Project Description
A sovereign guaranteed loan to Hrvatske Autoceste d.o.o., consisting of two tranches as follows:
Tranche A: a committed tranche in the amount of up to EUR 35.7 million to finance construction of the 17.5 km section on Corridor Vc between the town of Beli Manastir and Halasica Bridge, as well as purchase and installation of the relevant motorway equipment;
Tranche B: an uncommitted tranche in the amount of up to EUR 19.3 million to finance construction of the 5 km motorway section between the town of Beli Manastir and the Hungarian border. The commitment of the Tranche B will be at the Bank's sole discretion.
Project Objectives
Construction of the remaining sections on the Corridor Vc in Croatia, including: (i) a motorway section between Halasica Bridge and town of Beli Manastir, and (ii) a motorway section between the town of Beli Manastir and the Hungarian Border. The project will support regional integration and encourage introduction of inclusive procurement practices.
The project is complementing the Bank's ongoing financing of the sections of the Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina, earlier financing of the Corridor Vc in Croatia as well as Croatian Port of Ploce, the maritime gateway for the Corridor Vc.
Transition Impact
The transition impact for the Project is expected to come from (a) an improved regional integration and connectivity, through facilitation of material improvements in the infrastructure connecting Croatia (including its Slavonia and Baranja county) with the other countries in the region, and (b) introduction of inclusive procurement practices to open up work-based learning opportunities for young people.
Client Information
HRVATSKE AUTOCESTE DOO
Hrvatske autoceste d.o.o. is a Croatian state-owned limited liability company in charge of management, construction and maintenance of the motorways.
EBRD Finance Summary
EUR 55,000,000.00
Sovereign guaranteed loan of up to EUR 55 million
Total Project Cost
EUR 158,400,000.00
Total project cost in the amount of EUR 158.4 million
Environmental and Social Summary
Categorised A (ESP 2014). The project involves the construction of a new 22.5 km motorway section between the border with Hungary and Halasica Bridge (over Karasica River) on Motorway A5 inclusive of road crossings, roadside service facilities (RSF), interchanges, toll gates and parallel roads. The motorway is divided into two lots: the 17.5 km long section Beli Manastir - Osijek and the 5km long section Hungarian Border - Beli Manastir. The project will be implemented by the Highways Agency (HAC). Environmental and social due diligence (ESDD) was carried out by an independent consultant which included a review of the EIA prepared to meet national requirements in Croatia. The following documents were disclosed in May 2019: an overarching Non-Technical Summary (NTS) covering all components of the Project, a national corridor-level Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) originally disclosed in 2016, Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework (LARF), Supplementary Lenders Information Package (SLIP), Framework Environmental and Social Management Plan (F-ESMP) and Health and Safety Management Plan (F-HSMP).
The project was subject to the national EIA process for each respective lot in 2003 and 2004, which was supplemented by an updated Environmental Impact Study (EIS) in 2016 and received a positive decision from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy in 2017. ESDD confirmed that the project is compliant with the national environmental requirements and the project preparation activities included consideration of technically and financially viable alternatives with active participation of local communities.
HAC has implemented an integrated management system certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001:2017 (and is planning to recertify to ISO 45001). It has a Human Resources Department and relevant policies in place that set out the approach for managing their workforce. Workers have several channels available for raising workplace concerns. Approximately 80% of employees are members of the Labour Union. 18.8% of all employees in HAC are women. EBRD's requirements in regards to labour management and working conditions during construction will be included in Works Tender Documents and Contracts for the Project.
The Project will implement pollution prevention and control measures in line with national and EU standards. ESMPs and HSMPs, for construction and operation will include defined requirements for monitoring, in-water and near-water works, waste management, spoil disposal, borrow sites, spill response and groundwater protection.
The total land required for the project is circa 260 ha, affecting approximately 560 land parcels, predominantly of privately-owned cultivated land. The land acquisition process, commenced in 2010, is at an advanced stage for section "Halasica Bridge to Beli Manastir and the overall completeness of the process is 90%. Further land acquisition for the Hungarian border - Beli Manastir section, is required"and may result in economic displacement. The alignment has avoided residential structures, and there is no physical displacement. The Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework (LARF) has been developed and disclosed in line with EBRD PR 5 requirements and it also includes the requirement to assess the land acquisition completed in the past and identify any remedial measures required to achieve compliance with EBRD's PRs. A detailed Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan will be prepared for the Hungarian border - Beli Manastir" section when the design is developed in sufficient detail and will be covenanted in the Loan Agreement.
