Waste management and innovative urban development projects in Cyprus were at the heart of the 8th Study Visit of the Interreg Europe EURE project. As shown through visits and good practices, several projects are being developed to bring positive changes to the current urban environment, especially in Nicosia.
Nicosia, Cyprus – Five months after the first post-COVID physical gathering in Spain, the Interreg Europe EURE project partners got together in Nicosia, Cyprus. Hosted by Nicosia Development Agency (ANEL), the project partner from Cyprus, partners attended a set of events held on 4 and 5 May. The agenda included a thematic seminar, several study visits, a meeting of the Steering Committee of the project, a meeting of the Pool of Experts as well as a Joint Meeting.
After a warm welcoming by both the Managing Director of ANEL and the representative of the EURE Lead Partner, participants attended the Thematic Seminar. They had an opportunity to get to know the latest developments both on the national (with the National Strategy for Waste Management in Cyprus) and the local level (with the Integrated Spatial Development Strategy of Latsia and Yeri), as well as to discover several Good Practices. The first working day closed on a series of meeting, namely of the EURE Steering Committee, the Pool of Experts and a Joint Meeting. They all aimed to discuss the project activities in the last months of its first phase, dedicated to the interregional exchange of experiences. The EURE partners agreed about the scope of the next set of events, the last one within the EURE project, which will take place in Riga at the beginning of June.
The second day was entirely dedicated to study visits, starting with the Municipality of Aglantzia where the project partners learned about the Pay-As-You-Throw system of the municipality. It is the first one of this kind to be implemented in Cyprus. The Municipality of Aglantzia stressed the importance of a proper communication with the citizens. A visit to the Athalassa Forest Park and the University of Cyprus Campus followed. The first is an example of how a natural area can combine green infrastructure and urban development. The day concluded with the visit to the Cyprus Energy Agency. There, partners learned about the work and mission of the Agency and especially about the Yeitonia+ initiative which aims to change the way people live in neighborhoods. It is characterised by an increased percentage of pedestrian zones and green areas, encouraging and facilitating the movement of pedestrians and bicycles, providing safe access to all citizens with no exception, and restricting the use of private vehicles.
Presentations made during the thematic seminar will be soon available on the EURE website.
More information:
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The EURE project – Effectiveness of Environmental Urban policies to improve Resources Efficiency – proposes the exchange of experiences as a way to improve the environmental performance management of EU urban spaces, including the urban areas with a low population density.
