The activity seeks to analyse the performance of the IWMS implemented from EU funds in the 33 counties concerned. The evaluation is built upon a unitary phased approach blending documentary reviews with field visits and direct consultations with interested parties in order to gain a full picture of the technical, institutional, and financial efficiency of such systems.

This endeavour is being carried out by the Consultant’s multidisciplinary team, comprising local and international experts.

The evaluation results will stand as basis for drafting an Action Plan tailored individually for each county and will include concrete measures regarding:

• optimization of IWMS systems operation;
• increasing quantities of separately collected waste;
• enhancing progress towards a more efficient and sustainable waste management system.

All data collected and the conclusions drawn will be presented in 33 separate reports, scheduled for completion in April 2026.

The IT benchmarking platform for waste management will represent an innovative tool for analysing and contrasting the nationwide performance of integrated waste management systems (IWMS).

The platform will support improvements in IWMS performance via a continuous, well-structured process of data collection, review, and comparison across counties, using a set of standard indicators. This aim will be achieved by: (i) identifying and promoting good practices; (ii) highlighting efficiency differentials amongst similar systems; (iii) upholding decision-making, planning, and regulation-setting processes; (iv) grounding initiatives focused on the improvement of performance in waste management.

As a pioneering endeavour in the waste sector at the national level, this platform will stand as an innovative precedent for any future developments, fostering cost efficiency increases, better quality services, and higher sustainability of waste systems.

The technical, financial, and operational management indicators collected as part of the benchmarking process will provide a solid basis for strategic decision-making in the relevant planning documentation to be drafted at the national and county levels, the county-specific development strategies, and IDA-level planning. Thus, the platform will ensure objective support for forecasts and scenarios on efficient funding allocation and the strengthening of territorial cohesion.

The platform will be operated by A.N.R.S.C. due to its key role in the development process, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and specific sector needs. The deadline for platform completion and delivery is set for May 2026.

The main objective of the Guideline is to ensure a unitary and coherent interpretation of the legal framework, supporting IDAs in carrying out economic and financial activities specific to the waste sector in a correct and efficient manner.

The elaboration of the Guideline will commence with the preparation of a framework structure and content proposal, to be discussed upon and validated together with the concerned parties, more precisely the EIB PAS Team, the Ministry of Finance, and IDAs representatives. Detailed objectives and enforcement limits will be defined at this stage.

The Guideline is set to be completed in July 2026. It will thus become a reference tool increasing transparency, efficiency, and conformity with economic and financial operations at IDAs level.

The methodology for the preparation and monitoring of the county waste management plans (CWMPs) and the Bucharest Municipality waste management plan (MWMP), approved by Ministry of Environment Order 140/2019, will be revised and supplemented, integrating lessons learned, recent legislative amendments and the measures included in the new MWMP (final draft estimated to be completed in December 2025). The new methodology will be complemented with the methodology regarding the implementation monitoring of the plans developed under the technical assistance project TA AA-010820-001 and will include a new standard Excel Model dedicated to supporting the process of drafting the new CWMPs/MWMP.

The deadline for the preliminary methodology draft is March 2026.

Under Task B.2, the Consultant will draft a Guideline on the basic parameters of municipal waste within IWMS. This document will be a practical tool addressed to public authorities, IDAs, and operators, providing them with a unitary methodological framework for determining waste composition, density, and generation indices. The deadline for the preliminary draft of the Guideline is set for January 2026.

The proposed methodology will be tested and validated in three representative pilot counties by means of carrying out two review campaigns – one for the cold season (February – March 2026) and one for the warm season (June – August 2026). The Consultant will include the results in individual reports for each pilot county, presenting the application method and test conclusions.

The Guideline will enable uniform waste data collection and analysis and will contribute to: (i) increasing data accuracy; (ii) monitoring delegation contracts and CWMPs/MWMP more efficiently; (iii) substantiating strategic decisions locally and nationally; (iv) accelerating the transition towards an efficient waste management system based on concrete data.

The training programme is dedicated to the staff working within relevant institutions at national, county, and local levels, aiming to ensure the transfer of skills and competencies as well as key knowledge for a higher performance of the waste management systems. It includes 14 regional training sessions organized in various areas of Romania to facilitate interested parties’ access thereto and to achieve a more balanced geographical coverage, as well as one national workshop.

The target group will consist of (i) representatives of intercommunity development associations and county councils; (ii) specialists from within NAEPA’s county environment departments and other local structures; (ii) local authorities; (iii) representatives of A.N.R.S.C., NAEPA, MIEP, and MEWF, who will be invited to participate in the national workshop.

The training sessions are planned to take place between September – November 2026.