As part of the Circular Economy Technical Assistance Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, CETAP hosted a series of roundtable events from 28–30 April 2026 in Banja Luka, Tuzla and Sarajevo, bringing together stakeholders to discuss the policy, planning and engagement mechanisms needed to support the country’s transition from a linear to a circular economy. Across the three events, participants explored how circularity can be enabled through stronger economic instruments, more ambitious waste management planning, and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

The first roundtable, held in Banja Luka at the Chamber of Commerce, focused on Policy and Economic Instrument Enablers to Facilitate Transition to Circularity. The session examined how fiscal and market-based instruments can help make circular choices more economically attractive, including VAT differentiation for repair, reuse and remanufactured goods, Extended Producer Responsibility fee modulation, taxes on virgin raw materials, subsidies for secondary materials, and the role of public procurement in creating demand for circular products.

The second roundtable also took place in Banja Luka at the Chamber of Commerce and focused on the Circular Supply Chain within a Circular Economy. Discussions also explored how EU policy architecture can support circular supply chains while avoiding unnecessary complexity, market distortion or disproportionate burdens on businesses and consumers.

The third roundtable took place in Tuzla and focused on Waste Management Planning. Participants discussed how Waste Management Plans can evolve from disposal-focused compliance documents into strategic tools for resource circulation, prevention, reuse, repair and material value retention. The event explored the need to align local and regional planning with EU circular economy frameworks, while also addressing practical delivery challenges such as infrastructure investment, data systems, separate collection, funding models, EPR revenues, digitalisation, and the role of municipalities in supporting more advanced waste and resource management systems.

The fourth roundtable, held in Sarajevo, addressed Stakeholder Engagement Mechanisms to Facilitate Transition from a Linear to a Circular Economy. The discussions focused on how public authorities, producers, SMEs, citizens, social enterprises and other actors can move beyond traditional consultation towards genuine co-creation of circular economy strategies. Participants examined how to craft successful public awareness campaign for waste management, and how these can support measurable changes in production, consumption, reuse and recycling behaviours.

Across all four roundtables, CETAP created space for professional discussion, keynote presentations and group sessions led by CETAP experts. Participants considered important questions around who should bear the costs of transition, how public authorities can balance ambition with practical delivery, how SMEs and citizens can be meaningfully involved, and which policy tools are most likely to deliver results in the short and medium term.

The roundtables highlighted that the transition to a circular economy requires more than technical waste management improvements alone. It depends on coherent policy, credible economic incentives, strong local planning, reliable data, institutional cooperation and public participation.

By connecting these themes across the three events, CETAP supported stakeholders in identifying practical pathways for strengthening circular economy implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and aligning national progress with EU circular economy objectives.