Priority Axis 2: Green investments in environmental protection and efficient risk management

Specific objective: RSO2.6. Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy

Intro
The Programme area has a substantial potential for transition into the green economy and substantially increasing the efficiency in the management of resources, reduction and re-use of waste, especially by introducing innovative and up-to-date technologies. The solutions within this specific objective are aimed at introduction of new technologies and models, policy development and awareness raising, which can significantly boost the capacities and practices in all 3 countries through joint planning and exchange of knowledge and practices.

Types of actions
It is expected that, through cooperation, joint planning, and exchanges on local and regional government levels, as well as through joint actions of citizens, overall capacities of the stakeholders and conditions for sustainable management of resources will be improved across the Programme area.
Examples of cross-border actions to be supported (non-exhaustive lists):

  1. Developing and implementing approaches and solutions for limiting landfilling of all types of waste and retaining their value (as future resources) in the economic cycle
  2. Increasing awareness of policy makers and stakeholders about environmental and economic opportunities of a circular economy and improving their capacity for the practical implementation of circular economy approaches in different sectors (such as electronics, construction and buildings, textiles, plastics, packaging, food, agriculture, forestry and wood industry)
  3. Developing and implementing joint pilot and demonstration actions that closely involve citizens (e.g., good practices in separate waste collection and waste re-use, pilot testing of repair, reuse and refurbish approaches etc.) in order to foster behavioural changes, higher acceptance of more sustainable products and resource-efficient consumption and production patterns
  4. Improving waste management policies and competences of the public sector, including the prevention, processing and recycling of communal waste, (e.g., recovery of organic waste, including nutrients from municipal wastewater) industrial biowaste, and construction waste (e.g., recovery of organic waste, including nutrients from municipal wastewater) industrial biowaste, and construction waste
  5. Developing and testing solutions that support the recovery and reuse of raw materials
  6. Fostering and testing digital solutions for the circular economy including applications and services (such as product passports, resource mapping, tracing systems and consumer information).

Allocation: 11,502,500.00 €

Main target groups
All institutions relevant for the sustainable resource management in the border area will be targeted, including:
– public authorities (national/regional/local level) and bodies governed by public law
– regional and local development agencies
– waste operators and facilities
– public providers of communal services
– sectoral agencies and environmental institutions
– NGOs and associations active in the field of environmental protection
– business support institutions, associations of businesses and professional associations
– education organisations (universities, faculties, schools)
– research and innovation institutions
– general population