16 August 2019 – Economic Council was alerted about this issue in 2016 by the business community. Business associations, alongside the relevant ministry and environmentalists, have reviewed a number of proposed legal amendments, which have been discussed within the platform.

The final version of these proposals was submitted to the Members of Parliament in October 2017, but adopted only in August 2019, after numerous debates. Under the new law, waste (except for used tyres) can only be incinerated or co-incinerated by companies that meet the rigorous waste-burning requirements.

The law also strengthens the environmental regulatory framework by establishing clear regulations, contributing to the reduction of negative effects on human health and the reduction of environmental pollution. Until the approval of the document, the experts of the Secretariat of the Economic Council monitored the process of pushing the draft law forward in the Parliamentary Commissions, providing arguments on why it is necessary to push it forward.

According to certain data, only 10% of recyclable waste is recovered throughout the country. 90% is stored at waste dumps or illegally disposed of by burning or burying in soil with an irreversible impact on the environment.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is  supported  by  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the World Bank Group project “Investment Climate Reform”, funded by the Sweden.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.