Kosor said that the EU would set aside EUR 2.2 billion for the first two years of Croatia's membership, plus special funds for agriculture amounting to EUR 670 million, and that as of 2014 Croatia would be entitled to receive annual funding worth EUR 1.6 billion.

"All our strategic priorities, such as improving transport infrastructure, water management, waste management, linking research and business, and improving business infrastructure, will receive concrete financial support following Croatia's admission to the EU," Kosor said.

For every investment in the said areas the EU will add three times more money, Kosor said.

Croatia is in the very final stage of its EU membership talks, and the government's determination is stronger than ever, particularly with regard to cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal, Kosor said, adding that the government "wants to know where documents requested by the chief prosecutor are".

Finance Minister Ivan Suker said Croatia was one of the few countries whose rate of utilisation of EU funds exceeded 90 percent.

At the time of the first generation of pre-accession funds, from 2004 to 2006, a total of 297 million euros was allocated, and through the new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) programme, from 2007 to 2011, EUR 750 million was allocated, Suker recalled.

EU funding provides an opportunity for economic recovery if we know how to use it, however, that does not depend only on the government, but on every municipality, town, county and private sector which must take advantage of the legislation prepared by the government, said Suker.

The purpose of today's presentation of EU funding opportunities, which is taking place at Zagreb's Mimara Museum, is to provide information on possibilities of using funds from EU accession programmes and on EU funds to be made available to Croatia after it joins the EU.