Belgrade, October 10, 2024 – On World Eco-label Day, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), announce a public call for support in awarding the Eco-label for tourism accommodation services in rural households in Serbia. The call is aimed at companies, legal entities, and entrepreneurs who provide hospitality services in accommodation facilities located in rural areas of Serbia and are registered in the e-Tourist system. 

The purpose of this call is to support sustainable rural tourism by enhancing the capacities of accommodation owners to operate in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The Eco-label is a license issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection based on multiple criteria, confirming that services and/or products are environmentally friendly. 

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Sandra Dokić, emphasized that tourism is an industry that significantly contributes to our country's budget and that it is important for it to develop in a sustainable manner. 

"This means that the needs of tourists and local communities must be met without compromising natural resources and cultural heritage. In Serbia, the Eco-label for products and services has been in place since 2009, and currently, two Eco-labels have been awarded to manufacturing companies. Our goal is to increase the number of awarded Eco-labels in the country, with a special focus on the tourism sector. This is why sustainable tourism will be an integral part of the new Circular Economy Development Program from 2025 to 2030, which we are currently preparing", said Sandra Dokić. 

"Adopting environmentally friendly and sustainable business practices to obtain the Eco-label will help hospitality service providers to attract new guests, especially those who recognize the importance of preserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Everyone benefits through the sustainable development of tourism – people, nature, and the economy", said Fabrizio Andreuzzi, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Serbia. 

UNDP will award the first three recipients of the Eco-label certificates with equipment worth a total of USD 23,000, to help them operate in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. Additionally, the organization will cover the costs of field visits by members of the expert committee and report preparation costs, for the first ten Eco-label applicants. 

More information about the public call for support in awarding the Eco-label for tourism accommodation services is available here. 

This call is announced within the project "Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Local Communities by Applying the Principles of the Circular Economy in the Republic of Serbia – Circular Communities," implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).