Political Engagement Meeting in CE-PRINCE Project in Hajós, Hungary

In Person
Location: Hajós, Hungary
Date: 14.10.2025
On 14 October 2025, the South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (STRIA) will organise a joint political engagement meeting under the CE-PRINCE project in the Baroque Castle of Hajós, Hungary. The event will bring together participants from 9 organisations, including municipalities, regional stakeholders, and development agencies, to strengthen political willingness and practical knowledge related to circularity and Green Public Procurement (GPP).

As STRIA is a partner in CE-PRINCE and Circular Minds projects. This allows the meeting to create meaningful synergies between CE-PRINCE’s strategic focus on circular procurement and Circular Minds’ capacity-building and awareness-raising activities. The participants can benefit from coordinated messages, complementary tools, and a unified approach to supporting circular economy transition at the local and regional levels.

The CE-PRINCE segment of the meeting introduces the project’s key objectives, including the development of a transnational strategy for circular and green procurement, and highlights how public authorities can play a leading role in promoting sustainable and circular practices through their tendering processes.

As part of the Circular Minds session,
Andrea Baráth, Sustainability and CSR Manager, will present how the ESG framework can strengthen cooperation between municipalities, businesses and civil society and serve as a common language for local development. She will showcase good practices from Hungarian local governments, emphasising the role of community-building, transparency, and multi-sector partnerships.

Tímea Varga, Responsible Accredited Public Procurement Advisor will introduce participants to the foundations of Green and Circular Public Procurement, explaining EU and national regulatory frameworks, the Hungarian GPP Strategy, sectoral “Green Procurement Booklets”, and several practical examples from across Europe. Her contribution offers a clear roadmap for integrating circularity criteria into public tenders and demonstrated how circular procurement can generate environmental, social, and long-term economic benefits.

STRIA will follow up the meeting with coordinated capacity-building activities, dissemination materials, and identification of potential pilot procurement actions within CE-PRINCE.

The event will demonstrate the real added value of cross-project cooperation, showing how strategic guidance (CE-PRINCE) and stakeholder engagement (Circular Minds) can jointly support public authorities on their path toward more circular and sustainable procurement practices.