Eco-innovationinRomania

EIOCountryProfile

2014-2015

Eco-InnovationObservatory

The Eco-Innovation Observatory functions as a platform for the structured collection and

analysis of an extensive range of eco-innovation information, gathered from across theEuropean Union and key economic regions around the globe, providing a much-neededintegrated information source on eco-innovation for companies and innovation serviceproviders,aswellasprovidingasoliddecision-makingbasisforpolicydevelopment.

The Observatory approaches eco-innovation as a persuasive phenomenon present in alleconomicsectorsandthereforerelevantforalltypesofinnovation,definingeco-innovationas:

“Eco-innovation isany innovationthatreducestheuseofnaturalresourcesanddecreasesthereleaseofharmfulsubstancesacrossthewholelife-cycle”.

Tofindoutmore,visitwww.eco-innovation.euandec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap

Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do notnecessarilyreflectthepositionoftheEuropeanCommission.

Eco-InnovationObservatoryCountryProfile2014-2015:Romania

Author:LauraRoman

Coordinatoroftheworkpackage:TechnopolisGroupBelgium

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the representatives of theMinistry of Environment, Alina Pirvu andAmeliaTurturean,andtherepresentativeofEcoteca,RaulPop,whoprovidedvaluableinputsforthereport.

AnotetoReaders

Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do notnecessarilyreflectthepositionoftheEuropeanUnion.Anumberofcompaniesarepresentedasillustrativeexamplesofeco-innovationinthisreport.TheEIOdoesnotendorsethesecompaniesandisnotanexhaustivesourceofinformationoninnovationatthecompanylevel.

This brief is available for downloaded fromhttps://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/romania

Tableofcontents

Summary...........................................................................................................................1

Introduction.......................................................................................................................2

1 |Eco-innovationperformance............................................................................3

2 |Selectedcirculareconomyandeco-innovationareasandnewtrends..............6

3 |Barriersanddriverstocirculareconomyandeco-innovationinRomania.........8

4 |Policylandscape:towardscirculareconomyinRomania................................10

ANNEX:Policymeasuresaddressingcirculareconomyandeco-innovationsinRomania...16

1

Summary

Romania ranks 18th in the Eco-Innovation Scoreboard (Eco-IS), obtaining a scoreof 87. It is below theoverallEU-28averagescoreby13%,butthecountryhasadvancedthreepositionssince2013,fromtheprevious rank of 21st. The Eco-Innovation Scoreboard results for Romania show high use ofmaterial,waterandenergy resources,but low resourceproductivity,proving that resourceefficiency shouldbehighonthepolicyagenda.Thisisnotyetthecase,exceptforthefieldofenergy.Here,improvingenergyefficiencyisapolicypriority,whichhasalreadybeenintegratedbytheGovernmentinitsactionplans.

Thewastemanagementsectorandpollutioncontinuetoposeseriousenvironmentalthreats.Romaniastill shows low investments in integrated wastemanagement, and there are very low recycling ratesacross the board (i.e. in the municipal and industrial sectors). Over 95% of the waste in Romania islandfilled.Therefore,therearehighopportunitiesfordevelopingthecirculareconomyinRomania.

Bottom-up civil society and private sector initiatives have indeed identified the existence ofopportunitiesinthissector.Newinitiatives,suchassustainableproductdesign,theuseofopendataforenvironmental purposes and new IT solutions, have started to appear and consolidate. EncouragingtrendsbasedonasurveyofRomaniancompaniesshowthatrisingnumbersofthemareimprovingtheirwastecollectionandresourceefficiencypolicies.Nevertheless,thesurveyalsoshowsthatnotasmanycompanies take the next step to actually implement resource efficiency measures based on thosepolicies.Therefore, there ismoretobedone inordertoachievecriticalmass,sincethe largeshareofprivateenterprisesisstillnotsufficientlyimprovingtheirenvironmentalmanagementpracticesandaremainlyactingfollowinglegalenvironmentalrequirements.

The public management problems, low EU funds absorption capacity, and political instability in theRomaniangovernment–aswellasthegenerallypoorgovernanceofthepublicsectoratthelocallevel–are important challenges for systemic transformation programmes, such as support for the circulareconomy, which need enhanced inter-institutional and cross-sectoral coordination. The Romaniangovernment has contracted several technical assistance services, funded through Structural Funds, toreceivesupportforenhancingitscapacitiesinenvironmentalpolicyfields.

Therehavebeenfewdirectsupportprogrammesorpublicinterventionstoimprovespecificframeworkconditions dedicated to resource efficiency, circular economy or eco-innovation promotion. However,there are encouraging steps towards this in the government’s recent policy actions. TheMinistry ofEnvironmenthasincludedthecirculareconomyasapriorityinits2016-2017actionplanandisplanningtolaunchafirstpilotactiontosupport“eco-entrepreneurship”.Anotherpositivesignalforfuturepolicymeasures in this field is the launch of the Inter-Ministerial Competitiveness Committee, which canmonitorandassesstheimplementationofpublicinvestmentsinprioritysectorsforcompetitivenessandsmartspecialisationdomains(whichincludeenergyandenvironmentandbio-economy).

2

Introduction

Romaniaisrelativelyrichinnaturalresources(includingwater,forests,richbiodiversityareasandfertilesoil) and still maintains reserves of fossil fuel (though gradually depleting) and several rawmaterials(construction materials, metallic ores, precious metals, etc.) However, the country faces severalenvironmental,socialandeconomicchallenges.

Primary energy productionwas still 70% based on fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in 2012. Thecontributionofoilandgasresourceshasbeendiminishing,butnaturalgasmakesupthelargestshareofthe energy mix, amounting to 32% in 2012 (Ministry of Energy, 2015). The structural changes thatRomanianindustryunderwentduringtheeconomiccontractionperiodsinthe1990sandthepost-2007economiccrisisleadtoreducedindustrialactivitiesandthereforelowerenergyconsumptionneeds.Oilandnaturalgasresourcesarealsodecreasing.

Energyproductionfromwood,biomassandwastehasbeenrisinginRomania,ashasrenewableenergyproduction.Finalelectricenergyintensity is,nevertheless,notveryhigh.Theresidentialsectorhasthelargestshareoffinalenergyconsumption, largerthantheindustrialsector in2012(MinistryofEnergy,2015). This is why Romania needs to find an alternative energy model. These trends show theimportanceof intensifying investment indevelopingalternative technologies in this field, and indicatetheopportunitieswaitingtobetappedinto.

