With the project “Y O U t h d r i v e” the EU contributes to raising awareness of environmental protection, and launching concrete actions in the West Herzegovina (BiH) and the Bay of Kotor County (MNE)

The cross-border project “YOUTH drive – Program for raising awareness on proper waste management and empowering legislators for taking action“, which is implemented within the IPA Cross-border Cooperation Program BiH – Montenegro, funded by the European Union, organized the first of seven planned educations for participants and stakeholders who were introduced with the results of the analysis that was previously conducted through previous project activities, and to make the general public aware of it.

The aim of the project is to actively contribute to proper waste management, so one of the activities presented at the first education was an analysis of the current situation related to water pollution, the current existing waste management facilities and the number and location of illegal landfills.

Through the conducted analysis of the situation on the ground, a set of detailed recommendations for legislators was prepared and delivered, adapted for each area included in the project, in the form of a publication. At the first education held, a set of recommendations was delivered to representatives of the Ministry of Environment, utility companies ZZH, environmental associations, Office of the Government of the West Herzegovina County for European Integration.

The project is implemented within the IPA Cross-border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, funded by the European Union, and in which the project partners also signed a partnership agreement on the project. The signing of the agreement on partnership and realization of project activities was on November 15, 2019. The realization of the project will take place in the period from 15.11.2019. to 15.05.2021, while the total value of the project is about 300,000 EUR, of which the European Union finances about 250,000 EUR.

The project partners are non-governmental organizations, the Association for Development, Environment and Culture EKO ZH from Široki Brijeg as the project holder, and Our Action, a non-governmental organization from Montenegro, based in Kotor.

The European Union is funding this project with the aim of strengthening and raising awareness among young people and the entire community of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the proper disposal of waste and environmental protection.