On Sunday, 17 September 2023, at 12.00h on Lake Prespa, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union Ben Nupnau and the Mayor of Resen Jovan Tozievski, kicked off the first #EUBeachCleanup organised in North Macedonia. The clean up action is an annual global initiative and this year will be organised at Slivnica Beach through the EU-funded “We Balkans” network of Young European Ambassadors.

The EU Beach Clean Up initiative takes place globally every 3^rd week of September. The #EUBeachCleanup is a campaign organised by the European Commission with EEAS and the United Nations. It takes place all type coasts, with the ultimate aim of raising awareness about to the challenges of marine littering and plastic waste.

It is estimated that up to 37 million tonnes of plastic waste will reach the ocean annually by 2040. Plastic pollution is a massive problem nowadays, but even small actions can make a big difference. Every bottle, every straw, every piece of trash that is cleaned up can lead to a cleaner, healthier planet.

This year, the coast of Prespa Lake was cleaned by 20 Young European Ambassadors from the Western Balkans who joined their Macedonian peers to clean up Slivnica Beach. This is the 3^rd year that Young European Ambassadors from the region participate in the event, organised through the EU-funded “We Balkans” project. This community activity, supported by the Delegation of the European Union, Europe House, as well as the Municipality of Resen will encourage people to rid the beaches of Prespa Lake of the garbage that is plaguing them.