OneofRomania’ssignificantenvironmentalproblems isairpollution.The2014ReportontheStateoftheEnvironment inRomaniahighlights thehighergreenhousegas (GHG)emissionsperunitGDP thanthe EU average (Romanian Agency for the Environmental Protection, 2015). Even if Romania hastheoretically some of the best forestmanagement practices in Europe, illegal deforestation has beenwidespread,reachingworryinglevelsthatthreatenthestateofRomania’sforests,andconsequentlythequalityofitsair,soilandenvironmentingeneral.

As alsohighlighted in the2013editionof theEIOCountryProfileonRomania,access to cleanwater,wastemanagement andwastewater treatment are themain environmental challenges in Romania(UNECE,2013).Only75%ofRomanianhouseholdswereconnectedtotheirlocalpublicwastecollectionservices in2012 (RomanianAgency for Environmental Protection, 2015). This is influencedby the lowlevelofwastecollectioninruralareas,wherewasteiscollectedfromonly60%ofhouseholds(ibid).

Moreover,only3%ofmunicipalhouseholdwasteisrecycledandcompostedinRomania,theremaining97%iseliminatedonlythroughlandfill(EEA,2015).ThereisasyetnoevidenceoffunctionalinstallationsforincineratingwasteinRomania.ThiscouldeasilyturnintoapublichealthconcernduetotheexistenceofabandonedwastespacesandlandfillsthatdonotcomplywithEUlegislation.

Therearealsorisinglevelsofwastefromelectricalandelectronicequipment(WEEE).Romania’syearlytargetforWEEEcollectionhasbeen4kgofwasteperinhabitantsince2008,buthasnotbeenreachedsofar(RomanianAgencyforEnvironmentalProtection,2015).

In spite of the fact that economic conditions have been improving since the crisis, and RomaniaexperiencingmoderateGDP growth, social indicators areworrying (see European Commission, 2016).Falling population numbers due to an ageing population and constantmigration, coupledwith lastingpovertyandsocialexclusionissues,aresignsofanunsustainablegrowthmodel.Inaddition,manypublicsectorgovernance issueshaveyet tobe resolved.Whilecorruptioncasesare tackledmoreandmore,Romaniastillhastofindasolutiontoitsinefficientmechanismsforpreventingsystemiccorruption,andforfurthertacklingpoorpublicmanagementpracticesandlowadministrativecapacity.

3

1 |Eco-innovationperformance

The analysis in this section is based on the EU-28 Eco-innovation scoreboard (Eco-IS) for the year2015.ViaitscompositeEco-innovationindex,producedbytheEco-InnovationObservatory(EIO),Eco-ISdemonstratestheeco-innovationperformanceofacountrycomparedwiththeEUaverageandwiththeEU top performers. Eco-IS is based on 16 indicators, aggregated into five components: eco-innovationinputs,activitiesandoutputs,environmentalandsocio-economicoutcomes.

Romaniaranks18th in theEco-IS,obtainingascoreof87.1.This indicates it isbelowtheoverallEU-28averagescoreby13%.However, it isencouraging that thecountryhasadvancedthreepositionssince2013,fromthepreviousrankof21.ThehighestranksareobtainedbyDenmarkandIreland,withscoresofaround177and142respectively.

Figure1EU-28Eco-innovationscoreboard2015,compositeindex

Source:EIO,2016

Eco-Innovationinputs

As in the previous EIO Country Profile, Romania’s inputs into developing the eco-innovation systemcontinue tobemodest,witha scoreof58outof theEUaverageof100.This indicator ismadeupofgovernmentandprivate sector investments ineco-innovation,aswell as relativenumbersof researchpersonnel.However,dataon total greenearly-stage investment ineco-industriesarenotavailable forRomaniain2012-2015,alongwithseveralotherCentralandEastEuropeancountries,sotherankingfortheeco-innovationinputsindexshouldbetreatedwithcaution.

4

‘Governmentappropriationsandoutlays intoresearchanddevelopment’ (GBAORD) forenvironmentalandenergytopicsreached0.03%ofGDPin2014,whichissomewhatbelowtheEUaverageof0.04%ofGDP.

As opposed to the 2013 Country Profile, data for research and development (R&D) personnel in eco-innovative sectors was not available, therefore the indicator denotes the total R&D personnel andresearchers across all fields. Romania’s share of R&D personnel reaches 0.36% of total employment,whichrepresentsonly36%of theEU-28average.Bycomparison,Denmark,FinlandandLuxembourg’sresearchersmakeupslightlyover2%ofeachcountry’stotalemployment.

Figure2Componentsoftheeco-innovationcompositeindexforRomania,2015

Source:EIO,2016

Eco-InnovationActivities

RomaniaranksabovetheEUaverageintermsofeco-innovationactivities,withanaveragescoreof138(38pointsabovetheEUaveragescoreof100).Thisisapositiveimprovementfrom2013.

Eco-innovation activities are largely measured through data from the 2008 Community InnovationSurvey’s two indicatorson thenumbersof firmshaving implemented innovationactivitiesaimingat areductionofmaterial input,ora reductionofenergy input,perunitoutput.These indicatorshavenotchangedrelativetothe2012and2013EIOCountryProfilestherefore.

Asbefore, inRomania, thepositive results foreco-innovationactivitiesaredrivenbya third indicator,measuringfirms’interestinstandardisationoftheirenvironmentalmanagement.Accordingtothe466.3companiespermillioninhabitantswithanISO14001certificationin2014,Romaniancompaniesplaceahigh importance on observing environmental management requirements. This is almost double theaveragenumberoffirmspermillioninhabitantsintheEU(208.3).

5

RomaniahaskeptitsfirstrankingintheEU,therefore,togetherwiththeCzechRepublicandfollowedbyItaly.However,takingintoconsiderationtheresultsoftheGreenBusinessIndexsurveyofenvironmentalperformanceamongRomaniancompanies in2015, itappearsthatcompaniesare largelydrivenbytheneedtocomplywithnationalorEuropeanenvironmentalregulations,buttheevidenceisnotsufficienttoprovethattheirenvironmentalawarenesshasincreased.

Eco-InnovationOutputs

As in 2015, Romania’s performance is below the EU average in terms of eco-innovation outputs. ThemeanEco-ISoutputindexis53forRomania,lowerthanin2013.Thisscoreisexplainedbypoorscoresintermsofeco-innovationpatentsandpublications.

