Around 800,000 people in Serbia are expected to benefit from improved environmental conditions as preparations begin to close and remediate 17 unsanitary landfills with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union.
A €2.64 million technical assistance grant through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) will fund the preparation of technical and tender documents for the closure and remediation of outdated landfill sites in the Pirot, Sremska Mitrovica and Valjevo regions.
The landfills pose risks to soil, groundwater and air quality in surrounding communities. Their closure and rehabilitation are expected to reduce pollution, improve landfill gas management and lower greenhouse gas emissions while creating safer conditions for residents.
The project is part of a wider program me financed by the EBRD and the French Development Agency to help Serbia establish modern, EU-compliant regional waste management systems and increase recycling.
New regional waste management centers are being developed to replace the unsanitary landfill sites. A regional landfill in Kalenić and a composting facility in Pirot have already been completed, while construction and upgrading work continues in Nova Varoš, Pirot and Sremska Mitrovica.
The new infrastructure is expected to improve waste treatment and disposal while supporting Serbia’s broader transition toward environmentally sustainable waste management.
The initiative also supports Serbia’s efforts to align environmental infrastructure and standards with those of the European Union. Through the WBIF, the EU and international financial institutions are supporting infrastructure investments across the Western Balkans as part of the region’s socioeconomic development and EU accession efforts.
The EBRD has invested more than €11 billion in Serbia to date, supporting projects across multiple sectors, including environmental infrastructure and sustainable development.
