As part of the activities of the Economic Chamber, a constitutive session of the Circular Economy Center was held, which will be a special form of organization and operation in the Chamber's work.

At the meeting, a Management Board was elected, composed of member companies from various associations within the Chamber, covering different sectors. The goal is to unite companies interested in starting or continuing the transition process from a linear to a circular economy concept. An additional opportunity is to use this form of activity to initiate a joint approach in shaping policies and concepts, providing development guidelines, and participating in the creation and application of new regulations that would address (in terms of optimizing and facilitating the process) the concept of circular economy.

Marija Dukovska-Pavlovska, General Manager of Makstil AD Skopje, was elected as President of the Circular Economy Center.

The need to establish a Circular Economy Center at the Economic Chamber aligns with the commitments arising from the signing of the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans on 10 November 2020, by all six countries in the region. These countries pledged to implement the Green Agenda as a roadmap for more concrete actions and measures that will lead to development with minimal carbon emissions and economic growth, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans includes five pillars:

1. Decarbonization: climate action, green energy, and sustainable transport.
2. Circular economy.
3. Combating pollution.
4. Sustainable food production and sustainable rural areas.
5. Biodiversity: protection and restoration of nature and ecosystems.

The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is a tool for achieving the European Green Deal in our region, representing a turning point in the fight against climate change and a comprehensive strategy for EU growth. Its implementation aims to achieve climate neutrality for the European Union by 2050.

During the working part of the meeting, Jasmina Majstorovska, Head of the Industrial and Investment Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility Sector at the Ministry of Economy, informed the attendees about the support for circular economy processes provided through the Ministry's Annual Program. The Chamber's Professional Service presented the activities undertaken on the topic of "Circular Economy within the Chamber."

It is also of great significance that this Circular Economy Center will partner with the Goce Delchev University in Shtip on a project received by the university at the end of 2023 from the Ministry of Economy under the Annual Program, which supports several scientific institutions regarding Circular Economy. Specifically, this involves a project titled Circular and Green Economy Based on Science-Business Collaboration, which foresees the creation of a digital platform based on two interconnected centers: 1) Circular Economy Business Center (at the Economic Chamber) and 2) Research Center for Circular and Green Economy (at Goce Delchev University in Shtip).

The project aims to build a platform for long-term cooperation between science and business and to develop and apply new scientifically-based concepts and solutions for circular and green economy within the industry.