Implementation of the project "Regional Center of Circular Economy"
With the European Green Deal (COM/2019/640), the EU committed to meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Achieving the goals of this agreement implies a new industrial policy based on the circular economy.
In Serbia, 12 million tons of waste are produced annually, of which 10 million tons are not treated in any way. The transition from a linear to a circular economy is the strategic goal of the Republic of Serbia. The national framework of public policy consists of regulations from different areas related to the elements and principles of the circular economy. In 2019, the Ministry of Environmental Protection formed a circular economy working group with the task of establishing a strategic framework for the transformation of society to a new model. The principles of the circular economy are recognized in the Strategy of Smart Specialization in the Republic of Serbia (period 2020-2027), the Strategy of Sustainable Urban Development (until 2030), the Development Program of the Circular Economy in the Republic of Serbia (period 2022-2024), where, among other activities, the introduction of the concept circular economy in local governments.
The biggest obstacle for the transition to a circular economy at the local level is the low level of awareness and insufficient capacities of key actors:
In this regard, on March 1, in partnership with the City of Kragujevac, REDASP started the implementation of the project "Regional Center of Circular Economy" financed by the Czech Republic as part of development cooperation. The goal of the project is to promote the principles of the circular economy and strengthen the capacity of the key actors of the City of Kragujevac in this area by establishing the Regional Center for the Circular Economy.
The project contributes to the achievement of national goals, sustainable development goals in accordance with the thematic priorities of the Czech Development Cooperation and the Environmental Protection Program of the City of Kragujevac 2023-2033 and will create basic conditions for the further development of the city/region's capacity to transition to a circular economy. The target groups are the public sector (regional local governments, public utility companies, business support organizations) and industry (SMEs), as well as citizens.
The project consists of four interconnected components:
• building the capacities of local actors in the field of circular economy,
• strengthening awareness of the importance of the circular economy,
• planning and programming in the area of circular economy i
• establishment of a center for circular economy
