Project “Eco-municipality” – French-Serbian cooperation on sustainable cities and municipalities

In order to develop French-Serbian cooperation on sustainable cities, as well as to present the project “Eco-Municipality”, European Affairs  Fund of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the French Embassy in Serbia, with the support of the Veolia Institute and Veolia Company from France, organized a seminar “Sustainable water management: from wastewater to value creation.” The seminar was held on May 24, 2022 in the great hall of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
The goal of the project “Eco-municipality” is to raise awareness and develop responsibility in the segments of energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings, waste management, water resources and connecting cities. The four thematic units are an integral part of the program: waste management, water management, energy efficiency of buildings and smart cities. “Eco-municipality” is also a platform for cooperation and exchange of examples of good practice between the state administration at the local and national level in France and Serbia, with the support of companies and expert councils of jury members who will monitor the platform.

The event was opened by Aleksandar Simurdić, director of the European Affairs Fund of AP Vojvodina, H.E. Pierre Koshar, French Ambassador to Serbia and Igor Mirović, President of the Provincial Government, while Dr. Aleksandar Djukic, assistant professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade, prof. dr Milena Bečelić-Tomin from the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Novi Sad, as well as prof. dr. Božo Dalmacija, from the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Novi Sad, who presented the current state and prospects of water management development in local governments in Serbia, as well as examples of good practice in Vojvodina. After the representatives of the faculties of the University of Belgrade and Novi Sad, renowned experts from France also took part in the mentioned thematic framework: Pierre Seneschal, vice president in charge of water from the Municipality of Lans-Lieven, and Gaetan Boaje, director of water and networks from the Municipality of Lans-Lieven. Lieven, who presented the methodology of water management at the local level through inter-municipal cooperation and transfer of public authority, and perspectives in energy production and value creation through wastewater treatment. At the very end of the seminar, Ivan Ivanov, President of the Bulgarian Water Management Association, presented the experiences of the “Eco-Municipality” project in Bulgaria.

The seminar was attended by numerous representatives of municipalities and cities from the Province and throughout Serbia who learned about examples of good Serbian, Bulgarian and French practice, as well as the project platform “Eco-Municipality”, the current competition and planned seminars for local governments aimed at increasing capacity water management (available on the website: http://ekoopstina.rs).