Croatia sets EUR 25 million in incentives for energy poor households

Croatia has earmarked EUR 25 million for households at risk of energy poverty. They will use the funds for the energy renovation.

The subsidies for households at risk of energy poverty are part of a EUR 652 million package for 2025 launched by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (EPEEF or FZOEU). The incentives will be used for renewable energy sources, decarbonization of the district heating system and road traffic, and waste management.

The fund launched a public call for expressions of interest in using subsidies for energy efficiency measures.

Energy poverty is an increasingly important issue because the number of affected households is rising. They are struggling to cover the bills for electricity, gas and heating as the energy transition and energy crisis lifted prices.

Many governments have introduced measures to fix the issue. For example, Slovenia has adopted an action plan for the reduction of energy poverty, which foresees almost EUR 34 million for measures in the period 2024-2026.

Croatia adopted the definition of energy poverty this year

Until this year, Croatia had no official definition of energy poverty. It was included in the changes to the law on energy efficiency.

The legislation defines an energy-poor household as one that doesn’t have access to basic energy services to ensure a basic standard of living and health.

The requirements are suitable heating, hot water, cooling, lighting, and energy to power household appliances. There is a combination of causes of deficits in the said segments. Among them are weak purchasing power, insufficient income, high energy costs, poor energy performances of buildings, and low energy efficiency, according to the public call.

FZOEU invited citizens to fill out a questionnaire and send photos

A European household is said to be at risk of energy poverty if it spends more than 10% of its income on energy.

The funding scheme for natural persons is for measures and investments in energy efficiency and decarbonization of heating and cooling at family houses.

FZOEU seeks to receive information from citizens through questionnaires and photo documentation. The aim is to help the body define the details of a public call for granting subsidies, scheduled to be issued by mid-year.

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April 29, 2025

by AEA in News

European Commission launches call for investment in green transition, critical raw materials in Western Balkans

As part of its Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the European Commission has invited private businesses from the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA), and the region itself to express interest in investing in sectors including the green transition, critical raw materials, sustainable transportation, and digitalization.

The objective is to open a dialogue on concrete investment opportunities and identify ways to overcome related constraints in the Western Balkans region, according to the call for expressions of interest.

Although financial support is not guaranteed, the European Commission could potentially back some projects with its available policy, technical, and financial instruments. It may also facilitate contact with partner financial institutions for potential financial cooperation on eligible projects.

Financial support is not guaranteed, but some projects could be backed by the European Commission or referred to financial institutions

Proposed investments must take place in one or more of the following economies: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The minimum investment threshold is EUR 10 million, and the required participation by the project promoter is at least 15% of the total value of the investment project.

The deadline to submit expressions of interest is May 21

The first phase of the call is open for submissions until May 21, but it may be reopened for subsequent phases, depending on the number and scope of submissions received.

Investment in green transition, critical raw materials, sustainable transportation

The priority areas are based on the strategic priorities of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), focusing on key economic sectors where foreign investment is needed.

In the area of the green transition, investments are required in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and innovative energy technologies in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, foster a circular economy, mitigate climate change, and modernize energy, water, wastewater treatment, and waste management infrastructure, according to the call.

Ensuring environmentally responsible access to critical raw materials

When it comes to critical raw materials, investments are needed to ensure reliable and environmentally responsible access to such materials, in order to support the development of key industries across all supply chain stages, according to the European Commission.

The other areas envisaged by the call are sustainable transportation, including urban mobility; the digital transition, including the roll-out of 5G; integration into the EU industrial supply chains; sustainable tourism; human capital development; and impact finance, including setting up private funds to invest in projects with a strong green and/or social impact.

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