Within the project “Integrated Waste-Oils Management System - Transfer of Best Practices for Safe, Sustainable and Eco-friendly Transport in Serbia (WASTEOILFREE)” the first training workshop on improvement of waste oils management framework in Serbia held on 24 April 2018.
The training - held by the representatives of the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague as main know-how provider within WASTEOILFREE, in cooperation with the Czech Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry - was attended by representatives of interested parties from the Republic of Serbia: relevant national ministries (Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Mining and Energy), Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, representatives and members of the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade), as well as experts from various private companies dealing with waste oil handling and cargo and passenger shipping in Serbia.
Following the Screening visit in Belgrade in mid-March, where questions of highest interest among the project Working Group were posed, the first training workshop was tailored towards the needs of the beneficiaries from Serbia. It focused on a wide range of topics in the waste oils management chain.
The meeting started with a brief presentation of current Serbian legislation in the area of environment in general and previous waste oils management projects already implemented in Serbia and the region. It was followed by statistical overview presentations of the current waste oils situation in the Czech Republic, an analysis of existing legislative framework in the Czech Republic and neighbouring countries (Slovakia and Austria), as well as a detailed presentation of practical functioning of the Czech waste oil management system (including shipping waste oils).
During the closing discussion, participants agreed that there was a strong need for transposition of best-practice examples on waste oil collection, classification, disposal and treatment from EU and the Czech Republic to Serbia, having in mind that Serbian waste oils management system is still under an initial development phase. The topics discussed at the workshop will be used as a basis for further adapting the content of upcoming project activities.
The project will continue with a study visit of the Serbian beneficiary group to the Czech Republic in June 2018. Participants will attend meetings with experts from relevant Czech national ministries, university and private companies dealing with waste oils.
The main expected project results are: provide beneficiary institutions in Serbia with Czech and EU experiences in the field of waste oils management; contribute to capacity building of state institutions and other relevant parties involved in whole waste oils value chain; obtain recommendations for practical improvement of existing waste oils collection and management procedures in Serbia.
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WASTEOILFREE is co-financed by the CEI Know-how Exchange Programme through the CEI Fund at the EBRD with 17,560 EUR. It is jointly implemented by the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (know-how provider) in cooperation with the Czech Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry, and the beneficiary organisations in Serbia - the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia – World Petroleum Council and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Belgrade. The project has been supported by the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Environment Protection of the Republic of Serbia.
