emphasise that, Croatia shares the problems of other countries with
economies in transition, but is additionally burdened by ever present consequences of
war. However, the Government of the Republic of Croatia is successfully coping with
these challenges, and gradually implementing - the guiding principles of sustainable
development in the fields of water, sanitation and human settlements.
Let me conclude by pointing out that the outcome of this session should be based on the
implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda
21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation with concrete and realistic decisions in
the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements that can be implemented at all levels
- international, regional, sub-regional, national and local.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
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