Letter sent to the Ministry of Agriculture, attn minister Tihomir Jakovina

Here are the following proposals of measures that the Croatian Wood Cluster has repeatedly emphasized:

1. Substitution of vertical supports by new programs intended for the wood industry; It is necessary to implement special programs for the wood industry:

• Energy effi ciency of wooden products / windows and pellets as a means of incentives;
• Support for the timber industry through the Rural development programme;
• Elaboration of specifi c support for the performance of the wood industry on the foreign markets;
• To continue with the “Wood is fi rst” project and its expansion in SEE countries;

2. Adoption of the regulation on the obligation of the Government to incorporate eco-products in public procurement;
3. To continue with the activities on the adoption of the Wood Processing Law;
4. Improvement of relationships with “Croatian Forests Ltd”
5. Achieving the consensus in the sector
6. Getting special – strategic – status in Croatian economy;

• Changes of the proposal of the Industrial Strategy and change of status from that of “keeper” to that of “driver”;
• Strengthening the reputation of the sector through the signing National declarations on the forest and wood;
• Organizing the thematic sessions on the wood industry at the Croatian Parliament;
• Meeting with the Faculty of Forestry and vocational high schools about improving the education system in the sector;
• Establishing the central government body for coordination of sector development

7. More intense activities in Brussels

Zagreb 31th March 2014.

Croatian Wood Cluster

Darko Prodan, President / Cedar Ltd.
Igor Josip Lescic, Vice President / Drvoproizvod Inc.
Daniel Smiljanic, Vice President / Pan parket Ltd.
Franjo Mihelcic, Vice President / Lokve Ltd.
Marijan Kavran, VR Director