The possibility of attracting financial resources from European funds is an opportunity for economic growth at the regional level if the contracted projects achieve the priority goals of operational programs, as well as the human resources development strategies goals of each region. The Human Resources Development Strategy, implemented in the legislation of the European Union, is a fundamental guideline towards structural reforms, and investing in human capital is a precondition for a sustainable economic recovery. According to economic and social indicators, the area of Slavonia and Baranja lags behind other parts of the Republic of Croatia, which indicates the need to revitalise this area by strengthening infrastructure and human resources. Financial resources from European funds are an opportunity, a challenge and a responsibility for project contractors and competent authorities at regional and national level. In this paper, mapping and analysis of contracted projects within the financial period from 2014 to 2020 will be done. Special emphasis is on the Operational Program Effective Human Resources from the chosen period for the area of Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem, Požega-Slavonia, BrodPosavina and Virovitica-Podravina counties. The contract structure will be analyzed through the four priority axes of this program (employment, social inclusion, education and lifelong learning and public administration), investment priorities and specific goals. In order to assess the intensity and success of the implementation of EU-funded projects, as well as taking into account the human and economic resources of each county, the research will also include contracting projects under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion, Operational Program for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Rural Development Program in other Croatian counties.