MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF SERBIAN CITIZENS BELIEVE THAT WASTE SEPARATION PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is applying for funding on behalf of local authorities from the EU, other donors, and the state budget. The EU has invested € 435,000,000 (2007-2021) in national, regional, and local projects in the area of environmental protection. Here is what Sandra Dokić, Assistant Minister of Environmental Protection in the Government of Serbia, says for the "EU za tebe" portal.

- These investments focused on construction (e.g., wastewater treatment systems and sewage networks in Nis, Raska, and Kraljevo), and on the procurement of goods (e.g., this project of domestic waste separation in 17 municipalities), and the support of experts in all types of projects.

One of those is the Pilot Project for household waste separation in four regions in Serbia - Duboko, Pirot, Srem - Macva, and Pancevo, which officially began on May 30 in Sremska Mitrovica as the beginning of the celebration of the European Green Week in Serbia. The all-day event was opened by the head of the European Union delegation in Serbia Emanuel Giofre, but also by the Serbian Ministers of Ecology and European Integration, Irena Vujovic and Jadranka Joksimovic, as well as city leaders.

We asked our interlocutor if she could imagine citizens of Serbia, as Europeans, separating household and communal waste daily?

 - Of course! Laws and standards of Serbia, as well as EU standards, require (prescribe) waste separation, says Dokic. - Public opinion research within the project shows that over 90% of Serbian citizens believe that waste separation contributes to reducing pollution and that it should be applied.

Without the help of the EU, would Serbia be able to implement projects such as the Household Waste Separation Project in these four regions?

 - Serbia can and does implement its investment project, but it also benefits greatly from cooperating with international partners such as the EU. Cooperation is not based solely on financial contribution, but also on leveraging experiences and technologies that have been applied in other countries.

Are authorities waiting for the results of this project to implement it on the entire territory?

- No. Waste separation activities have already been identified in certain documents, such as the recently adopted Waste Management Program of the Republic of Serbia (2022-2031). The practical experience of this project will be very useful; however, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is already planning future investments in several municipalities and several regions for waste management.

How long does it take for the edges of Serbian rivers not to be "decorated" with plastic bags and bottles and for wood-burning stoves and shells of used cars not to be thrown into them?

- There can never be a good reason to throw waste in rivers. A certain amount of waste ends up in rivers without bad intentions, and that is why we are investing funds to provide better solutions.

Citizens have an increasingly accessible system in which they can dispose of waste in appropriate places, instead of inadequate and improper places. This system must be a combination of modern infrastructure, a fair tariff system, and further enforcement of inspections and legal framework.