Context
The pollution of inland water bodies and the Adriatic Sea has become a serious regional challenge for the countries of the Western Balkans and for EU countries bordering the Adriatic Sea. Increasing amounts of waste in rivers threaten economic activities such as tourism and fishing and endanger the health and livelihood of people throughout the region. As much as 90 per cent of the marine litter in the Adriatic Sea is made up of plastics. Tackling these challenges through a regional approach offers unique opportunities.
The Integrated Waste Management and Marine Litter Prevention Programme in the Western Balkans (MLP) supports four countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro – in reducing plastic discharge into the Adriatic Sea. It aims to achieve its goals by facilitating regional exchange, knowledge sharing and cross-border cooperation.
Objective
The four partner countries are successfully coordinating strategies and reducing marine litter.
Approach
The MLP Programme supports its partners in improving the implementation of coordinated strategies to reduce marine litter. The Programme brings public and private partners as well as civil society from the four countries together and advises them on how to reduce the leakage of plastic waste into the Adriatic Sea. It initiates regular and systematic exchanges of information about the project’s experiences at regional, national and local levels.
The Programme offers advice and training on structural, regulatory and financing aspects of extended producer responsibility (EPR). EPR is a strategic policy approach to ensure that producers and manufacturers take responsibility for the full lifecycle of their products.
The MLP Programme assists public and private partners in joining hands to reduce marine litter. It also supports them in improving their data base on plastic waste.
Last update: September 2022