A Roadmap towards Circular Economy of North Macedonia
This roadmap is designed to aid North Macedonia’s government in establishing a solid policy foundation for a successful transition to a circular economy.
As an EU candidate country, North Macedonia has pledged to align with European climate objectives, endorsing the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, with a particular focus on the circular economy transition. Acknowledging the pivotal role of this transition in national and regional development and actively addressing challenges posed by climate change, reliance on imported raw materials and increased waste, North Macedonia is ready for a strategic framework and concrete actions to initiate this transformative process.
Derived from a comprehensive diagnostic of North Macedonia’s circular economy landscape, the roadmap strategically integrates existing policy initiatives, fostering synergies across sectors, measures and involved actors. It emphasises five key areas – circular business models for SMEs, construction, biomass and food, textile industry and mining and metallurgy – revealing over 40 policy recommendations. These recommendations, supported by a monitoring framework, are poised to be a cornerstone for propelling North Macedonia towards a more sustainable and circular future.
State-of-play of the circular economy in North Macedonia
This chapter assesses the circular economy policy framework and initiatives in North Macedonia, emphasising critical economic aspects and environmental impact related to energy production, emissions, material use and waste management. Challenges persist in areas such as energy intensity, fossil dependency, circular material use and waste recycling. This chapter pinpoints key policy areas essential for North Macedonia’s shift towards a circular and carbon-neutral economy. By identifying gaps in both policy formulation and implementation, and incorporating further analyses, the chapter provides insights for prioritising areas in future circular economy policy documents.