Thenumberofeco-innovation-relatedpatentsobtainedin2012amountedto6permillioninhabitants.In comparison to the Romanian result, the EU average number of eco-innovation patents permillioninhabitantswas18.6inthesameyear.

The number of eco-innovation publications permillion inhabitants continues to be relativelymodest,amountingto9permillioninhabitantsin2014,whichplacesRomaniaat56%oftheEUaverageinthisfield(16.19publicationspermillioninhabitants).However,thisisanimprovementcomparedtothe2013CountryProfile.

In termsof eco-innovationmedia coverage, Romania is no longerwell above average as in 2013. The0.23 annual hits per electronic media covered by the Meltwater News search with key word "Eco-innovation"in2015showamoderateperformanceinRomaniaincomparisontotheEUaverage.

ResourceEfficiencyOutcomes

Romania’sperformanceinachievingresourceefficiencyoutcomesisstagnating,accordingtothelatestdata,astheeconomyremainedonaverage40%lessresourceefficientthantheEUasawholein2013,thesameasin2011.MaterialproductivityandwaterproductivityaremuchlowerthantheEUaverage,whileGHGemissionsintensityapproachestheEUaverage.

MaterialproductivitycomparesGDPgeneratedrelativetomaterialconsumption,measuredineurosperkilogramme (EUR/kg), which amounted to 0.66 EUR/kg in 2013. Following the increase in EU-levelaveragematerialproductivity,thegapiswideningbetweentheRomanianandtheEUaverage,astheEUreached1.93EUR/kgaveragematerialproductivityin2013.

Theenergyproductivity,calculatedasGDPrelativetoenergyconsumptionandmeasured ineurospertonnesofoilequivalent(EUR/toe),isaboveEUaverageandhasbeenrising,withavalueof8.9EUR/toe(108%oftheEUaverageof8.3EUR/toe)in2011.ThisshowsthecharacteristicsoftheRomanianenergymarket,whichactuallyreachedsurplusproductionin2014.

TheGHG emissions intensity is somewhat higher in comparison to the EU average, amounting to 0.4unitsofCO2-equivalentemissionsgeneratedperunitofGDP.Incontrast,theEUhasalevelof0.35CO2-equivalentemissionsperunitofGDPin2013.Thisisastabletrend.

Socio-economicOutcomes

AsopposedtoearlierEIOscoreboards,themethodologyformeasuringsocioeconomicoutcomesrelatedto the eco-innovation system has changed, which has resulted in changes in the measured countryperformance.DuetomoredataavailabilityforCentralandEasternEuropeancountries,andRomaniainparticular, the total score for socioeconomic outcomes is now 20% above EU average performance(contrarytothelowpreviousperformance).

6

Exportsofproductsfromeco-industryare0.37%oftotalexports,whichis55%oftheEUaveragelevel.Incomparison,inleadercountriessuchasLuxembourgandDenmarktheeco-industries’exportsreachedalevelofalmost1%oftotalexports.

Theothertwoindicatorscomposingthissub-indexhaveimprovedduetotheincreaseddataavailabilityand,while comparable across countries, arenot comparable toprevious reports. Employment in eco-industries is at 4.26% of total employment in Romania in 2014. This result positions Romania at 68%abovetheEUaverage levelof2.53%oftotalemployment in2014. Theeco-industries’revenue isalsoaboveEUaverage,at2.99%oftotalrevenueacrosssectors,asopposedtotheEU-wideaverageturnoverofeco-industriesamounting to2.2%of total turnover in2012.Thehighestperformers in thiscasearethe Netherlands and the Czech Republic, with eco-industries’ revenue at a level of 3.5% of totalcompanies’revenuein2014.

2 |Selectedcirculareconomyandeco-innovationareasandnewtrends

Romania’seco-innovationsystemcanbebroadlycharacterisedintermsofpushandpullfactorsactinginoppositiontooneanother.

Ontheonehand,thereisalowlevelofinvestmentinbasicinfrastructureandframeworkconditionsforrecycling,wastemanagementandresourceefficiency,aswellaslowinputintoR&Dfromthepublicandprivatesectors(seeSections1and3ofthisreportformoredetails).

On the other hand, confirming the Eco-IS’s findings that eco-innovation activities are on the rise inRomania,thereareislandsofinnovationatthegrass-rootslevelthathavegraduallyaccumulated.Theyhavethepotentialtoreachcriticalmass,andpossiblyhavepositivespillovereffectsonfurtherfieldsofeconomicactivitiesintime.ExamplesexistinthefieldofsustainableproductdesignorusingappsandITsystemsforthecirculareconomy(seethegoodpracticespresentedbelow).However,whilegrass-rootsinitiatives provide an indication of the economic potential and dynamism of the field, they generallyneedlarger-scaleinvestmentandsupporttohaveasignificantimpact.

AnoverviewoftheenvironmentalpracticesofRomaniancompaniesisprovidedbyTheGreenBusinessIndex2015,whichmeasures companies’ environmental responsibility for 2014 (seeGreenRevolution,2015). It also outlines themain challenges for the private sector to becomingmore environmentallysustainable. There has been limited change in the companies’ environmental behaviour since 2013.Whilemostcompaniessurveyedfulfilthelegallyrequiredpoliciesforamoresustainableenvironmentalmanagement,theyarenotmainstreamingthemthroughoutthewholecompany.Furtherfindingsfromthereportincludethefollowing:

• Companies show weak environmental awareness and weak levels of transparency andcommunication on environmental issues. However, they increasingly make use of ecologicalproductdesign, inspiteof lowuptakeofenvironmental labelling. Intermsofcostassessment,companies don’tmeasureor donotwant to declare the costs andbenefits obtained throughtheirenvironmentalmanagementpractices.

• Thesurveyedcompaniesdonotmonitortheirresourceusesystematically,whichiswhytheyarenotabletotakemeasurestoimprovetheirenvironmentalperformance.Theperceptionisthatthe investment inamoresophisticatedenvironmentalmonitoringsystemwouldoutweighthe

7

benefits fromreducedcosts.Anotablechange is the increase incompanies’useof renewableenergysources.9.3%ofthesurveyedcompaniespredominantlyuserenewableenergysources,while for18.5%of thecompanies, less than50%of theirenergyusecomes fromrenewables.ThispositivechangecouldbeduetothesurplusofenergyproductionintheRomanianenergymarketin2014,asrenewableenergyproductioncapacityhasincreasedinrecentyears.

