public hearing on villages and small towns · in croatian rural areas brussels, 14 february 2017...
TRANSCRIPT
Tihana Stepinac Fabijanic
Vice President ECOVAST
ECOVAST Croatia: Developing Community Values in Croatian Rural Areas
Brussels, 14 February 2017
Public Hearing on Villages and Small Towns
ECOVAST - European Council for the Village and Small Townwww.ecovast.org
• 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 supportto 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
ECOVAST has active interest in:
- Rural development
- Heritage preservation/ buildings
- Cultural heritage/traditions
- ‘Sustainability and involvement of citizens in integrated rural development
- Landscape settingof villages and
small towns
ASSET – Action to Strengthen Small European Towns
Wittstock, Brandenburg DE 2008. Retz, Austria 2005.
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
• CROATIA
Regions- Hilly & Mountainous (central)- Flatlands (N/E)- Coastal & islands
Population4.2 mil, unemployment rate 15 %GDP per capita: purchasing power parity -
$13,800 (2 ½ less than EU )
Rural Croatiacc 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
SloveniaHungary
Italy
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Serbia
Austria
CROATIA: challenges and opportunities of rural areas
- one of the longest urban development traditions in Europe
- mainly influenced by the Mediterranean and Central Europeancultural 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
Rural problems: Small towns and villagesfaced decline of population and services
- Empty & derelict buildings - situation in many Croatian regions esp. mountainous areas, islands etc.
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)
How ECOVAST Croatian Sectiondeals with issues ofHERITAGE PROTECTION & RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
• Participating & influencingpolicies & regulations(e.g.Spatial Planning, Agriculture and Rural Development) – at State level (Ministries), regional programs (Counties) & local level (Municipalities)
• Networking through national, regional & localNGOs projects and activities for rural development (e.g. HMRR)
• Participating ininternational 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...
• ECOVAST Croatia Project: Revitalization and sustainable development of small towns and their hinterland -based on
ASSET -Action to Strengthen Small European Towns, ECOVAST International
International Conference – Samobor 2007
‘Small European towns – their role in development of rural areas and
heritage protection’
International conference – Mošćenice 2009
‘Revitalization of small historical towns and their
hinterland in Primorsko-goranska County’
International conference – Ivanić-Grad 2011
‘Models of managing processes of revitalization and development of
small towns’
Conference – Nin 2012.‘Creative use of potentials of small towns - example of historical
town of Nin’
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:
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)
• Bednja area – castles, scattered traditional hamlets & wooden houses
Problems in the area: remote, abandoned houses and hamlets; small number of inhabitants/ old
• Bednja area – cooperation on restoring traditional hamlets - new use of wood and thatch houses
• Bednja area – local volonteers at work on thatching
• Dalj – Erdut area:Traditional architecture in brick
Dalj – Erdut:Cooperation with local community, NGOs
• Dalj – Erdut:Restoring mud-brick house
• Dalj – Erdut:Education on traditional architecture –
brick making & repair with lime
• Dalj – Erdut:Restoring mud-brick house
Krk Island:Cooperation on presenting traditional folklore
& local customs
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
- conservationof variety of landscapes & nature/natural resources, biodiversity & natural heritage
- supporting cultural identity of village/small towns communities & human resources(young people)
Thank you for attention !
www.ecovast.hr