On September 20th, in a public hearing, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) and the EU Delegation to Georgia, with support from COWI and RECC experts, presented the future Georgian waste prevention programme, aligned with EU standards. Public and private stakeholders were invited to discuss the programme’s opportunities and challenges. The policy design is part of the EU Programme “Support to Waste Management and Development of Circular Economy in Georgia.”
In line with EU practices, the programme goes beyond the development of a technical document. It involves a process based on evidence and Georgia’s realities regarding waste generation and prevention. The programme identifies priority waste streams, geographical areas, and measures, while establishing clear targets with regular monitoring and evaluation. Stakeholder inclusion has been key to the design process, with today’s event being the fifth opinion exchange between public and private participants. This format has been praised as a valuable platform for ongoing dialogue.
According to EU Guidelines on Waste Prevention Programmes, the primary goal of such initiatives is to create a comprehensive vision and framework that encourage behavioural change. The Georgian waste prevention programme aims to motivate, enable, and engage stakeholders across sectors.
The strategic narrative presented forms the conceptual basis of the programme, combining EU experience with insights from Georgian stakeholders. The programme is set for six years, divided into two three-year action plans. The first action plan (2025-2027) focuses on four main goals: capacity building and awareness raising, supporting waste prevention practices in various sectors, revising regulatory documents, and managing and monitoring the programme to align with EU requirements. Key actions will include foundational studies, dialogue initiatives, demonstration projects, and policy development.
Drafts of the strategic narrative and the first action plan will soon be made available for public comment. Mr. Alverd Chankseliani, Head of the Waste and Chemical Substances Management Department at MEPA, confirmed that after incorporating stakeholder feedback, the programme will be adopted into Georgia’s policy framework.
