>Project title: Improvement of Law on Packaging and waste packing
Summary: In order to achieve maximum impact, MDC-Ti.Net will implement the proposed activities in two phases. In the first phase we will launch partnership with the Ministry of Environment in the process of drafting and implementing the Law of Packaging and Waste Packaging. The MOU will contain roles and responsibilities of both partners engaged in the process. MDC-Ti.Net will engage all stakeholders in the process of reviewing the draft law and will make sure that exposure to different models of managing of waste packing is provided. To date, we had an opportunity to get acquainted with Slovakian and Bulgarian model; however we remain open to success stories from other EU member states. In the first phase, the project will make sure that constructive comments on the law form all concerned parties (local governments, public utility companies, private companies that collect and recycle plastic bottles, membership of PETRA), are provided and submitted in writing to the Ministry. For this purpose we will organize serial of workshops throughout municipalities in Macedonia. The workshops will gather representatives from MOEPP, ZELS, ADKOM, municipalities, recycling companies, NGO’s and USAID.

The first phase will be finalized with adoption of the Law and it’s promotion at the Conference on Packaging and Waste packaging and Recycling Industry (timing to be defined with the Ministry) with limited regional emphasis. The event will gather approximately 100 participants from municipalities, representatives of utility companies, recycling business companies, NGO’s engaged in public awareness campaigns. We intend to invite representatives from Slovakia, Bulgaria and other EU countries to present different models for plastic waste management. 

The second phase of the project will be focused on implementation of the law and defining by laws. In this phase two informative workshops will be delivered to all concerned (MOEPP, ZELS, ADKOM, municipalities, recycling companies, NGO’s, USAID). MDC- Ti.Net will design and organize two policy development workshops to invite guest speakers from Bulgaria and Slovakia in order to present their experiences, lessons learned and success stories in order to give an opportunity to the PETRA Leadership council, overall membership and the team from the Ministry to discuss the specific recycling models, issues with experts from the EU countries. The core activities will include identify and hire an international expert on management of waste packaging who will work together with the MOEPP team of experts, PETRA Leadership council members as well as with other concerned parties in the process of writing the sub legal acts for the successful implementation of the law for packaging and waste packaging.

Implemented through: February 2010
Donor: Open Society Institute, Partnerships beyond borders