(Press release, 22 Jan 2020)
Representatives of the business environment, university, NGOs and public institutions with responsibilities on the environment participated in the second meeting of stakeholders from the Reduces project implemented by the Maramureș County Council, as a partner and financed under the INTERREG EUROPE program. The active involvement and the debates have been the main characteristics of the meeting, with positive results in the current and future development of the project.
Wednesday, 22nd of January 2020, in the "Vasile Lucaciu" hall of the Administrative Palace, the second meeting of interested groups and persons within the project "REDUCES - Rethinking Sustainable Development in European Regions Using Business Models of the Circular Economy" was held.
Mihaela Lițe, head of the International Relations Office and project manager, along with Gheorghe Paul Szaniszlo, senior counselor in the same office and communication expert within the project and Sandu Hotima, the executive director of A.D.G.I.M.M. opened the meeting with the presentation of the main agenda and activities carried out during the project launch meeting in Turku (Finland). The main expectations and results from the project were explained, the current situation of the Circular Economy (status quo) of the six regions, the study visits made, as well as the communication component of the project.
The debates on the current state of the Circular Economy in Maramureș, the environmental problems facing the Romanian society and economy, but also how the project can lead to the modification of some public policies in Circular Economy were the main topics of the meeting.
The representatives of the business environment in the field of management at local level stressed the importance of raising the public's awareness of the citizen's obligation to sort, recycle and care more about the impact on the environment. The representatives of educational institutions and those with control responsibilities have tried to explain how these aspects can be achieved both through education and through the effects of the laws in the field.
During the meeting, Margareta Căpîlnean, senior counselor within the International Relations Office and assistant manager within the project, proposed to those present in the event to share their ideas regarding the identification of examples of good practices related to the themes of the Reduces project: “extending the life of the project of the product, renewal / regeneration, the product as a service, resource efficiency and recycling, sharing platforms”.
The main ideas and suggestions resulted were the involvement and analysis of the activities with influence in the Circular Economy of the auto-dismantling and I.T. companies, of the auto and textile repair shops, the rental centers and the identification of ways to encourage the buy-back solutions.
REDUCES is a project that supports the improvement of regional development policies by promoting business models in the field of sustainable circular economy in six European regions by involving and influencing decision-makers. REDUCES enhances the collaboration and exchange of knowledge between regions.