• The majority of the surveyed companies (57%) do not use recycled resources as productionmaterials at all, while for another 16.3%, recycled resourcesmake up less than 2.5% of theirproductionmaterials.Thisshowsthereare largeopportunities fordevelopmentofthecirculareconomyinRomania.

• Arisingnumberof companieshavestarted implementingwastemanagementpolicies:83% in2014,whichisanincreaseof15%comparedto2013.Almostallofthemalsohaveapolicyforminimisingtheirwasteproduction,butonly60%tookactualmeasures.However,this isaverypromisingtrend,asitshowsthetrendtowardsmoresustainableuseofresources.

QUIB–thecirculareconomyworkspace

QUIBisthefirstcirculareconomyworkspaceinRomania,promotingcradle-to-cradledesignandcirculareconomyproductionprinciples.All of the products developed here are made of reused materialswithout generating waste. The services offered include support toproductdesignandprototyping,accesstoafullrangeofequipmentfor wood, metal and textiles processing, and several advancedtechnicaltoolssuchasa3Dprinter,aCNCrouterandlaserprinter.Italso offers various creativity and technical design classes. So far,since opening in 2015, the centre has supported 100 makers todevelop125productsoutof430tonnesofreusedmaterials.

The main drivers for opening the space were environmental, as well as the range of economicopportunities that thecirculareconomyoffers.Barriers todeveloping thebusiness further include thescarcityofRomaniansuppliersoforganicrawmaterials.ThecompanyhadtoimporttherawmaterialsfromGermanyor Italy,becausebusinessesarehard toconvince togiveupmaterials theydonotuse.Moreover, theworkersarenotaccustomed tousingas littlematerialaspossible,while theRomanianconsumersplace less valueon the sustainability of products, butmoreon thedesign. This iswhy theproductsdevelopedinQUIBareprimarilymeantforexport.

ThedevelopmentofQUIBwasfundedwiththehelpoftheEuropeanSocialFund.

Keywords:Cradle-to-cradle;circulareconomy;eco-design;maker-spaces;reuse;sustainableproduction

Contact:QUIBcentre,contact@quib.ro;adriana.cojocaru@quib.ro;bogdan.cojocaru@quib.ro

Address:Meschenndorfer,Nr.333;Sânpetru,Brașov,România

Links:quib.ro

Picturesource:http://quib.ro/quib-start-up-ecosystem-and-services/

8

Uleiosul–usedcookingoilcollectionassociation

Theideafortheinitiativecamefromrealisingthatalitreofoilused for cooking can be reused to produce 0.9-0.95litres ofbiodiesel,whichcanthenbetransformedintoothersecondarymaterials such as soap. The majority of Romanians throwcooking oil into the water, while collection centres are notfinancially viable because they only collect large quantities ofcooking oil, which individual households cannot provide ontheirown.Uleiosulprovidesthemissinglinkinthesystem.

Uleiosul(Romanianfor“theoilyguy”)collectsusedcookingoilfrom local households in Bucharest using a cargo bike – a green transport system. TheUleiosul teammanagesanetworkofhouseholdsthatprovideaminimumof4litresofusedcookingoilpercollectionround,andworkswithvolunteers ineachdistrictofBucharest foraquickercollectionprocess. Ithasalsorecentlystartedtocollectusedoilfromrestaurants,canteens,cateringfirmsandhotels.Inaddition,theassociationprovideseducationclassesinprimaryschoolsinBucharestandinvolvesschoolchildreninmonthlycollectionprocesses.Partofthefundsobtainedthroughsellingthecookingoilcollectedbythepupils is re-directed to the schools’ own projects. In the two years of functioning, Uleiosul collected4,276.7litresofusedcookingoilfrom792households.

Keywords:resourceefficiency;recycling;oilwaste

Contact:S.T.U.P.(SocialTradingUrbanPlace)Association;uleiosul@gmail.com

Link:www.uleiosul.com

Picture link: http://www.cariereonline.ro/articol/el-este-uleiosul-fostul-corporatist-care-colecteaza-ulei-cu-cargobicileta

3 |Barriersanddriverstocirculareconomyandeco-innovationinRomania

As also highlighted in the 2013 EIO Country Profile for Romania, suitable administrative capacity,availability of skilled personnel in the public and private sector, as well as the low propensity tocollaborate, continue to be challenges for a systemic transformation agenda such as the circulareconomy,bothinthepublicandprivatesector.

Anexampleofhowamixofinstitutionalfactors,policyincentivesandfundingchallengeshasresultedinasystemicprobleminRomania is inwastemanagement.The interviewedstakeholdershighlightedtheinstitutional difficulties and governance problems that are currently impeding the development ofsustainable solutions towastemanagement. A specific case is the field of recycling packagingwaste,which is currently blocked and awaiting reform. The European Commission also launched an

9

infringementprocedureagainstRomaniainApril2015fornotenactingEUlegislationonpackagingwasteintodomesticlaw.

In Romania, producers are by law required tomake sure that 60% of their packaging waste is beingrecycled. However, they had delegated this responsibility to intermediary companies, which werechargingunsustainablysmallamounts(of2RON/kgofwasteoraround€0.50/kg)tocollectandrecyclethe waste. This proved to be an unfeasible solution, since recent controls by the RomanianEnvironmentalAuthorityhaveleadtothediscoveryofafraudofRON54million(€12million)amongtheintermediary packaging waste collectors. According to the control’s findings, the intermediaries wereactuallynotcollectingandrecyclingthepackagingwaste,butwerereportingfalsefigureswithoutbeingcheckedbythewasteproducers.Currently,thewastecollectionsystemisblockedinlegaldisputes,andsolutionsseemhardtofind.

However, it is importanttonotethatthesituationinthewastepackagingsectorcanalsobeseenasadriverandopportunityforreform.Theindustryfaceshighcostsduetothelargefinesthatithastopay(whichfeedintotheNationalEnvironmentFund)fortheirlackoflegalcompliance.Therearethereforeongoing public debates and stakeholder dialogues on how to improve the recycling system and onfinding solutions to improve the incentives for recyclingwaste. However, as it is a systemic problem,there needs to be a whole-system approach and strong coordination between levels of governance.Strengtheningthecapacityoflocalmunicipalitiestoinvestinabetterframeworkandinfrastructureforrecyclingiskey.

