The Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA), established in 2007, is one of the bodies within the management system of the European Union funded programmes and projects in the Republic of Croatia.
Within the Structural Instruments implementation system, the CFCA has been given a role of one of the intermediate bodies level 2 (IB2). The CFCA performed the assigned role in the Financial Perspective 2007 – 2013 for the entire Operational Programme “Regional Competitiveness” and partially for the Operational Programme “Transport” and Operational Programme “Environment”.
Within the ESI funds implementation system, in the Financial Perspective 2014 – 2020, the CFCA acts as one of the intermediate bodies in the Operational Programme “Competitiveness and Cohesion” (OPCC).
The managing authority for the OPCC is the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds (MRDEUF).
The total allocation for the OPCC exceeds 51 billion HRK from which the allocation for the priority axes where the CFCA performs the role of IB2 exceeds 26 billion HRK. The value of contracts currently under implementation amounts to over 20 billion HRK.
A detailed review of the functions delegated to the CFCA as IB2 is available in the Regulation on Amendments to the Regulation on the Management and Control System of the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, concerning the “Investment for Growth and Jobs” goal, but in the broadest sense, intermediate bodies level 2 are responsible for the verification of the execution of contractual obligations and the control of the eligibility of expenditures.
In the OPCC, the CFCA performs the role of IB2 in the following priority axes and priority investments:
Priority axis 1. Strengthening the Economy Through Research and Innovation»
- Enhancing research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure and capacities to develop R&I excellence, and promoting centres of competence, in particular those of European interest
- Promoting business investment in R&I, developing links and synergies between enterprises, R&I centres and the higher education sector, in particular promoting investment in product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation, public service applications, demand stimulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through smart specialisation, technological strengthening and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production, in particular in Key enabling technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies
Priority axis 2. Use of Information and Communication Technologies»
- Extending broadband deployment and the roll-out of high-speed networks and supporting the adoption of emerging technologies and networks for the digital economy
- Strengthening ICT applications for e-government, e-learning, e-inclusion, e-culture and e-health
Priority axis 3. Business Competitiveness»
- Promoting entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators
Priority axis 4. Promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources»
- Supporting energy efficiency, smart energy management and renewable energy use in public infrastructure, including in public buildings, and in the housing sector
Priority axis 6. Environmental Protection and Sustainability of Resources»
- Conserving, protecting, promoting and developing natural and cultural heritage
- Taking action to improve the urban environment, to revitalise cities, regenerate and decontaminate brownfield sites (including conversion areas), reduce air pollution and promote noise-reduction measures
Priority axis 7. Connectivity and Mobility»
- Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T
- Enhancing regional mobility by connecting secondary and tertiary nodes to TEN-T infrastructure, including multimodal nodes
- Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T
- Developing and improving environmentally-friendly (including low-noise) and low-carbon transport systems, including inland waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure, in order to promote sustainable regional and local mobility
- Developing and rehabilitating comprehensive, high quality and interoperable railway systems, and promoting noise reduction measures
- Priority axis 8. Social Inclusion and Health
- Investing in health and social infrastructure which contributes to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultural and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services
- Providing support for physical, economic and social regeneration of deprived communities in urban and rural areas
Priority Axis 8. Social Inclusion and Health»
- Investing in health and social infrastructure which contributes to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultural and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services
- Providing support for physical, economic and social regeneration of deprived communities in urban and rural areas
Priority axis 9. Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning»
- Investing in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning by developing education and training infrastructure
Priority axis 10. Technical Assistance»
In the previous Financial Perspective (2007 – 2013), the CFCA as IB2, monitored the implementation of more than 300 individual contracts valued more than 2,18 billion HRK whose beneficiaries were from different fields of work: SMEs, faculties and universities, local self-government units, as well as ministries and public agencies.
As the Implementing Agency for the IPA component I programme and the Transition Facility, the CFCA is responsible for the overall management of funds, procurement and tendering procedures, contracting, payments, accounting and reporting within the decentralized implementation system of the EU funded programmes in Croatia.
Directly related to its role of Implementing Body, the CFCA performs the role of the Twinning Administrative Office within the framework of the IPA component I and the Transition Facility for all Twinning and Twinning light projects implemented in the Republic of Croatia.
The CFCA, along with the abovementioned role of Implementing Body and Intermediate Body Level 2, implements training programmes for beneficiary institutions of the IPA component I programme and the Transition Facility and grant beneficiaries.
In total, from 2007 until the end of 2018, more than 1900 contracts were signed under the competence of the CFCA valued over 28 billion HRK.
Vision
Supporting growth with excellence in EU funds management.
Mission
To ensure legality of EU investments in Croatia and provide good quality service to our clients.
Managing structure of the Agency
The bodies of the Agency consist of the Management Board and the Director of the Agency. The Management Board manages the operations of the Agency and it consists of the President of the Board and two Board members. The establishing authority of the Agency is the Republic of Croatia.
The establishing rights and duties, on behalf of the establishing authority, are performed by the ministry in charge of regional development and EU funds.
History of the CFCA
The CFCA was established by the Regulation on the Establishment of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (OG No. 90/2007; OG No. 114/2007; OG No. 29/2012; OG No. 56/2013; OG No. 24/2016) for the purpose of implementation of the European Union programmes in the Republic of Croatia.
The responsibilities of the CFCA are determined by the Regulation, which regulates the assumption of all rights and obligations from the Department for Financing EU Assistance Programmes and Projects – Central Finance and Contracting Unit within the Ministry of Finance. As the contracting authority in charge of pre-accession assistance programmes, the CFCA was responsible for contracting projects within the first generation programmes (CARDS, PHARE and ISPA).
In the management and control system of structural instruments for the financial period 2007 – 2013, the CFCA performed the role of Intermediate Body Level 2 within the framework of Operational Programmes: “Regional Competitiveness“, “Transport“ and “Environment“.
