The County President of Krapina-Zagor, Želj Kolar, met on 13 October 2026 in Brussels with Member of the European Parliament Matjaž Nemec. The meeting took place as part of the delegation’s stay at the European Week of Regions and Cities.
Kolar and Nemec discussed the future long-term budget of the European Union, European financial priorities, and the potential for further use of EU funds for the region’s development. The meeting was held in light of Nemec’s experience in drawing up the 2026 EU budget, during which, as the Parliament’s rapporteur, he led negotiations with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.
Krapina-Zagor County is currently in the process of drawing up new strategic documents, among which the new development plan stands out. The preparation of these strategic documents will once again be based on alignment with European guidelines and development priorities.
The county president stated that Krapina-Zagor had been the most successful Croatian county in drawing down EU funds in the recent period. He highlighted that between 2021 and 2024, the county had drawn down nearly €100 million, with one in every eight euros drawn by Croatian counties going to their region.
Discussions are ongoing regarding the future long-term EU budget for the period 2028 to 2034. According to the draft presented by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the proposed amount for the future budget framework is approximately €1.825 trillion, which is €160 billion less than the previous proposal.
A total of €837.33 billion is proposed for national and regional reform plans. From this proposed amount, various priorities would be funded, including cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy, social policy, fisheries, and maritime policy, as well as internal affairs.
Attending the meeting was the head of the county administrative department responsible for public procurement and EU funds, Vlatka Mlakar. The meeting was also attended by the director of the Krapina-Zagor County Entrepreneurship Centre, Helena Matuš.