Data collection andmanagement has been highlighted as another significant problem, since policiescannot be improved if the data collected are not reliable or are falsely reported. The EnvironmentalAuthorityneeds to implementcrediblemonitoringmechanismsand lawenforcementarrangements.Abetter data collection system and alertmechanisms for potential fraud and inconsistencieswould beneeded.

In addition, better communication and coordination between the Environmental Authority and theMinistryofEnvironmentareimportant.Forthemoment,officialsintheMinistryofEnvironmentdonoteasily have access to the data owned by the Environmental Authority. This lack of communicationimpedescooperationonsolvingproblems,suchasinthecaseofwastemanagement.

Anothercontinuingchallenge,alsodemonstratedthroughtheexampleofwastepackaging,istheprivatesector’s lack of engagement in the environment, which translates in continuing environmentallyunsustainablepractices.

There has been very little focus on waste prevention measures and on creating proper frameworkconditions for a more efficient resource use. There are also very few fiscal incentives or supportprogrammestoadoptenvironmentalmanagementpractices.Nevertheless,accordingtothe2015GreenBusinessIndex,thesurveyedcompaniesdoshowrisinginterestinthisdirection.Forexample,anationalprogramme offering advisory services for environmental audits or energy audits and environmentalperformancemonitoringcouldproveverybeneficial.

Onthewhole,policyapproachestoenvironmentalsupporthavenotbeensupportiveenoughandhaveleft gaps in promoting better environmental performance in the private sector, and have also notengagedproperlywithabroaderrangeofpublicstakeholdersatnationalandregionallevel.

10

4 |Policylandscape:towardscirculareconomyinRomania

4.1 Availabilityofpublicfundingforeco-innovationandcirculareconomy

Therehavebeennonew important supportmeasuresdirectly related toeco-innovationand resourceefficiency since 2013. Themain incentivemeasures implementedwith funding from the EnvironmentFundhaveincludedacar-scrappingprogramme,promotingrenewableenergythroughfeed-intariffsandaprogrammeforre-forestation(seeRomanianNationalReformProgramme,2016):

• The“GreenHouse”programmefunded4,674householdsto installorreplaceclassicalheatingsystemswithnewonesbasedonrenewableenergyresourcesbyend2015.

• The“Rabla”/car-scrappingprogrammefundedthereplacementofpollutingcarsbynewercarswithbetterenvironmentalperformance.

• Thenationalprogrammeforimprovingthequalityoftheenvironmentbycreatinggreenspaceshasfundedprojectsthatcreatednewparksandsquaresinvillagesortowns.

EUfundsarean importantsourceofpublic investment inRomania.TheEUfunds’effectiveabsorptionrate was around 61% by end of March 2016 for the 2007-2013 period, however, due to severalmanagement deficiencies (RomanianMinistry of European Funds, 2016). Some of the results of thefundingareoutlinedbelow:

• The Competitiveness Sectoral OP 2007-2013 was an important funding source for eco-innovation and circular economy-related projects. For instance, the programme providedinvestmentsfor56projects(eitherfinalisedorrunningin2016)thatusebiomass,hydro-energy,solar,windandbiofuelsasenergygeneratingresources(seeRomanianGovernment,2016).

• The Environment Sectoral OP 2007-2013 funded the majority of the environmentalinfrastructure investments. For example, by the end of 2015, it supported projects related todiminishingGHGemissions intheenergysectorby investing€237million inenergyproductionfromnon-pollutingsources;provided€2.2billiontoprojectsrelatedtomodernisingwaterandwastewater treatment facilities;and€500million toprojects in thewastemanagement sector(seeEnvironmentalSectoralOPManagementAuthority,2015).

Romania can receiveup to €31billion fromEU Structural and Investment Funds in 2014-2020.Out ofthatsum,upto€5.4billioncanbeinvestmentonEnvironmentalProtectionandResourceEfficiency,and€3.9billionforLow-CarbonEconomy(DGRegio,2016).However,thenewOperationalProgramme(OPs)for European Structural Funds startedwith longdelays inRomania,whichmeans that therehasbeenverylittleinvestmenttodatefromthe2014-2020programmedfunds.Climatechange,circulareconomyandeco-innovation-relatedinterventionscanbedonethroughseveralOPs:

• LargeInfrastructureOP,undertheEuropeanRegionalDevelopmentFund(ERDF)andCohesionFund,whichfundswater,transport,energy,waste,etc.;

• RegionalOP (ERDF),which fundsurbanand regionaldevelopmentprojectson local transport,energyefficiency,etc.;

• RuralDevelopmentOP(EAFRD),whichfundspublicinfrastructureinagricultureandruralareas;• CompetitivenessOP(ERDF),whichfundsinvestmentsinresearch,developmentandinnovation

andbusinessdevelopmentinsmartspecialisationdomains.

The European Economic Area (EEA) Grants Programme and the Norwegian Government have beenimportant funding sources in the field of green economy, pursuing hands-on bilateral cooperation

11

projects. Total support for 2009-2014 amounted to €306million, which made Romania the largestrecipientcountryintheEU(EEAGrants,2015).Itsupportedprojectsundertakenbypublicandprivateactors with an innovative concept in the programme area. Since 2013, Norway Grants has allocated€29.7million into a Green Industry Innovation Programmewhich aimed at realising “green” businessopportunities (EEAGrants, 2016). In addition, €20millionwere also invested in collaborative researchprojects, including in the areas of environmental protection andmanagement, and renewable energy(ibid).Fundingallocationsforenergyefficiencyandrenewableenergyprojectsamountedto€21million,whilefundingforadaptationtoclimatechangeamountedto€3million(ibid).AnotherprogrammeareaofsupportprovidedtoRomaniawas in the fieldofenvironmentalprotectionandmanagement,whichincluded investment in biodiversity and ecosystem services, waste management, environmentalmonitoring,reductionofhazardoussubstances,reducedGHGemissionsetc.,amountingto€33.2million(EEAGrants,2015).

4.2 Strategydevelopment

Recentpolicyachievementsanddevelopmentsinthefieldofcirculareconomyandeco-innovationhavebeeninareassuchasstrategydevelopment,newpolicycoordinationarrangements,aswellasimprovingtheadministrativecapacityoftheMinistryofEnvironmentforpolicyimplementationandevaluation.

