As part of the project "Combining European Structural and Investment Funds and Public Private Partnerships", the Agency for Investments and Competitiveness as a Customer Institution, together with the ESCO Group Holder, organized an international conference on 11 April 2017. at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb.
The aim of the conference was to present to the interested public the public-private partnership as a form of contractual relationship between the public administration bodies and private sector entities with the aim of implementing infrastructure projects for the purpose of providing public services, while the target groups were interested in central and local level institutions, local self-government, relevant EU institutions and international and domestic advisory firms and financial institutions.
Mr. Damir Juričić, Deputy Director of the Agency for Investments and Competitiveness, Mr. Anton Kovačev, Head of the EIB Office in Zagreb and Mr. Velimir Žunac, State Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds, addressed Mr. Damir Juričić, Deputy Attorney at the introductory address.
Following their introductory remarks, Mr. Edward Farquharson, Chief Advisor, EIB / EPEC on "Combining Private Capital and EU Resources", and Robert Pernetta, Financial Instruments Advisor, EIB, on Financial Advisory instruments ".
In addition, a panel discussion was held under the title "New Financial Perspectives in the EU - Public Private Partnership, Structural and Cohesion Funds, Financial Instruments", whose moderator was Mr. Zvonimir Savić, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Director of the Financial Institutions Sector, business information and economic analysis, while the participants in the panel were Mrs. Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, Director of Regional Office, EBRD, Ph.D. Julije Domac, Director, Northwestern Croatia Regional Energy Agency, Mr. Robert Pernetta, Financial Instruments Advisor, EIB, Edward Farquharson, Chief Advisor, EIB / EPEC and Chief Financial Officer. Saša Drezgić from the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka.
At the end of the panel discussion the results of the project were presented by Dr. sc. Damir Juričić, Deputy Director, Investment and Competitiveness Agency and Mr. Goran Justinić, Mag.Eng., ESCO Group d.o.o. The latest presentation at the conference was on "Case Analysis - Combined Financing in Energy Efficiency and Smart Cities Projects" presented by Mr. Goran Justinić, M.Sc., ESCO Group d.o.o.