The Delegation of the European Union and the Embassy of France in Serbia awarded prizes to the most innovative and sustainable municipalities and schools in Serbia as part of the French-Serbian platform for cooperation on the challenges of the sustainable city ”Eco-municipality” for the third time, and on this occasion, the Cooperation Agreement was renewed, whereby the project continues to be part of the “Green Agenda for Serbia” initiative.
The “Eco-municipality” award competition, intended for all Serbian municipalities, is designed as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and examples of good practice between French and Serbia actors involved in the programs of sustainable development of cities and municipalities in the areas of sustainable waste management, sustainable water management, sustainable urban mobility, and energy efficiency of buildings.
A separate sub-category of the competition is “Green Schools”, a category intended for primary and secondary schools in Serbia, related to the development of environmental awareness and civic spirit among young people. The competition rewards sustainable and innovative initiatives designed by teachers and students with the purpose of environmental protection. This is the third edition of the “Eco-municipality” competition, with the aim of bringing together the actors of sustainable development – from government representatives at the central and local level, to research centres and universities, associations and companies.
In the Green Schools – Francophonie category, the award was given to the Grammar School from Zaječar for the project “For Chili”, and in the category of Green Schools the award was given to the Elementary School “Maršal Tito” from Kovačica for the project “Alternative Energy Sources – Biogas Energy”.
The Municipality Osečina and the City of Novi Sad were awarded for Sustainable waste management, while the award for Sustainable water management went to the Municipality Majdanpek and the City of Leskovac. When it comes to Energy efficiency, the most sustainable city is Novi Sad and the most sustainable municipality is Sokobanja, while Bajina Bašta and Belgrade are the winners in the Sustainable urban mobility category. More information is available on the platform.
The Ambassador of France, Pierre Cochard, reiterated the role of the “Eco-municipality” as the foundation of French-Serbian cooperation in the field of sustainable development. In the past three years, the competition has enabled more than 800 civil servants from Serbia to exchange experiences with French experts, both at seminars and during study visits for laureates. He also highlighted the enthusiasm of student form different schools in Serbia who participated in the competition in the “Green School” category. The Ambassador congratulated the awarded municipalities, cities and schools and thanked the jury members and partners, who are the key to the success of this initiative.
The Cooperation Agreement with the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia was renewed on this occasion, which enabled the expansion of the “Eco-municipality” project as part of the “Green Agenda for Serbia” initiative. The Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, reaffirmed the common commitment to strengthening cooperation between local governments, schools, the scientific community and institutions for a sustainable future. The renewed partnership between the ”Green Agenda for Serbia” and “Eco-municipality” initiatives testifies to this commitment, while it fully fits into the framework of the Green Deal for Europe and the ambitious “Growth Plan” for the Western Balkans, which aims to support the region in implementing environmental and economic reforms.
Sandra Dokić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, emphasized the importance of strengthening the capacity of local self-government units, because they are the place where most of the environmental protection measures are implemented.
In addition to the Delegation of the European Union and the Embassy of France, the partners of the “Eco-municipality” initiative are the Veolia Institute, Saint-Gobain, Veolia, Decathlon, Wiener Stadische, Fonroche lightning – BBA International, National Alliance for Local Economic Development, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities.
