Skopje, 9 September 2026 Deputy Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Ane Lashkoska today opened a two-day TAIEX workshop on clustering municipal water services, organized in cooperation with the European Commission.
The workshop brings together representatives of central and local government, competent institutions and experts from EU Member States, with the aim of exchanging European experience and good practices to improve water sector management.
The focus is on opportunities for a multi-municipal and regional approach to water service delivery, which can enable better investment planning, more efficient infrastructure management, reduced water losses, and higher-quality and more stable public services.
“European standards should not remain merely formally transposed into legislation. They must translate into more reliable water supply, better wastewater management, more efficient investments and higher-quality services for every citizen. The organizational model is a means, while the true measure of success is the service citizens receive and the protection of water resources,” Lashkoska stressed.
She emphasized that European experience should serve as a basis for solutions adapted to domestic conditions and the real needs of municipalities, while reforms must be financially sustainable and socially equitable.
During the workshop, experts from Portugal, France and Romania will present their experiences in the regional organization of water services, institutional and legal aspects, infrastructure management and investment planning.
Discussions will also address tariff policy, the social affordability of services, reducing water losses, water reuse, and improving the efficiency of water supply and sewerage systems.
The workshop is part of the process of aligning the national water management system with EU legislation and policies, with the aim of creating a sustainable, efficient and equitable water services system.
