The first initiatives in environmental protection emerged at the beginning of this century through actions aimed at protecting Croatia's natural and cultural heritage. The result of these activities was the establishment of Croatia's first national parks, Velebit and Plitvice Lakes, in 1928. The Croatian Society of Natural Sciences began with the magazine Nature as early as 1911. And the Croatian Ecological Society has been popularizing environmental issues since 1969.
During the 1970s and 1980s, many new environmental groups emerged that consisted largely of scientists and experts. More pronounced activism was brought about by the Section for Environmental Protection of the Socialist Union of Workers. Although politically controlled, the Section did have some measure of success gathering and utilizing experts and raising public awareness. In the last few years, many organizations have been founded by concerned citizens, some of which believed in the need for an umbrella organization. This led to the establishment of the Croatian Green Alliance in 1990, an organization that represented most environmental NGOs at that time and now has grown to represent about 60 NGOs.
According to the Regional Environmental Center's NGO Directory, there are more than 180 environmental groups operating in Croatia; one-third of them are located in Zagreb and most of the newer ones are located in smaller towns and villages. According to the NGO Directory, NGOs are active in 74 different locations throughout Croatia. In Zagreb, there are several advanced groups such as Green Action Zagreb and Svanimir. More than twenty organizations, such as the Society for the Protection of Waters and Seas and the Society for Soil Studies, are professional NGOs. These organizations are located in Zagreb, though they have members across the country, and deal mainly with pollution-related issues. It is also important to mention the Croatian Green Alliance, which has brought together ecological organizations, professional societies and other nonpolitical organizations with ecological programs that are active in the Republic of Croatia. According to its statute the Alliance supports and coordinates member activities, and stimulates the establishment of new organizations. Unfortunately, because of unstable financial conditions, the Alliance does not have professional personnel working full time or permanent facilities. Regardless, the Alliance creates a basic network for a significant number of NGOs. Several organizations, such as Lijepa Nasa and Young Nature KeepersÑCroatian Society of Natural Sciences, have branches across the country but are more or less centralized. Other organizations, like the Croatian Mountaineering Association and the Scout Association of Croatia, include environmental protection themes in their activities.
Nongovernmental organizations still register according to the Law on Citizen's Associations and Social Organizations that was passed in 1982. It has been amended and changed several times over the years, with the latest version dating from 1990. The Ministry of Public Administration is responsible for developing the new Law on Associations, but this much-needed legislation is still unavailable. The public had an opportunity to comment on the draft version of the law, and criticism was voiced on everything from the general framework to specific provisions and acts. NGOs from different fields tried to influence the development of legislation that would define their future, the most notable work having been done by The Center for Development of Nonprofit Organizations (CERANEO). Critics concluded that the law was not drawn up properly, and that similar laws in developed countries were not used as benchmarks.
One of the most crucial issues for the development and existence of the non-profit sector is the question of tax deductions. Unfortunately, existing tax regulations do not grant tax relief to NGOs (except those associated with cultural activities), a situation that differs from most other CEE countries in transition. The general opinion of the current government is that funds should be collected and distributed by the state: a former minister of finance publicly labeled tax deductions as a money laundering device.
The Law on Environmental Protection (1994) is a base regulation for strategic documents such as the national strategy, programs and reports on the state of the environment. This law also relates to future regulations that would create a legislative base for increased public involvement in environmental affairs. According to certain existing regulations, the public is supposed to be involved in some decisionmaking processes, such as plan and program development. For example, as a result of public debate on the Zagreb municipal incinerator and the efforts of Green Action, the project was postponed until all the issues revolving around waste management had been addressed and solved. When the REC published its Manual for Public Participation in the Croatian language, the response was enormously positive, not only among green NGOs and individuals, but also among governmental institutions and NGOs working in other fields.
Currently, there is no legislative support for obligatory cooperation between governmental and nongovernmental organizations, or for the participation of NGOs in the decisionmaking process. There is some cooperation in the environmental sphere, but it has not been institutionalized and is limited to individual cases. Where it does exist, cooperation usually takes place with the State Directorate for Environment. Significant documents are presented and discussed by experts and NGOs, and special teams are organized when NGOs are able to participate in the preparation and development of major documents. The State Directorate for Environment cooperates with NGOs on certain projects, such as Earth Day celebrations and the publication of books (Agenda 21, Two Minutes for Green Planet, War Destruction in Croatia), and provides support in the form of expertise and finances.
It is interesting to note that 54 percent of the respondents receive their financial support from national private donations or from domestic foundations. Because domestic environmental foundations do not exist, it is possible to conclude that NGOs think of financial support as distinct from activities of their members or supporters. Furthermore, for 68 percent of the surveyed NGOs, international foundations are not a source of financing. Thirteen percent admitted that foreign and international support contributes between 25 percent and 50 percent of their budgets, and the REC partially finances 53 percent of Croatian NGOs. Not surprisingly, every Croatian NGO believes that external support is either of the utmost importance (39 percent) or is somewhat important (61 percent).
Almost half of NGOs (48 percent) do not have any contacts with NGOs from other countries. What cooperation does exist is based largely on information exchange or personal contacts, and to a smaller extent on conducting joint projects. Relationships with governments, both at the national and local levels, are rare. Cooperation with local governments is much better: only 15 percent of NGOs do not cooperate with local authorities. Over half of all NGOs (53 percent) do not communicate with the national government. Many NGOs believe that effective cooperation with governments is an important factor for their success, followed by cooperation among Croatian, international and Western NGOs.
More than half of Croatian NGOs have received some sort of financial support from the REC. According to the survey, a total of 132 REC grants were given to 67 different NGOs. Thirty-two NGOs received a Local Grant more than once, with the maximum being seven times. Eight projects from six NGOs received REC Earmarked Grants, and 11 NGOs received Danube Grants.
NGOs graded the REC as very helpful and partially helpful most often as an international or Western organization that financially supported NGOs. Other organizations that were mentioned repeatedly include SOROS, WWF and GreenPeace. It is obvious, then, that the REC is the main financial supporter of environmental NGOs in Croatia, a fact that has been confirmed by private conversations with NGOs members. A similar conclusion can be reached with regards to services, such as technical support, consulting, administrative support, campaigns, information dissemination, education and networking.
The financial position of Croatian NGOs is very weak. Environmental NGOs do not have the basic resources necessary to carry out the smallest tasks. Most NGOs work with less than USD 5,000 per year. Due to the difficult economic circumstances, membership fees are not sufficient for NGOs to carry out their work effectively. Possibilities for securing the necessary funding through other activities (such as collecting money or selling newsletters) are severely limited. Most NGOs are dependent on external sources of funding.
The legal environment is not conducive to building an effective NGO sector. The legal and economic incentives that have been introduced elsewhere to support the nonprofit sector are still absent in Croatia. Donations to NGOs should be tax-deductible, but this is not currently the case. Cooperation between NGOs and governmental organizations hasn't been institutionalized, and limited cooperation among NGOs themselves has weakened their position in dialogues with the government. It is important for NGOs to organize themselves effectively in order to influence the development of legislation that defines their future work, and on this matter the REC Local Office will continue to cooperate with The Center for Development of Nonprofit Organizations.
The presence of a REC Local Office in Croatia's capital is of great significance to many NGOs. The REC Local Office has become a focal point for environmental NGOs, and many consider it to be a traditional partner. Through the Local Grants Program, the REC is a major source of financial support for Croatian NGOs. It is also a very important source of information on environmental issues for domestic and foreign organizations, journalists, businesses, foundations and all other individuals and groups interested in environment and nature issues.
