Borovets, Bulgaria | 22 – 26 June 2026

From 22–26 June 2026, WECF, as a member of the Exit Plastic Alliance, took part in the Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Europe Meeting in Borovets, Bulgaria. The meeting brought together member organisations from across Europe to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and discuss the movement’s strategic direction and shared priorities. 

Against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty and the implementation of new European regulations, discussions centred on how civil society can continue to drive the shift towards a future free of plastic pollution. Topics included scaling up reuse systems, reducing plastic production, corporate accountability, microplastics, textiles, and approaches to effective communication and stronger public engagement. The meeting also offered space to share experiences from national campaigns and to develop new opportunities for collaboration within the network. 

For WECF/Exit Plastic, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to contribute our expertise on plastics and the plastics crisis, drawing on our experience from Germany, the EU level, and the international level. For WECF, it was especially important to bring in the links between plastics, hazardous chemicals, and health. At the same time, we advocated for gender justice, intersectionality, and the perspectives of particularly affected population groups to be more strongly integrated into the network’s future work. It is especially encouraging that health will be anchored as a key cross-cutting theme within the BFFP movement going forward. The meeting also provided an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and to develop new approaches for joint activities within the network. 

Beyond the substantive discussions, the meeting once again showed how valuable exchange is between organisations with different areas of focus. From policy advocacy and campaigning to health, science, and environmental justice — only through close collaboration can we develop effective and just solutions to the plastics crisis. 

WECF and Exit Plastic look forward to continuing their collaboration within the Break Free From Plastic network and to working together with partner organisations across Europe to advocate for ambitious policy measures, reduce plastic pollution, and protect both the environment and human health. 

WOW! Has it really been ten years since our passion project on water and sanitation safety planning (WSSP) in Eastern Europe and the Balkans began? We have achieved so much over these years that we can proudly bring this chapter to a close in 2025. 

Following the completion of the WSSP project, this paper provides insights into the successes and outcomes of our activities relating to Water and Sanitation Safety Planning (WSSP) in five Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. This milestone highlights a decade of commitment to equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), particularly with regard to gender equality. A particular focus was placed on menstrual health in schools and public institutions.