September 28 (SeeNews) - The World Bank has signed an agreement to provide technical assistance to the Croatian government in the transformation of its solid waste management system, it said on Tuesday.
The technical assistance will help incorporate circular economy approaches into Croatia’s post-2022 National Waste Management Plan (NWMP) in line with European Union (EU) Directives and the Circular Economy Package, the World Bank said in a statement.
Under the two-year technical assistance programme, the World Bank will help update the existing National Waste Management Plan, provide diagnostic work and, based on the analysis, recommend how to speed up transformation in line with the EU circular economy action plan, the World Bank said.
The programme will also help engage with key stakeholders, strengthen coordination and generate joint ownership of the new solid waste agenda, and provide capacity building on the circular economy, the bank noted.
"By improving waste management, Croatia can reduce health and environmental problems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid negative impacts at the local level, such as landscape deterioration due to landfilling and water and air pollution. The World Bank looks forward to supporting the Croatian authorities and working with key stakeholders towards a cleaner and more sustainable Croatia," said Elisabetta Capannelli, World Bank Country Manager for Croatia.
The technical assistance programme will be financed using the Bank’s Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS) instrument, which offers customised services to middle and high-income countries.