European Twinning Project with Romania's North East (Bacau) region

(Twinning project RO/2004/IB/EN06: Implementation and enforcement of the environmental acquis focused on household waste management - REPA Bacau)

Context

One of the ways in which the European Union helps new Member States with their entry process are Twinning projects. In a Twinning project one of the older Member States helps a new member with the implementation of the European legislation. The Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) has already successfully completed a Twinning project with Hungary. In that project, the OVAM helped the Hungarian ministry of the environment to set up an information system for waste in conformity with EU requirements and to draw up guidelines for the elaboration of regional waste plans.

For the OVAM, participating in such a 'Twinning project' was an enriching experience.
With the same enthusiasm, the OVAM submitted a proposal to participate in an analogous bilateral exchange programme with Romania for the further development of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency for the North East region (REPA Bacau).

The European Union selected the OVAM together with the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Tuscany and the University of Athens in order to strengthen the management capacities of the Regional and Local Environmental Protection Agencies when implementing, following up and enforcing the European legislation for household waste, focusing on the organisation of the organic waste policy.

Tasks to be performed, man-days and financial compensation were clearly defined in a Twinning covenant signed by the three aforementioned parties and REPA Bacau.

The challenge for the OVAM

The OVAM contributed to the development of a Centre of Excellence for organic and household waste as a junior partner in the Bacau region for over a year. During this project, the OVAM used its experience and knowledge regarding the elaboration of an integrated waste policy. The OVAM made use of the experience it acquired during the 18 months of collaboration in the Twinning project with Hungary. The latter taught the OVAM that made-to-measure work is required, and that a policy must be adapted to local circumstances and needs.

The focus was mainly on composting, promoting the use of compost, the introduction of compost masters and the development of educational material in order to promote composting at home. For the latter, the OVAM solicited the co-operation of the Flemish Compost Organisation (Vlaco n.f.p.).

The project started in August 2006 and ended in November 2008. Within the OVAM, the project was led by Guy Haemels (Junior project leader). A team of experts composed of Anne Vandeputte, Luc Vanacker, Peter De Bruyne, Danny Wille, Luk Umans and Jean Jacques Dohogne (Vlaco n.f.p) worked as 'short-term experts' on the different aspects of the project.

Dr. Vassilis J. Inglezakis guided and co-ordinated the project on site as a Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA).

For this project as well, the experience of Kris De Craene (Belconsulting n.v.), who co-ordinated the Twinning project with Hungary on site as a RTA, was called in.

 

 

Results

OVAM worked closely together with the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Bacau in the following areas:
─ optimising the collection and processing of data on household waste and formulating recommendations;
─ drawing up a manual for local governments to help them set up awareness and information campaigns at the start of separate collection of household waste;
─ systematically approaching the management of organic waste, focusing on the importance of the quality of the compost produced;
─ creating a basic manual for the sale of recyclable materials.

The conclusions were compiled in a voluminous document containing practical recommendations which are important when updating regional waste plans, taking into account local circumstances.

 

 

While performing these tasks and formulating recommendations, the OVAM consistently adopted the following principles: local co-operation, bottom-up approach, creating a basis of support, taking local circumstances into account as much as possible, preferring small-scale projects based on local needs and monitoring cost versus efficiency. While larger-scale investments are made thanks to European resources, here the emphasis was on joining forces between local and regional authorities and on focused and efficient awareness raising among the population.

The good organisation of organic waste by composting it, promoting the use of compost, introducing compost masters and elaborating educational materials to boost home composting made up an important part of the project. As we have mentioned before, Vlaco n.f.p. assisted the OVAM with the elaboration of this project.

The enthusiasm of a number of schools led to the starting up of a project on composting in schools. 4 schools in Botosani and 1 school in Bacau started with a project on 'school composting'. In order to organise the project, a handbook on school composting (including practical lessons) was elaborated, 25 school compost masters were trained, an educational compost box (based on the Flemish model) was put together, a new compost game was developed and in every school a composting corner with a 3-container composting system was built. The trained school compost masters received a certificate, which attracted a lot of media attention. The project undeniably acquired prestige in the whole region, and even in all of Romania.

 

 

Another project highlight was the organisation of a study trip to Flanders. The OVAM welcomed a Romanian delegation of people responsible for waste policy and planning at the national, regional and local levels. The Romanian delegation was able to become acquainted with the Flemish waste policy - both its legal aspects and its application in the field - and acquire insight into the current processing technology. The OVAM thoroughly explained the waste and soil remediation policy. The Interregional Packaging Commission (IVC), VAL-I-PAC and FOST Plus outlined the implementation of the European packaging directive in Belgium. After that, the Romanian delegation was able to observe the results of this approach personally during several site visits. The Jean Pain Committee and Ecowerf demonstrated small and large-scale processing of vegetable, fruit and garden waste. The advantages of an increase in the scale of activities via co-operation between municipalities were emphasised. During the visit to IMOG the delegation received a tour of the recycling yard, the re-use shop, the household waste incineration plant, the sorting centre,.... The study trip was closed with a visit of the treatment facilities for sludge and mercury-containing waste at Indaver at the site of Doel and the digestion plant of IGEAN Environment & Safety in Brecht, where compost is produced from Vegetable, Fruit and Garden waste (VFG plus), and green energy with the green power certificate. The Romanian delegation was very impressed by the highly advanced Flemish waste processing technology. It was offered the opportunity to test its specific waste-related problems against the Flemish approach. This approach should inspire them to further concretise their national, regional and local waste policies.

 

 

The OVAM participated in a workshop on cross-border transport, processing and recovery of hazardous waste (9, 10 & 11.10.2007).

During the closing seminar on 22 and 23 November 2007 the key findings of the Flemish contribution to the project were presented to the Romanian policy makers.

The targets, as outlined in the Twinning covenant, were comfortably and successfully achieved. A lot of knowledge and information was exchanged during the project. The intense and good co-operation with the Bacau Region paved the way for possible further co-operation.