Circular Economy Roadmap

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

• Strengthen governance of primary raw materials by ensuring that all cooperation, investment partnerships and prospective strategic raw materials projects related to the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) in the WB6 are subject to robust environmental and strategic environmental assessment procedures, transparent public participation, strong social safeguards and effective enforcement of environmental legislation.
• Integrate circularity into mining and raw materials strategies by requiring specific domestic-level plans for waste minimisation, improved tailings management, secondary raw materials recovery and site rehabilitation, supported by regional knowledge sharing, skills development and technology transfer through relevant EU instruments and innovation networks.
• Use the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as core regulatory drivers for circular product design, packaging performance and resource efficiency, while aligning industrial transition measures with the Waste Framework Directive as last revised by Directive (EU) 2025/1892 and using Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) preparedness to accelerate decarbonisation and strengthen competitiveness in export-oriented sectors across the WB6.
• Maximise the benefits of CRM 2.0 and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans as regional cooperation platforms to support convergence of market-enabling instruments relevant for circular economy implementation, including exchange of good practice on extended producer responsibility systems, deposit-return approaches, industrial symbiosis and eco-industrial parks.
• In line with the EU waste management acquis, accelerate the development of integrated, EU-aligned waste management systems, including regional landfills, material recovery facilities, separate bio-waste treatment and related financing and maintenance arrangements, while strictly applying the waste hierarchy and avoiding lock-in to incineration that could undermine recycling and prevention efforts.
• Address illegal dumping and narrow the implementation gap by expanding regular collection in rural areas, systematically mapping and remediating illegal dumpsites, and strengthening inspection, sanctioning, traceability and data systems for waste and environmental offences.
• Scale up consumer-targeted initiatives on waste prevention, repair, separate collection and informed consumption by linking long-term awareness campaigns with visible service improvements and clearer information on product durability, reparability and recyclability.
• Implement the Regional Action Plan on Prevention of Plastic Pollution, including Marine Litter, by prioritising bans on, or significant reduction of, the most polluting single-use plastics, increasing recycled content in plastic packaging and coordinating river basin and coastal actions to cut plastic leakage into the Adriatic.
• Integrate circular economy targets and indicators into industrial, raw materials and waste strategies and into the Economic Reform Programmes of all WB6, using the OECD Economic Convergence Scoreboard and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) monitoring as reference tools for tracking progress on greening and circularity.
• Integrate green practices and circular economy principles into existing funding and guarantee schemes, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), innovation funds and development funds, to prioritise projects that improve resource productivity, increase secondary raw material use, reduce waste generation and support the greening of SMEs through clear eligibility and appraisal criteria.
• Promote eco-design and eco-labelling of products, in line with the ESPR and the PPWR, to drive more sustainable production models and enable consumers to make informed, low-impact purchasing decisions.
• Introduce practical circular economy modules and programmes at secondary and university level, including vocational education and training, co-designed with businesses and local administrations, to equip the future workforce with the skills needed for green and circular transitions.
• Integrate circular and green criteria into public procurement, especially for construction materials, furniture, textiles, ICT equipment and packaging-related procurement, to create stable demand for low-impact, resource-efficient products and services.
• Support the development of secondary raw materials markets by improving quality standards, traceability and data on secondary materials, strengthening recycling and re-manufacturing capacities and facilitating cross-border/boundary trade in secondary raw materials in line with EU requirements.
• Build institutional capacity and enhance coordination for circular economy implementation by strengthening inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms, reinforcing the mandates and resources of key implementing agencies and improving cooperation between central and local authorities, business support organisations and civil society.