Inter-Municipal Cooperation in Waste Management: Lviv Agglomeration Presents Strategic Plan and Practical Solutions for Communities

On July 16, Lviv hosted the final presentation of the project “Together for Better Services: Inter-Municipal Cooperation in the Lviv Agglomeration.” The event summarized nearly a year of collaborative efforts by member municipalities of the Lviv Agglomeration, industry experts, international partners, and state authorities toward establishing a modern model of inter-municipal cooperation in municipal waste management.

The project was executed under a Grant Agreement with the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine as part of the broader project “Strengthening Multi-Level Governance and Local Democracy to Support Ukraine’s Recovery,” implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multi-Level Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023–2026).

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Roman Kizyma, Executive Director of the Lviv Agglomeration Association; Svitlana Hryshchenko, Council of Europe Project Manager; Hanna Bashta, Deputy Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lviv Regional Military Administration; and Iryna Telehiy, Deputy Executive Director of the Lviv Agglomeration Association.

The First Joint Strategic Plan for 13 Municipalities

The central deliverable of the project is the Strategic Municipal Waste Management Plan for the Lviv Agglomeration (2026–2035)—the first comprehensive document defining a shared vision for waste management system development across all 13 member communities of the Association.

Developed in compliance with Ukraine’s Law “On Waste Management” and the Regional Waste Management Plan for Lviv Oblast, the document incorporates circular economy principles and European best practices. It covers the complete waste management cycle—from waste prevention to processing, recovery, and safe disposal—while outlining measures for joint infrastructure development, investment attraction, and public environmental awareness.

Practical Tools for Municipalities

During the presentation, the Methodological Recommendations for Organizing Inter-Municipal Cooperation in Waste Management were also unveiled. This guide offers practical algorithms for implementing various forms of inter-municipal cooperation, model solutions, and necessary legal frameworks.

Additionally, the project developed model inter-municipal cooperation agreements covering diverse modes of collaboration—ranging from joint project execution to the creation of shared administrative bodies and municipal enterprises. These materials are scalable and available for use by territorial communities across Ukraine.

“We viewed this project not only as an opportunity to draft strategic documents for the Lviv Agglomeration, but also as a chance to create practical tools beneficial for communities throughout Ukraine. The Methodological Recommendations consolidate the project’s practical implementation experience, Council of Europe expertise, and current legal mechanisms for inter-municipal cooperation. We hope this will serve as a roadmap for other agglomerations and local communities,” noted Roman Kizyma, Executive Director of the Lviv Agglomeration Association.

From Strategy to Implementation

Strengthening local institutional capacity was a critical milestone of the project. Over the past year, a dedicated working group was established, capacity-building workshops were conducted for local self-government bodies, educational environmental tours were organized for over 350 schoolchildren across the agglomeration, and a public awareness campaign promoting responsible waste management was rolled out.

Key project achievements include enhanced inter-community collaboration, the development of strategic and legal instruments for inter-municipal cooperation, and the promotion of the Lviv Agglomeration model as a benchmark for effective multi-level governance.

Event participants emphasized that the conclusion of this grant project marks the beginning of an operational implementation phase. The next steps include formalizing inter-municipal cooperation agreements among the communities, executing the Strategic Municipal Waste Management Plan, continuing public environmental education, and securing funding for joint infrastructure projects.

The strategic documents, methodological guides, and legal frameworks developed through this initiative offer a scalable, practical model for other Ukrainian municipalities seeking to advance inter-municipal cooperation and address shared waste management challenges.