EU Cohesion policy: over €77 million for a more efficient and sustainable waste management system in Romania

Today, the European Commission has approved an investment of over €77 million from the Cohesion Fund to improve the waste collection, treatment and recycling system in the Galați county, in southeast Romania. The investment will provide a more integrated, efficient and sustainable waste management service, improving the quality of the environment for the benefit of over 500,000 inhabitants. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira said: “This Cohesion policy investment will contribute to improve health and the quality of life of people living in the Galați county. It will improve the environment through the recycling of otherwise wasted materials and will stimulate the development of the local biodiversity and economic activities.” Thanks to this project, the entire population of the county will have access to the sanitation service by 2021, which is of particular benefit to people in rural areas, where currently only 45% have access to those services. The newly created infrastructure will increase the reuse and recycling of waste paper, metal, plastic, glass and wood and will reduce waste going to landfills. It will also allow the proper treatment of domestic hazardous waste and bulky waste. The investment will create approximately 300 new jobs during the construction period and around 380 during the operational phase. More on EU funded investments in Romania is available on the Open Data Platform.