On 7 May 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Regulations Project elaborated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development on improving the efficiency of water management services in wastewater treatment plants and its systems by ensuring adequate infrastructure capacity, improving operational efficiency and reducing pollution.
The total funding planned under the first selection round is at least EUR 79.32 million, including EUR 51.56 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and at least EUR 27.76 million from private co-financing.
The funding is open to public water management service providers - capital companies that have a service contract with the municipality for the provision of public water management services and are implementing projects in agglomerations with a pollution load of 10 000 - 100 000 person-equivalents.
The aid is intended for increasing the capacity and treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment plants, for the rehabilitation, construction or reconstruction of treated wastewater outfalls, and for wastewater sludge dewatering and treatment plants, where a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is justified.
At least 15 enterprises are expected to benefit from the measure. The investments will lead to improved quality and efficiency of wastewater treatment for at least 56 800 inhabitants. Priority will be given to projects that will implement several pollution-reducing activities (i.e. combining several types of supported activities, e.g. increasing the capacity of installations while ensuring higher treatment efficiency) and will meet the updated requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).
The ERDF support intensity for the first selection round of the measure is up to 65%. The minimum eligible cost per project is EUR 200 000. The maximum ERDF funding per project is EUR 3.5 million.
Project applications will be evaluated through an open selection procedure. The Central Financial and Contracts Agency, as the Cooperation Authority for the European Union Funds, will announce the selection of project applications in June this year.
