On May 31, the Bulgarian Recycling Association organized a regular meeting of stakeholders on the CircPro project. This time the event was held online, and the topics that were discussed brought together representatives of public authorities, private companies, and non-governmental organizations. For the first time, the guest speaker was a lawyer with an enviable practice in environmental issues. He explained in detail the legislative framework under which market consultations are carried out and the opportunities that the Contracting Authorities have when starting such a procedure. He also paid attention to the criteria that a business must meet in order to take part in this type of consultation.
The meeting was held at a very important stage of the project cycle - each of the stakeholders has gained knowledge and experience in the circular public engagement, thanks to the campaign that the project partners are conducting in this direction. But it is time to put the theory into practice, and this will only be possible if all participants establish an in-depth dialogue.
The event also reflected the successful interregional project meetings organized by Lithuania in the field of sustainable transport solutions and by Croatia on the procurement of office supplies. Both topics are gaining popularity in Bulgaria. Regarding the office paper, after 2015 all public authorities have switched to the mandatory use of recycled paper, a strategy is already underway that will minimize the flow of documents and digitalize the administration. On the other hand, transport is the sector with the most ambitious program in limiting pollution and finding new and innovative methods to deal with environmental problems.
The stakeholder meeting ended with the provision of additional ideas for the expansion of the National Guidebook, which the Association plans to complete this autumn, and the Action Plan, which will be implemented in Phase 2 of the project.
