In November, the Swedish-Ukrainian WM4U Programme launched a series of webinars for partner communities, dedicated to developing inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in the field of waste management. This is a key direction aimed at ensuring an efficient, financially sustainable and EU-aligned model of waste management at the local level.
The webinars bring together political representatives of communities, heads of structural units, and specialists responsible for environmental protection, land relations, spatial planning, utilities, and local self-government. Representatives of regional administrations and relevant departments also participate, enabling a comprehensive approach to building a new waste management system.
Why IMC is a necessary element of a modern waste management system
WM4U experts emphasise that current conditions and European requirements demonstrate that inter-municipal cooperation is the most effective organisational model for delivering high-quality municipal waste management services.
During the first webinar, Oleksandr Ihnatenko, the National Waste Management Expert of the WM4U Programme, highlighted:
“Local communities face the same challenges in municipal waste management, and no single community can independently provide the full cycle of services at the required level. Inter-municipal cooperation opens the way to joint solutions, resource savings and real systemic development.”
According to him, only within cluster-based formats is it possible to introduce unified approaches, harmonised technical and technological solutions, joint investments, and efficient use of equipment provided under WM4U.
Clusters and the format of work
The webinars are held separately for each cluster with the participation of Swedish partners:
- 19 November — Kremenchuk and Ivano-Frankivsk clusters
- 25 November — Lozova and Vinnytsia clusters
Participants were introduced to the role of IMC in building systems aligned with EU directives, an overview of Ukrainian waste legislation and IMC instruments, as well as recommendations for organising cooperation between communities.
European experience: challenges, opportunities and conditions for success
Weine Wiqvist, Senior Advisor to the Programme and an expert with extensive experience in inter-municipal cooperation, shared his vision of developing municipal waste management systems. Drawing on Swedish and broader European experience, he outlined both the key advantages and the typical challenges that municipalities face while transforming their waste management systems. These include infrastructural gaps, financial constraints, regulatory barriers and the need for active community engagement.
Wiqvist stressed that inter-municipal cooperation can become a powerful tool for overcoming these challenges — enabling economies of scale, improving service quality, and strengthening administrative capacity. At the same time, he highlighted obstacles such as unclear legal frameworks, complicated procedures and unequal financial capacities across communities.
Summarising his presentation, he defined the conditions for successful IMC models: a solid legal foundation, transparent governance mechanisms, financial incentives, strong leadership and phased implementation.
“Inter-municipal cooperation works when there is trust, clear rules and an understanding of shared benefits. Only under these conditions can communities build resilient and economically efficient waste management systems,” he emphasised.
Next steps
After the webinar cycle is completed, each cluster will receive recommendations on an appropriate IMC model, document templates and further methodological support from the WM4U team. This will allow communities to move towards concrete steps in establishing inter-municipal associations and joint waste management systems.
The next stage will include a survey of partner communities to identify key factors, baseline information and primary needs. While the survey results will not yet determine the specific IMC model (as this will be shaped through the development of local and regional waste management plans), the data will help Programme experts plan future support and provide communities with insight into potential gaps and development paths.
Following the survey analysis, each cluster will hold an in-person, one-day meeting for political leadership and responsible municipal staff. These meetings will aim to assess the readiness of communities to engage in IMC and create a platform for discussion, alignment and joint planning of next steps.
Developing IMC is one of the fundamental elements of modernising waste management in Ukraine — and the launched webinars, along with subsequent actions, form a systemic foundation for building effective, economically sound and community-oriented solutions.