EU acquis compliance on urban waste management. Case study: Piatra Neamt, Romania

This paper examines the current challenges in urban waste management systems under EU regulations for a newcomer state. Piatra Neamț is among the first Romanian cities which made the transition from a traditional to a modern waste management infrastructure through ISPA funds. These changes are poor reflected in rate of recyling and treatment so far according to analysis of waste streams. The paper performs a critical review of waste management services and also assesses the vulnerability to illegal dumping. Inappropriate sites of waste management facilities contribute to environmental pollution and urban landscape degradation. Comparative analysis between pre-accession period vs. current situation highlights one the one hand the improvements in this sector and on the other hand the difficulties to comply EU targets