ECOVAST Croatia: Developing Community Values in Croatian Rural Areas

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1 Brussels, 14 February 2017 Public Hearing on Villages and Small Towns Tihana Stepinac Fabijanic Vice President ECOVAST ECOVAST Croatia: Developing Community Values in Croatian Rural Areas

2 ECOVAST - European Council for the Village and Small Town pan-european NGO with National Sections in 10 European countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia) over 30 years experience in expert assistance and support to its members and to all European countries, especially to SEE partnership and cooperation with rural network organizations (e.g. PREPARE, CIVILSCAPE, EUROGITES, EUROPA NOSTRA, etc.) status in the Council of Europe - formerly active in INGOs (International Non Government Organizations) and relations with European Commission on rural development

3 ECOVAST has active interest in: - Rural development - Heritage preservation/ buildings - Cultural heritage/traditions - Sustainability and involvement of citizens in integrated rural development - Landscape setting of villages and small towns

4 ASSET Action to Strengthen Small European Towns Wittstock, Brandenburg DE Retz, Austria 2005.

5 Croatian Section of ECOVAST: - activities on heritage & landscape protection, rural development in villages & small towns - more than 20 years of collaboration with local communities, national organizations and institutions Makarska: International landscape project Samobor: Local planning & heritage

6 CROATIA Regions - Hilly & Mountainous (central) - Flatlands (N/E) - Coastal & islands Austria Slovenia Hungary Population 4.2mil, unemployment rate 15 % GDP per capita: purchasing power parity- $13,800(2 ½ less than EU ) Serbia Rural Croatia cc 43% of people live in rural Croatia, that covers more than 80% of the territory 6292 villages in Croatia of which 67% has less than 300 inhabitants Out of 43% of rural inhabitants only 5.5% do agriculture Of those 50% land owners have less than 0,5 ha Italy Bosnia & Herzegovina

7 CROATIA: challenges and opportunities of rural areas - one of the longest urban development traditions in Europe - mainly influenced by the Mediterranean and Central European cultural sphere - irregular characteristics - prevailing number of smaller towns falling behind after the main towns - in some regions lack of bigger centers and their uneven development - depopulation in most settlements, esp. in villages (young people fleeing away) - history of neglect & destroying of rural areas (esp.small farm owners, local producers, entrepreneurs) by communist regime, inflicted war & transition, privatization, globalization

8 Rural problems: Small towns and villages faced decline of population and services - Empty & derelict buildings - situation in many Croatian regions esp. mountainous areas, islands etc.

9 How could villages and small towns become catalysts for rural development in Croatia? - through EU policies & initiatives of DG Agri & DG Region directed to stakeholders in rural areas (esp. small farm producers & small entrepreneurs) - by political decision of national government - implementation of the CAP & respecting domestic producers & domestic market (no import, dumping prices) - through education in sustainability - with direct helping small initiatives, activities, projects, on local and regional level by (assistance, education, finances) e.g. LEADER programmes with LAGs - through organized expert help on all levels political & business, professional and voluntary, institutional & NGO - including young people in rural development (incentives)

10 How ECOVAST Croatian Section deals with issues of HERITAGE PROTECTION & RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Participating & influencing policies & regulations (e.g.spatial Planning, Agriculture and Rural Development) at State level (Ministries), regional programs (Counties) & local level (Municipalities) Networking through national, regional & local NGOs projects and activities for rural development (e.g. HMRR) Participating in international development projects mainly EU (formerly PHARE, SAPARD/ IPARD, LEADER etc.) following EU policies and strategies (e.g. CAP etc.) Participating and promoting projects e.g. ASSET project for small towns and other ECOVAST international activities Organizing events, conferences, workshops, exhibitions...

11 ECOVAST Croatia Project: Revitalization and sustainable development of small towns and their hinterland - based on ASSET - Action to Strengthen Small European Towns, ECOVAST International

12 International Conference Samobor 2007 Small European towns their role in development of rural areas and heritage protection

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14 International conference Mošćenice 2009 Revitalization of small historical towns and their hinterland in Primorsko-goranska County

15 International conference Ivanić-Grad 2011 Models of managing processes of revitalization and development of small towns

16 Conference Nin Creative use of potentials of small towns - example of historical town of Nin

17 Project Lički Osik from 2014 in cooperation with Gospić regional government and local school in Lički Osik (assisted by Croatian Chamber of Architects and Institute of Tourism) Publication:

18 ECOVAST Croatia challenges & opportunities regional examples involving local communities in heritage projects Zagorje hills Slavonian plains Kvarner coast ( Bednja area) (Dalj-Erdut area) (Krk island)

19 Bednja area castles, scattered traditional hamlets & wooden houses

20 Problems in the area: remote, abandoned houses and hamlets; small number of inhabitants/ old

21 Bednja area cooperation on restoring traditional hamlets - new use of wood and thatch houses

22 Bednja area local volonteers at work on thatching

23 Dalj Erdut area: Traditional architecture in brick

24 Dalj Erdut: Cooperation with local community, NGOs

25 Dalj Erdut: Restoring mud-brick house

26 Dalj Erdut: Education on traditional architecture brick making & repair with lime

27 Dalj Erdut: Restoring mud-brick house

28 Krk Island: Cooperation on presenting traditional folklore & local customs

29 Conclusion: Key elements for sustainable rural areas in Croatia - diversification of rural economy & development of qualified local/regional job-niches in rural areas - improved local offer of public/private services to the residents - reinforcement of rural areas with multifunctional solutions of housing (new use of old buildings), quality of living/working conditions & convenient resident s mobility - conservation of variety of landscapes & nature/natural resources, biodiversity & natural heritage - supporting cultural identity of village/small towns communities & human resources (young people)

30 Thank you for attention!