Afteritsdecisiontocutsubsidiesofferedtoinvestmentsinrenewableenergyprojects,inearly2014,thegovernment decided tomaintain the rate of green certificates at a low level. The Government alsoadoptedtheNationalActionPlanforEnergyEfficiencyin2015throughGovernmentDecision122/2015.

TheNational Strategy for research,developmentand innovation (RDI) for2014-2020wasapproved inOctober2014andincludesSmartSpecialisationfieldsforthenationalinnovationsystem.Theseare:thebio-economy and agriculture; ICT and security; Energy, environment and climate change; Eco-nanotechnologies and advanced materials. The Structural Fund investments for competitiveness andresearchandinnovationhavetobemadeaccordingtothesepriorityfields.

TheMinistryofEconomy,TradeandtheBusinessEnvironmentplanstoelaboratetheNationalPlanforMedium- and Long-term Economic Development underpinning the National Competitiveness Strategy2015-2020.AnInter-MinisterialCompetitivenessCommitteewascreatedinspring2016tooverseeandevaluate the implementation of the strategy. The strategy specifies 11 key industrial sectors to befurthersupportedthroughfutureincentivemeasures.Itdoesnotmentionthecirculareconomydirectlyas a source of economic competitiveness, but includes sectors such as the bio-economy andenvironmentalmanagement that are significant for developing the circular economy in Romania. TheInter-Ministerial Competitiveness Committeewill include aworking group that correlates its activitieswiththeprioritiessetintheNationalStrategyforRDI2014-2020.However,itremainstobeseentowhatextent the policies will be better coordinated and whether the field of eco-innovation and circulareconomy will gain in importance in the investment strategies for economic development, since theMinistryofEnvironmentisnotincludedinthecommittee.

4.3 Increasingadministrativecapacityforenvironmentalpolicies

The Ministry of Environment contracted the World Bank for technical assistance on mainstreamingclimate action within national policies (World Bank, 2016a). Through this project, the World Banksupported thegovernment indesigning theNationalActionPlan regardingClimateChange2014-2020andtheNationalStrategyregardingClimateChangeandaGHG-freeEconomicGrowth–althoughtheyarenotyetformallyadoptedbythegovernment.Theprojectalsocreatedanonlinedatabaseforclimate

12

changeactions,includingarepositoryofmeasurestomainstreamthemintheEuropeanStructuralFundsOperationalProgrammesfor2014-2020.

Several projects have been funded under the Operational Programme for Technical Assistance of EUStructuralFunds,whichaimedat increasingtheadministrativecapacityoftheMinistryofEnvironmentandterritorialunitsoftheenvironmentalauthoritiesinseveralfields.Forinstance,theministryprovidedprofessionaltrainingfor itspersonnel in improvingtheircapacityforevaluatingenvironmental impactsandcarryingoutenvironmental impactassessments.Anotherexample isaproject fundedthroughtheJASPERSprogramme,whichprovidedtechnicalassistanceinwritingguidelinesforlocalmunicipalitiesinbuildinganintegratedwastemanagementsystem(seeRomanianGovernment,2016).

Romania will receive technical assistance and financing from the World Bank to continue to worktowardsreducingthedischargeofnutrients(nitrogenandphosphorus)intowaterbodiesandmeettheEUNitrates Directive requirements at national level. The financing of €48million adds to the original€50million budget for the World Bank-supported project on Integrated Nutrient Pollution Control(World Bank, 2016b). It will focus on “scaling-up investments and management practices to reducenutrient pollution from agricultural, livestock and human sources nationwide. Approximately 30,000small farms will benefit from support in manure collection and composting facilities, manuremanagement,biogasproductionfromanimalwaste,and/orsewageandwastewatertreatmentinabout100communeshighlyexposedtonitratespollution”(WorldBank,2016b).

4.4 Futurepolicyplanstowardsthecirculareconomy

Romania has had a new government since November 2015, which brought with it a wave of re-prioritising processes in several policy fields. TheMinistry of Environment,Water and Forests has thefollowingmainactionpointsfor2016,whichalsoincludeconcretestepsforthecirculareconomy,suchas:

• creating the framework to transform and accelerate the Romanian economy’s transition totowardsagreeneconomy;

• promotingenvironmentallyfriendlytechnological innovationsandsupportingthedevelopmentofgreenbusinessandgreenentrepreneurship;

• creatingtheframeworkto implementtheprinciplesofthecirculareconomyinalignmentwithEUpolicies;

• drafting theNationalWasteManagement Plan, theNational Plan forWaste Prevention, goodpractice guides for waste management and a revision of the county-level methodology fordraftingcounty-levelwastemanagementplans;

• foundingtheActionPartnershipfortheGreenEconomy;• implementingcross-sectoralcampaignsandprogrammesforenvironmentalprotection.

However,therearenoclearmeasuresoutlinedundereachactionpoint,astheyarestillbeingdevelopedby theMinistry of Environment in the course of 2016. TheMinistry of Environment is preparing theintroduction of new support measures that are foreseen for 2016-2017, which are relevant for thecirculareconomy.Theseinclude:

• anewpilotschemeforeco-entrepreneurs,withtheministrypreparingtolaunchtheguidelinesforapplication;

• apreviousschemecalled“thegreenhouse”,beingre-launchedtosupportspecificenergy-andresource-efficiencymeasuresinthehousingsector.

13

According to data from the Ministry of Environment, there are major measures foreseen to beimplemented in the field of waste management. After the publication of the new National WasteManagementStrategyinFebruary2014,whichwasregardedasasuccess,thesituationdidnotimproveasitwashoped.ThiswasduetothefactthatthepublicationoftheNationalWasteManagementPlantooperationalise the strategy was severely delayed due to legal issues. TheMinistry of Environment iscontractingEuropeanfundsfortechnicalassistancesoastobeabletodesigntheWasteManagementPlan in 2016. The ministry also intends to transpose into national law the changes from the WasteFrameworkDirectiverelatedtowasteflows.

FurthermeasuresforeseenbytheMinistryofEnvironmentin2016-2017include:

• IntroducingataxofRON80pertonne(around€18pertonne)ofwastetodiminishthequantityoflandfilledwasteandencouragerecycling

• Implementing new prevention measures to reduce generating waste, which are still to beoutlined

• Implementing a warranty-return system (e.g. such as for collecting plastic bottles insupermarkets)

• Promoting the increaseofwaste sortingpractices in cities inpartnershipwith theMinistryofRegionalDevelopmentandPublicAdministration.

