Implementation of waste management plans in Serbia 2013 workshop on Waste Policy Implementation May 2013 Copenhagen

Types of Authorities and Entities Authorities and entities responsible for waste management shall be the following: Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia; Autonomous Province; Local self-government unit; Environment Protection Agency; Professional organizations for waste testing; Non-governmental organizations, including consumers organizations; Other authorities and organizations, in compliance with law.

Current state In order to ensure waste management planning in the Republic of Serbia, the following planning documents shall be enacted: 1)Waste Management Strategy 2)National plans for specific waste streams; 3)Regional Waste Management Plan; 4)Local Waste Management Plan; 5)Waste management plan in IPPC establishment; 6)Operational plan for waste management facility.

National Waste Management Strategy The most important strategic document in the field of waste management in Serbia is the National Waste Management Strategy (2003) which provides conditions for rational and sustainable state- level waste management. Revised National waste strategy of Serbia is adopted in Implementation of basic waste management principles is set out in the strategic framework i.e. resolving waste related problems at the very location of waste generation, implementation of waste prevention principle, separate waste collection, hazardous waste neutralization, regional waste disposal solution and waste dump rehabilitation, provides implementation of basic EU waste management principles and prevents further environmental threats, enabling its preservation for the future generations.

Principle of hierarchy in waste management The following waste hierarchy shall apply as a priority order in waste prevention and management: a) prevention; b) preparing for re-use; c) recycling; d) other recovery, e.g. energy recovery; and e) disposal.

challenges Inadequate waste management is one of the most serious environmental problems in the Republic of Serbia. It is resulting mainly from previous inadequate approaches. High-costs, low levels of service and inadequate care for the environment are consequences of the poor organization of waste management.

challenges Serbia has aligned its legislation with the key EU policies on waste and hazardous waste management, introducing the principles of waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery (The Law on Waste Management, 2009 ). Serbia has substantially aligned its legislation with the EU acquis on packaging and packing waste (the Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste, 2009) and on specific waste streams. Implementation has started, but not yet entirely.

challenges We continue to export very large quantities of waste that have processing capacities in the country, primarily metals - iron and steel, aluminum and copper. Waste plastics is among imported wastes, although it is generated in sufficient quantities in the Republic of Serbia, but organized gathering doesnt exist. In the collection of packaging waste has started in accordance with the Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste.

According to Law on Waste, municipalities in Serbia are obliged to develop municipal waste management plans until Municipalities are also obliged to organize themselves into regions for waste management, and develop regional plans. The existing legislation defines local municipalities as the entities responsible for managing communal waste.

Local waste management plans (LWMP) insufficiently reflect the local situation and they usually do not set an optimal and complete solutions for the introduction of an integrated waste management at the local level

Researh activities have been conducted through implementation GIZ Project "IMPACT – Waste and waste water management in Serbia". Project was launched in January 2012, and It is financed by the German Federal Ministry for economic cooperation and is implemented in cooperation with Serbian Ministry. It was selected 15 municipalities to test their Plans based on criteria proposed (EC 2012)

main barriers The result of that research showed that some of them were written only pro-forma and do not legally prescribe obligations. It has happened that some municipality copies plans from another.

main barriers Plans could not be find on official web sites Responsible authorities are not often named Plans doesnt contain data of all waste streams as it is prescribed by WFD Data about waste streams are not reliable Not proper analysis for establish integrated waste management concept There is no link with other plans which could make problem in decision making process No harmonization with WFD 2008 in domain of waste hierarch, self- sufficiency and life cycle thinking principles Not any independent evaluation, nor criteria for evaluation established Not adequate public participation Not adequate consultancy process Not any analysis of economics instruments

suggestions Implement and upgrade existing national waste management strategies related to WFD 2008 requirements with introduction of waste hierarchy, the self-sufficiency and proximity principles, as well as life cycle thinking and waste planning Establish Criteria for evaluation of waste management plans before adoption. The criteria can be used by competent authorities as a model and guidelines for the development and/or revision of waste- management plans Establish independent evaluation Commission at National/Regional level for evaluation

suggestions It is necessary to effectively implement the national program of integrated waste management at all levels, especially at the local level, meaning that recycling processes fully take root at the level of municipalities and cities (especially municipal waste separation processes in households). Special attention at the local level must be given to building a collection centers for recyclable materials. Recycling waste is emerging as a business, which has increasing strategic significance for the domestic economy as a whole. Seen from the perspective of protection and improvement of environment, recycling is becoming increasingly inevitable activity for the domestic economy and society as a whole, due to problems with the waste that we face every day, and environmental degradation that is caused by their inadequate depositing.

Thank you