After the lockdown and several bilateral meetings between partners in each country, the CLIMA project hosted its first Steering Committee. Besides two members of the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), the online meeting saw the presence of the representatives of all partners involved in the project, that is to say Mahdia Municipality (Tunisia), Bikfaya Municipality (Lebanon), Sestri Levante Municipality (Italy), Centre International des Technologies Environnementales (CITET), Lebanese NGO Arcenciel and Italian NGO Cospe. 

The Steering Committee started from CLIMA achievements, such as:

• upgrading of the communication strategy (more distant tools were added while social media pages were launched)
• launch of auditors identification in order to find consultants who are going to support the 3 Municipalities in improving their municipal plans
• progress in the study for improving the compost drum in Taanayel (Lebanon)
• ongoing discussion with the Tunisian Ministry of Justice waiting for his approval for building the new composting site in Mahdia
• approval of the first six months report by the Managing Authority (MA)

Partners also discussed the project next steps, highlighting the common need of a major amendment for changes affecting outputs, indicators, partnership, duration and budget. As a matter of fact, partners need a major amendment in order to:

1.  ask for a no-cost extension of the project duration up to December 31st 2022 following Covid-19 outbreak  
2. the reallocation of the membrane budget
3. amend last submitted budget mistakes

In the end, the group agreed to have the the first forum on upgraded MWMP in the first part of September. The meeting will be implemented on virtual mode for the discussion and workshops among the different countries while in person (if the health situation will allow it) on country basis. 

For more information, please visit ClLIMA website.