First 2021-2027 Subsidy Contract signed
In Osijek, within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Hungary-Croatia Programme, Domagoj Mikulić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, handed over the very first Subsidy Contract of the 2021-2027 programming period to one of the strategic (OSI) projects, with the short title MOSQUITOLAB.
Alongside the State Secretary, the contract award ceremony was attended by the Prefect of Osječko-baranjska County, Nataša Tramišak; the Director of the Directorate for European Territorial Cooperation at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Stella Arneri; and the Director of the Public Health Institute of Osječko-baranjska County, Nataša Turić.
The MOSQUITOLAB project, with 4.9 million Euros of EU contribution, will enable the developing of innovative methods for reducing the mosquito population, thereby significantly improving the quality of life of local inhabitants.
The Lead Partner in the project is the Public Health Institute of Osječko-baranjska County, while the project partners from Hungary are the University of Pécs and the city management company of Pécs (BIOKOM). The project will last 48 months, during which, among other activities, a Mosquito Control Centre (MCC) will be built in Osijek.
The MCC will serve as a place for collaboration, research and development between Croatian and Hungarian partners, with the aim of establishing control and prevention measures for mosquito outbreaks using state-of-the-art sterile insect technology (SIT). Due to climate change, invasive mosquito species that transmit diseases not previously present in these regions are increasingly appearing in Hungary and Croatia, particularly in areas around the Kopački Rit Nature Park and along the rivers.
Until now, mosquito control in these areas has primarily relied on spraying toxic chemical agents, which poses risks to the entire ecosystem, including animals and people alike. Thanks to the MOSQUITOLAB project and its SIT method, sterilized male mosquitoes will be bred in Osijek, at the newly established MCC, in cooperation with the Hungarian partners. This method is far more effective than spraying, and is also more friendly to the environment.
MOSQUITOLAB is an excellent example of a cross-border project that addresses common challenges, fosters community connections, and strengthens cooperation in areas that know no borders – such as climate change adaptation, environmental protection and public health.
