EBRD and EU back safer waste management for 800,000 people in Serbia

Around 800,000 people in Serbia are set to benefit from cleaner and safer conditions as preparations begin for the closure and remediation of 17 unsanitary landfills, according to a press release issued by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on 24 August 2026. The work will be supported by the EBRD and the European Union (EU) through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). It covers the regions of Pirot, Sremska Mitrovica and Valjevo. A €2.64 million technical assistance grant will finance the preparatory work. The initiative aims to advance Serbia’s transition to modern, environmentally safe waste management systems.

The grant is financed by bilateral donors of the WBIF, the EU’s main platform for infrastructure investments in the region. The grant agreement was signed by the EBRD and Serbia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, in the presence of the EU Ambassador to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath. The assignment forms part of a wider programme financed by the EBRD and the French Development Agency (AFD). That programme is helping Serbia develop modern EU-compliant solid waste management systems at regional level and increase recycling rates. It supports the establishment of regional waste management centres that will replace the unsanitary landfills.

The grant will fund the preparation of technical and tender documentation for the closure and remediation of the landfills. These sites pose significant risks to soil, groundwater and air quality in surrounding communities. Closing and remediating them will help reduce pollution, manage landfill gas and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The action will also create safer conditions for communities long affected by outdated waste disposal facilities. Once the regional centres become operational and start receiving waste, closure and remediation of the legacy sites will commence.

Work on establishing the regional centres is progressing steadily. A new regional landfill in Kalenić and a new composting facility in Pirot have been completed. Construction and upgrading work is continuing in Nova Varoš, Pirot and Sremska Mitrovica. Jelena Čeperković, the EBRD’s Deputy Head of Serbia, said: “This is an investment in cleaner air, safer soil and healthier communities.” She added that the assignment will pave the way for the long-awaited closure and remediation of unsanitary landfills.

Andreas von Beckerath said improving environmental infrastructure is essential for protecting public health and advancing Serbia’s green transition. He noted that through the WBIF, the EU is helping Serbia prepare investments needed to reduce pollution and bring environmental standards closer to those of the EU. The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Serbia, having invested more than €11 billion in the country to date. Through the WBIF, the EU has helped Serbia invest in environmental infrastructure, clean energy, transport and other priority sectors, in line with the country’s EU accession path. The WBIF brings together the EU, international financial institutions and bilateral donors to support socio-economic development across the Western Balkans.