Macedonia opens public debate on draft waste management, waste prevention plans

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has launched a public debate on the draft new national waste management plan, envisaging the formation of the Environment Agency, and the draft waste prevention plan, which calls for bringing additional waste streams under extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The implementation of the waste management and waste prevention plans would help Macedonia strengthen the waste management capacities at both the national and local level, transpose the EU’s environmental regulations, and work towards the zero waste target, according to participants in a presentation of the draft documents, local media reported.

According to Ana Karanfilovska-Mazneva, head of the Department of Waste at the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the Environment Agency is envisaged to implement policies and regulations and deal with matters such as issuing permits. The draft documents are focused on preventing waste generation, but also deal with matters such as waste imports and exports, she said.

Under the draft waste prevention plan, manufacturers would be responsible for the disposal and recycling of used vehicles, tires, oils, and textiles, said Graham Byrne, resident twinning adviser involved in the drafting of the new national waste management plan as part of the EU-funded EUR 1.01 million twinning project to strengthen Macedonia’s administrative capacities for the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and Special Waste Streams Directives.

According to reports, part of the envisaged laws is to be adopted by the end of 2018 and the remainder by mid-2019.