Divci, 19 June, 2025 – The Ambassador of Switzerland in Serbia, H.E. Anne Lugon-Moulin, Minister of Environmental Protection Sara Pavkov, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Serbia Yakup Beris and the Environmental Protection and Chapter 27 Desk Officer and Climate Change Program Manager at the European Union Delegation, Antoine Avignon, visited "Gralo" - the first circular rural tourism and agricultural estate in Serbia, located in Divci, near Valjevo.
Thanks to the financial support from the Swiss Government within the "EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia" project, this estate has installed a wastewater treatment facility for its accommodation capacities. The facility treats more than 3 million litters of wastewater annually.
“Switzerland is proud to support Gralo and other innovative green initiatives that protect the environment, promote sustainable tourism, and apply circular economy principles. This project clearly demonstrates how wastewater, biomass, and renewable energy can be successfully integrated to reduce environmental impact and enhance quality of life. Gralo shows that sustainable development is not only necessary, but also feasible, beneficial, and truly inspiring”, said Anne Lugon-Moulin, Ambassador of Switzerland in Serbia. Within the "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia" project, Switzerland has so far financially supported the implementation of 31 green solutions with over 2.1 million USD.
Treated wastewater is used for irrigating the green areas on the estate, as well as the ‘energy willows’ which serve as a source of pellets for heating. In this way, Gralo minimizes the use of fresh water, conserving local water resources, and reduces reliance on fossil fuels, thereby also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On the farm, 100 sheep are raised. The manure obtained from farming is used by Gralo to make compost, which serves for greening and landscaping the property instead of chemical fertilizers. This process contributes to reducing organic waste and methane emissions, as well as improving soil health.
“Through all these processes, Gralo not only sustains itself by preserving resources, but also fully complies with the principles of the circular economy. I would like to thank our partners for their support and congratulate the hosts for recognizing the opportunity and improving their green household through the project. You are an example to everyone of how to work, develop, and at the same time protect resources”, said Sara Pavkov, Minister of Environmental Protection.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia, Yakup Beris invited companies in Serbia to follow the example of the Gralo farm and implement circular economy principles in their operations, in order to conserve as many natural resources as possible.
“The frequency of drought years in Serbia has increased from one to five per decade, making reduced water availability one of the greatest challenges for the country's sustainable development. This particularly affects communities dependent on agriculture and natural resources, as well as the local economy. UNDP, together with international and national partners, will continue to support the implementation of green innovations to accelerate the green transition of Serbia's economy and society,” Beris said.
Antoine Avignon, Chapter 27 Desk Officer and Programme Manager for Environment and Climate Change, EU Delegation in Serbia said that through substantial financial support, technical expertise, and policy guidance, the EU has demonstrated unwavering commitment to Serbia's green transformation “With projects such as the EU for Green Agenda in Serbia, we provide tailored support to public and private sector to decarbonize their business, improve circularity of their facilities and products, and protect biodiversity, like the Gralo project we saw today”, he added.
The improvement of this sustainable rural household through the introduction of a wastewater treatment facility is one of the 89 solutions for the green transition of the Serbian economy and society supported within the initiative "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia". This initiative, implemented by UNDP with technical and financial support from the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding from the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.