Background Since 1991, Albania has been moving towards a market economy, a process that has produced significant changes in consumption patterns. One of the main consequences is the generation of large quantities of urban waste, which presents several serious environmental problems, including the contamination of soil and of surface and ground water. The National Environment Action Plan has identified a number of underlying causes for these problems, including the facts that urban waste management is not yet considered as a priority issue and that low environmental awareness still exists among institutions and the general public. Albania also still lacks an adequate monitoring system and the capacity to implement national legislation at the local level. Objectives The Integrated Waste Management (IWM) project was based on an ongoing collaboration in the field of waste management between Vlora (Albania) and Marche (Italy) Regional Authorites that began in 1998. It was the first EU-funded initiative, however, managed directly by the Regional Administration of Vlora, and required all staff involved to learn to deal with the technical and administrative requirements of the project. The team consisted of Albanian and Italian experts. A particular strength of the project was the high degree of ownership by the regional administration of the process and its results. The overall objectives were: - To improve the management and planning capacity of local administrations for waste management; - To increase public awareness of environmental issues; and - To attract more external financial support for the implementation of treatment plants. The specific project objective was to set up a regional agency on waste management planning. Results The project succeeded in meeting its main objectives. Moreover, the project contributed to the implementation of the decentralisation policies of the Albanian government that make the regional administration responsibile for waste management . The project make EU policy on waste more familiar in the country. The Regional Agency for Integrated Waste Management was established and has been functioning throughout the project. At the end of the project, the organisational structure and statute of the IWM agency was officially approved by the regional government, and four permanent positions were created. The project has strengthened the local planning and management capacities for waste management by training technicians, tourist operators, and other regional actors in the waste sector, on a range of issues related to waste management. It has raised public awareness on waste issues at the local level through educational activities at schools, TV broadcasts, and a public campaign on waste separation. Another important achievement was the drawing up of a regional plan for waste management. This plan lists urban waste production in the region, forms the basis for a waste monitoring system and presents a method for decision-making on the location of waste treatment plants. The project's objective of attracting more external financial support for investment in the waste sector is yet to be fully realised, but the regional waste management plan prepared under the project is likely to help attract external funding, and a number of contacts with potential donors have been established. Furthermore, several demonstration projects on recycling and waste separation techniques were set up in various coastal towns and along beaches. Finally, within the new Regional Agency, a consultants’ service for new businesses in the field of waste management was set up, in order to support new business ideas for recycling activities. The project also created an attractive website, which provides further information and illustrations.