Building Circular Economy Capacities in the Western Balkans: a capacity-building programme
Building the capacity of the Western Balkan countries in the field of the circular economy
The Western Balkan countries intend to join the EU and so they need to align their circular economy policies and strategies with the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans also identifies the circular economy as one of the five pillars that are crucial for achieving net zero by 2050. This means that strengthening these countries' capacity to implement circular economy concepts and practices that go beyond waste management is key – and was the central objective of the Capacity Building on Circular Economy in the Western Balkans project.
The project covered Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. It was funded by the EEA Instrument for Pre-Accession and was carried out by the CSCP, VITO and the European Environment Agency (EEA).
VITO and the CSCP established what the six countries needed in terms of circular economy expertise, insights and practical examples. A capacity building programme was then designed and implemented. It aimed to build ownership and commitment among key experts and policy makers in the participating countries to promote and adopt circular economy principles. The programme addresssed multiple aspects, including stakeholder engagement for a circular economy, financial and non-financial circular economy incentives and how to monitor the circular economy at national and EU level.
The programme laid the groundwork for greater circularity in the Western Balkans and identified what needs to be done to ensure a successful transition from linear to circular consumption and production.
The project found that:
- most Western Balkan countries already have national strategies or action plans referring to circular economy implementation. However, more emphasis is needed on local projects to provide tangible examples and lessons for broader policymaking.
- steps are needed to boost the capacity of decision-makers and raise public awareness gaps. Setting up circular economy monitoring frameworks is a priority for the Western Balkan countries and requires deeper knowledge and expertise.
- financing is a critical enabler for progress.