Supporttoeco-innovativeenterprisesintheWestRegionofRomania

Thepilotsupportschemewasimplementedin2014-2016byTehimpuls– the technology support body of the West Regional DevelopmentAgency, with funding from Norway Grants. It aimed to support thedevelopment of eco-innovative enterprises and the promotion ofinnovationforenvironmentalbenefits.Theaimofthemeasurewastoselect three start-ups that develop an eco-innovative product or

technology, and support them with small grants, mentoring and advisory services for intellectualpropertyrights(IPR)andcommercialisation.

Activities of themeasure included: the identification of eco-innovative products and solutions in theWestRegioninRomaniathroughorganisinginnovationcompetitions;thedevelopmentofaportfolioofpatents; supporting commercialisation of the three eco-innovative solutions; providing technicalassistanceforobtainingapatent;andsupporttocommercialising“green”patents.Furtherscaling-upofthemeasureisplanned.

Keywords:IPR,eco-innovativestart-ups,IPRsupport;commercialisationsupport

Links: Tehimpuls website, http://www.tehimpuls.ro/proiecte/intreprinderi-eco-inovative-in-regiunea-vest

Contact:office@tehimpuls.ro;tel:+40356178753

14

Forests’ Radar App – Integrated Information System for Real-Time Wood Transport Tracking inRomania

Romania has a pressing problem in dealing with illegaldeforestation practices. For this, the Ministry ofEnvironment adopted a Government Order (HG470/2014) to impose higher responsibility for economicagents tomonitorandtrace theiroperationswithwood,in order to ensure the wood is exploited within legalboundaries. The law has a civil society accountabilitycomponent in the form of a mobile app for “woodtracking”. Both the law and the app were developedtogetherwithcivilsocietyorganisationssuchasWWF.

Forestryworkersneedtousethe“Woodtracking”mobileapplicationtointroducedataaboutthewoodtheyare cuttingandcarrying, togetherwith the locationdetails. The law furtherobliges customers tocheckthesourceofthewoodwhenreceivingitfromtheirsuppliers.Atthesametime,thecitizenscancross-checkthelegalityofthewoodcuttingactionstheynoticeinaforestareaandsuspectareillegal,byalerting national authorities about it at an emergency number (112). Following up on the call, theresponsibleauthoritiescanverifywhetherthesuspectedactionislegalbytrackingthecarnumberfromtheintegratedinformationsystemreportedbytheeconomicagents.

Therearenoupdatedfiguresontheimpactoftheapptodate,butfirstresultsfrommediareportsshowthatoutof2,149alarmcallsmadeinOctober–November2014,577ofthemwereconfirmedasillegalwoodtransports.Thereareinherentdifficultiesinmainstreamingtheuseoftheapp,communicatingtheprogrammeandtheadoptionofthetechnologyamongallthestakeholders.However,reportsaftersixmonthsofusing theapplicationmention itseffectiveness in reducing illegalwood transportsand thuspositiveenvironmentaleffectsoffewertreesbeingcutdown.

Keywords:mobileapps,opendata,bioeconomy

Links: http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-energie_si_mediu-18164048-agentul-wood-tracking-intra-actiune-din-octombrie-2014.htm

Thewoodtrackingapp:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ro.indaco.apv&hl=en

Picture source: http://www.gazetabt.ro/national-programul-radarul-padurilor-demareaza-astazi-un-sistem-informatic-mamut-va-urmari-traseul-lemnului-din-padure-pana-la-intrarea-pe-poarta-fabricii.html

15

ReferencesDG Regional and Urban Policy, Cohesion data repository,https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/countries/RO.Accessed03.05.2016

Eco-Innovation Observatory, Country Profile Romania 2013, http://www.eco-innovation.eu/images/stories/Reports/EIO_Country_Brief_2013_Romania.pdf,Accessed10.05.2016

Environmental Sectoral OP Management Authority, 2015, State of Implementation at 28.12.2015,http://www.posmediu.ro/Stadiul_implementarii_POS_Mediu(1989).html,Accessed04.05.2016.

EuropeanEnvironmentalAgency,2015,TheEuropeanEnvironment-Stateandoutlook2015-SynthesisReport,http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer-2015/synthesis/report,Accessed04.05.2016

European Environmental Agency, 2016, Municipal waste recycled and composted in each EuropeanCountry, http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/municipal-waste-recycled-and-composted#tab-chart_1,Accessed04.05.2016

EEAGrants,2015updatedFactsheetsforProgrammeAreasandProgrammeAreasBrochure2009-2014,http://eeagrants.org/content/download/5976/65820/version/2/file/Programme+Areas+2009-2014.pdf,Accessed03.05.2016

EEA Grants, 2016, Green Industry Innovation programme overview, http://eeagrants.org/What-we-do/Programme-areas/Green-Industry-Innovation/Green-Industry-Innovation,Accessed03.05.2016

European Commission, 2016, Country Report Romania 2016, Including an In-depth Review on theprevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, SWD(2016) 91 Final, Brussels 26.02.2016,http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/csr2016/cr2016_romania_en.pdf,Accessed10.05.2016

Green Revolution, Green Business Index Report 2015 https://www.gbindex.ro/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Raport-Green-Business-Index-2015.pdf,Accessed04.05.2016

RomanianAgencyforEnvironmentalProtection,2015,ReportontheStateofEnvironmentinRomaniain2014,http://www.anpm.ro/raport-de-mediu,Accessed04.05.2015.

Romanian Government, 2016, National Reform Programme 2016,http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/csr2016/nrp2016_romania_ro.pdf,Accessed04.05.2015.

Romanian Ministry for Energy, 2015, National Plan for Energy Efficiency,http://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/MNE(2015)52216_Monitorul_Oficial_169_bis_PNAEE_3.pdf,Accessed04.05.2015.

