21.03.2019.
Last year, after HRK 12 million was granted to the citizens in matter of hours, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund announced the new Public Call that will be officially published in the Official Gazette on 3 April. The main information about the Call, as well as the Application Form, has been published today on the website of the Fund, so that all interested citizens can prepare in time for submitting the application.
“Having regard to the considerable interest and good financial performance of the Fund, we have increased the budget from last year’s HRK 12 million to HRK 17 million. The amount of incentives has remained the same. For the purchase of eco-vehicles, the citizens will be able to claim up to 40% of the value, meaning 80 thousand kunas for electric cars, up to 40 thousand kunas for plug-in hybrid cars (provided their CO2 emission is lower than 50 g/km), up to 20 thousand kunas for electric scooters, electric motorbikes and quad bikes, while 5 thousand kunas will be available for electric bicycles”, explained the director of the Fund. Only brand new vehicles are eligible for financing, which at the moment of introduction, import, or sale in the Republic of Croatia, or at an earlier moment, have not been registered, and in the case of electric bicycles, provided they have not been used.
The application procedure is simple – the completed Application Form, which is available on the Fund’s website, with handwritten signature has to be submitted to the Fund, together with a copy of the ID card, technical specifications of the vehicle listed in the offer, and the offer obtained from the car dealer. From 9 o’clock on 3 April, the documentation can be sent by registered mail or submitted in person to the Fund’s registration office. The applications will be reviewed chronologically, according to the date and time of receipt, noting that the applications received before the stated date will not be considered.
Mr. Ponoš asked of all those who decide to apply to closely scrutinise the required documentation. “The procedure and the content of the applications have been simplified to the maximum, and that is why we expect that all interested persons will complete and submit their applications in compliance with the terms and conditions of the public call”, said Mr. Ponoš. Everyone who submits the complete documentation within the available budget of HRK 17 million will get the co-financing agreement for the purchase of electric vehicle that has to be actualised within a period of one year. Ponoš explained that the beneficiaries will profit from this extension of the deadline to use the approved funding, which was 6 months last year, because in practice and considering delivery time limits, this period was too short in some instances.
Director of the Fund anticipates that the interest for the incentives worth 17 million kunas will be great. Last year, the Fund co-financed the purchase of around 400 electric cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and plug-in electric vehicles. Director Ponoš announced that this call will be followed by the public call for the co-financing of charging stations, and for the purchase of electric vehicles for the public and the private sector.
“Through various e-mobility programmes, the Fund is trying to encourage the transformation of the transport system into a cleaner and more sustainable one, which is a challenge that the entire Europe is currently facing. In the near future, charging stations will be a component part of development projects, and every new building will have them. Until then, it is up to us to adapt the existing system in the best possible way, so that the transition is as rapid and efficient as practicable”, concluded Mr. Ponoš.