Environment

As an EU member state, Romania has committed to apply principles of sustainable development in its waste management in order to make progress towards becoming a circular economy.

The country committed to the common European environmental targets as set by the EU Directives (2008/98/EC) who have already been implemented in the national legislation. Precise targets on specific indicators are set to be attained until 2020 within the common environmental policy.

Despite the existing national and EU legislation and available financing, municipalities and local authorities (responsible for the implementation of policy) seem having hard times in finding effective ways of improving waste management and getting closer to the European targets.

For instance, recycling rate for municipal waste should reach 50% by 2020, while its level was of 15% in 2018. The landfill rate that reached 70% in 2018 should be reduced by half to 35% until 2020.