The alignment does not cross any protected or biodiversity sensitive areas. Potential biodiversity impacts may be related to large quantities of sand material to be acquired from River Drava for embankment construction. An additional Biodiversity Impact Assessment will be conducted by an independent expert prior to extraction of materials to identify the potential presence of species and/or habitats of conservation importance that may need to be protected in accordance with national and EU requirements. Despite project alignment being located in the flood plain of the Drava River, relevant risk assessments undertaken as part of the 2016 EIS have shown limited risks to the project. A Road Safety Audit will be undertaken on the detailed design and is captured in the ESAP.
A Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) has been prepared for the project and includes requirements for public engagement during the pre-construction and construction period, including awareness raising activities with the local communities on community health and safety and the grievance mechanism for the project.
An Environmental and Social Action Plan has been disclosed and includes requirements for a project-specific construction and operation Environmental and Social Management Plan and a Health and Safety Management Plan, Traffic Management Plan, additional Biodiversity Impact Assessment, UXO chance finds procedure, chance finds procedures, public grievance mechanism and implementation of the SEP.
The Bank will evaluate the Project's environmental and social performance in accordance with the Bank's Performance Requirements through review of reports and monitoring visits.
Technical Cooperation and Grant Financing
Technical cooperation to be provided to support the Company and its contractors in design and implementation of the inclusive procurement practices.
Company Contact Information
Mr Igor Guja
igor.guja@hac.hr
Sirolina 4 10 000 Zagreb
PSD last updated
11 Feb 2020
Understanding Transition
Further information regarding the EBRD’s approach to measuring transition impact is available here.
Business opportunities
For business opportunities or procurement, contact the client company.
For business opportunities with EBRD (not related to procurement) contact:
Tel: +44 20 7338 7168
Email: projectenquiries@ebrd.com
For state-sector projects, visit EBRD Procurement:
Tel: +44 20 7338 6794
Email: procurement@ebrd.com
General enquiries
Specific enquiries can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
Environmental and Social Policy (ESP)
The ESP and the associated Performance Requirements (PRs) set out the ways in which the EBRD implements its commitment to promoting “environmentally sound and sustainable development”. The ESP and the PRs include specific provisions for clients to comply with the applicable requirements of national laws on public information and consultation as well as to establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of stakeholders’ concerns and grievances, in particular, about environmental and social performance of the client and the project. Proportionate to the nature and scale of a project’s environmental and social risks and impacts, the EBRD additionally requires its clients to disclose information, as appropriate, about the risks and impacts arising from projects or to undertake meaningful consultation with stakeholders and consider and respond to their feedback.
More information on the EBRD’s practices in this regard is set out in the ESP.
Integrity and Compliance
The EBRD's Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) promotes good governance and ensures that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all activities of the Bank in accordance with international best practice. Integrity due diligence is conducted on all Bank clients to ensure that projects do not present unacceptable integrity or reputational risks to the Bank. The Bank believes that identifying and resolving issues at the project assessment approval stages is the most effective means of ensuring the integrity of Bank transactions. OCCO plays a key role in these protective efforts, and also helps to monitor integrity risks in projects post-investment.
OCCO is also responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in EBRD-financed projects. Anyone, both within or outside the Bank, who suspects fraud or corruption should submit a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer by email to compliance@ebrd.com. All matters reported will be handled by OCCO for follow-up. All reports, including anonymous ones, will be reviewed. Reports can be made in any language of the Bank or of the Bank's countries of operation. The information provided must be made in good faith.
Access to Information Policy (AIP)
The AIP sets out how the EBRD discloses information and consults with its stakeholders so as to promote better awareness and understanding of its strategies, policies and operations following its entry into force on 1 January 2020. Please visit the Access to Information Policy page to find out what information is available from the EBRD website.
Specific requests for information can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM)
If efforts to address environmental, social or public disclosure concerns with the Client or the Bank are unsuccessful (e.g. through the Client’s Project-level grievance mechanism or through direct engagement with Bank management), individuals and organisations may seek to address their concerns through the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM).
IPAM independently reviews Project issues that are believed to have caused (or to be likely to cause) harm. The purpose of the Mechanism is: to support dialogue between Project stakeholders to resolve environmental, social and public disclosure issues; to determine whether the Bank has complied with its Environmental and Social Policy or Project-specific provisions of its Access to Information Policy; and where applicable, to address any existing non-compliance with these policies, while preventing future non-compliance by the Bank.
Please visit the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism webpage to find out more about IPAM and its mandate; how to submit a Request for review; or contact IPAM via email ipam@ebrd.com to get guidance and more information on IPAM and how to submit a request.