Romanian Ministry for European Funds, 2016, “Stadiul absorptiei” www.fonduri-ue.ro, Accessed03.05.2016

UNECE, Environmental Performance Review, Romania, 2013,http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=32871,Accessed03.05.2016

World Bank, 2016a, Climate Change and LowCarbonGreenGrowth Program2014-2015,www.opera-clima.ro,Accessed03.05.2016

World Bank, 2016b: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2016/03/28/world-bank-supports-romanias-efforts-to-reduce-nutrient-pollution,Accessed03.05.2016

16

ANNEX:Policymeasuresaddressingcirculareconomyandeco-innovationsinRomania

Groupofpolicymeasures Typeofpolicymeasure

Specificmeasure

Pleaseprovidereferencetoorbriefsummaryofspecificmeasures(national,regional)

Focusofpolicymeasure(tickifrelevant)

Circular

economy

Generic

focuson

eco-

innovation

Resource

efficiency

improveme

nt

Energy

efficiency

improveme

nt

Reductio

n of

emissions

incl.CO2

Other

relevant

areas(e.g.

renewable

energy,etc)

SUPP

LYSIDEFO

CUS

Equity/businesssupport

Publiclyco-fundedventure

capitalfunds

- Competitiveness OP 2014-2020 (ERDF) which funds investments in

research,developmentandinnovationandbusinessdevelopmentin

smartspecialisationdomains

o PriorityAxis1:Research,TechnologicalDevelopmentand

Innovation forEconomicCompetitiveness–Priority1.2.2

Loan instruments and venture capital measures for

innovativeSMEsandR&Dorganisations

X X X X X

Publicguaranteefunds

SupportforR&Dinpublicsectorandindustry

R&Dfunding

- Competitiveness OP 2014-2020 (ERDF) which funds investments in

research,developmentandinnovationandbusinessdevelopmentin

smartspecialisationdomains

- The 2014-2020 RDI Strategy and National Plan for RDI 2015-2020

foreseesprioritisedfundingforthefieldsofbio-economy,energyand

environment, eco-nano-technologies and advanced materials

through:

o Programme 1: Developing the National Research and

Development System – Sub-Programme 1.1: Human

resources funding (PhD, young researchers, diaspora

researchers)

o Programme4:Basicandfrontierresearch

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

17

Collaborativegrants

- TheNationalPlanforRDI2015-2020foreseesprioritisedfundingfor

the fields of bio-economy, energy and environment and eco-nano-

technologiesandadvancedmaterialsthrough:

o Programme 2: Increasing the Competitiveness of the

Romanian Economy through RDI – Sub-programme 2.1

BridgeGrants(knowledgetransfer)&Sub-programme2.4.

Innovationvouchers(collaborativeprojects)

x x x x x

R&Dinfrastructure

- Competitiveness OP 2014-2020 (ERDF) which funds investments in

research,developmentandinnovationandbusinessdevelopmentin

smartspecialisationdomains

o PriorityAxis1:InvestmentsinlargeR&Dinfrastructure

- The 2014-2020 RDI Strategy and National Plan for RDI 2015-2020

foreseesprioritisedfundingforthefieldsofbio-economy,energyand

environmentandeco-nano-technologiesandadvancedmaterials:

o Programme 1: Developing the National Research and

Development System - Sub-Programme 1.3. R&D

infrastructure

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Fiscalmeasures

TaxincentivesforR&Dand

start-ups

Therearegenerictaxreductionsof20%forcompaniesundertakingR&D

TaxincentivesforR&D

personnel

Education,trainingandmobility

Tailoredtrainingcoursesfor

companies,entrepreneurs

- ChambersofCommerceandIndustry

Advice/consultingforstart

ups,companies,

entrepreneurs

- Incubatorsandaccelerators

- TheNationalandLocalChambersofCommerceandIndustry

- RegionalDevelopmentAgencies(8)

Placementschemesfor

students

Competencecentres,

clusters,science-technology

parks

- Competitiveness OP 2014-2020 (ERDF) which funds investments in

research,developmentandinnovationandbusinessdevelopmentin

smartspecialisationdomains

o PriorityAxis1:Research,TechnologicalDevelopmentand

X X X X X

18

Networksandpartnerships

Innovation forEconomicCompetitiveness–Priority1.1.2

InvestmentsincreatingR&Dsynergiesandnetworks

Technologyplatformsand

innovationnetworks

- Competitiveness OP 2014-2020 (ERDF) which funds investments in

research,developmentandinnovationandbusinessdevelopmentin

smartspecialisationdomains

o PriorityAxis1:Research,TechnologicalDevelopmentand

Innovation forEconomicCompetitiveness–Priority1.1.2

InvestmentsincreatingR&Dsynergiesandnetworks

X X X X X

Foresightandcommon

visionbuilding

Marketintelligenceand

otherformsofinformation

sharing

DEMAN

DSIDE

FOCU

S

Regulationsandstandards

Regulations,targets,cap&

tradeschemes

- Greencertificatesschemeforrenewableenergy X

Performancestandards,

labelling,certification

Publicprocurement

“Green“publicprocurement

ofgoodsandservices

R&Dprocurement

Pre-commercial

procurement

Technology Advisorysupportfor

19

Transfer technologyadopters

Financialorfiscalsupportfor

technologyadopters

(e.g.grantsforpurchasing

newtechnology)

- TheNationalPlanforRDI2015-2020foreseesprioritisedfundingfor

the fields of bio-economy, energy and environment and eco-nano-

technologiesandadvancedmaterialsthrough:

o Programme 2: Increasing the Competitiveness of the

RomanianEconomythroughRDI

X X X X X

Supportofprivatedemand

Taxincentivesforconsumers

(e.g.forpurchasing

environmentallyefficient

products)

Taxreductionsforproducts

andservices(e.g.VAT

reductions)

Demandsubsidies(e.g.eco-

vouchers,consumer

subsidies)

- The “GreenHouse”programme supportshouseholds replacingout-

dated heating systems / purchasing newheating systems based on

renewableenergy

- The “Rabla” / car-scrappingprogramme funded the replacementof

pollutingcarsbynewercarswithbetterenvironmentalperformance.

X

X

X

Awarenessraisingand

informationprovision

AbouttheEco-InnovationObservatory(EIO)

The Eco-Innovation Observatory (EIO) is the initiative financed by the European Commission’sDirectorate-General for the Environment. The Observatory is developing an integrated informationsource and a series of analyses on eco-innovation trends andmarkets, targeting business, innovationserviceproviders,policymakersaswellasresearchersandanalysts.

VisitEIOandDGENVEco-innovationActionPlan(EcoAP)websiteandregistertogetaccesstomoreinformationandtoaccessallEIOreports,briefsanddatabases..

www.eco-innovation.euec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap