Union of Professional Journalists from Romania and ECOTIC concluded the Environmental Journalists Camp, held from July 9 to 10, 2026 at the Vânători Neamț Natural Park. For two days, journalists from all over the country participated in workshops and meetings with experts in the field, delving into topics such as the circular economy, waste management, the right to repair and legislation in the field of WEEE management.
Organized under the theme "Introduction to the circular economy and environmental protection", the camp was aimed at experienced journalists, eager to deepen their knowledge in a constantly changing field.
Camp sessions
ECOTIC representatives opened the camp sessions with a presentation dedicated to the management of electrical and electronic equipment waste, current statistics, the challenges of collection and recycling at the national level, and ECOTIC's contributions to the development of the circular economy over the last 20 years.
Good practices were discussed to illustrate the diversity of actions taken by ECOTIC in the direction of collection and recycling, the development of its own collection infrastructure, educational projects and population information and awareness campaigns.
Lawyer Magda Irimia presented the legislative framework in the field of waste management, with a focus on the legal obligations of producers, distributors and consumers, as well as on European and national regulations applicable to the WEEE field.
Cristina Bîcîilă (General Manager, Ateliere Fara Frontiere) spoke about reuse, reconditioning and donations as alternatives to the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment, presenting the collaboration model of Ateliere Fâră Frontiere with ECOTIC and the social and environmental impact of this partnership.
Raul Pop, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests addressed the role of local and central public authorities in waste management and the development of separate collection infrastructure. His presentation also covered the functioning of responsibility transfer organizations (RTOs), the relationship between producers and the waste management system, highlighting the actors and mechanisms through which the entire system works in practice.
Marius Costache (General Manager, GreenWEEE) concluded the sessions by presenting the WEEE recycling process, from collection and transport to the treatment and recovery of raw materials, with concrete data on GreenWEEE's capacities and results in the field.
"We are glad that we had the opportunity to dialogue with the journalists present at the Vânători Neamț Camp on a diverse topic dedicated to Romania's transition to the circular economy.
We want each participating journalist to have left with a clear picture of how the collection and recycling of electrical and electronic waste works, beyond statistics and legal obligations.
We believe that a well-informed press can explain to the public the principles of the circular economy and how each of us can get involved in supporting it to ensure a sustainable future,' declared Valentin Negoiță, President of ECOTIC.
"The Camp in Vânători Neamț was an extraordinary experience. We all understood better how the circular economy works, beyond numbers and statistics. It was a pleasure to talk to such interested and involved journalists. It was also gratifying that they are part of 9 UZPR branches - from the country and the Diaspora. The exchange of ideas shows that the press wants to understand the nuances of waste legislation and the challenges we face. This first edition of the Environmental Journalists Camp showed us that we need a well-informed press to explain to the public the importance of recycling. The genuine interest of the participants motivates us to continue the educational projects and to launch a new edition of the contest < >”, added Emil Stanciu, Vice President of UZPR.
On this occasion, at the closing of the camp, ECOTIC and the Union of Professional Journalists of Romania decided to launch a new edition of the contest. "Journalism for a Clean Environment".
We will be back with information and details soon.
