The "Black Lake" is bothering the hospitality lobby

The restaurant "Crno jezero" in Žabljak, which burned down at the end of last year, will not work this winter tourist season either, because the National Parks of Montenegro did not receive a permit for its reconstruction. As they told "Vijesta" from the Environmental Protection Agency, the problem is the dimensions and unnatural materials from which the new restaurant is planned to be built.

At the meeting of the NPCG Board of Directors, which was held at the beginning of the month, it was judged that another tourist season was wasted unnecessarily, because the Environmental Protection Agency is asking an investor for an environmental impact assessment for the first time.

The Director of National Parks, Rade Gregović, said that the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism rejected the Agency's decision that they could not build on the site where a restaurant used to be.

"I don't even see that we will get the permit in due time. We are waiting for a long time, we have lost the summer season, and it looks like we will lose the winter season as well, so we can only start work in May", he said.

"Restaurant lobby"

At the meeting of the Board of Directors of NPCG, Gregović, mentioning the "hospitality lobby", expressed his doubt that someone has a goal to prevent the restaurant "Crno jezero" from opening.

"I'm not referring to anyone in particular, but to all Žabljak restaurateurs, I don't want to mention names. That lobby is difficult for me to understand because there is no other restaurant besides ours next to the lake. However, the fact is that each of the 300 full chairs in the restaurant means fewer guests for them," he told "Vijesta".

However, as Gregović said, "it is not logical for him and he cannot accept that some lobby can influence to such an extent and hinder the possibility of obtaining a permit for the construction of the Crno Jezero restaurant".

"We have information that the acceptance rating was requested only from us, but not from other investors"

As he said, in the meantime, other construction permits were issued for buildings in protected areas without the documents required by the Agency.

"We have information that the acceptability assessment was requested only from us, but not from other investors - we have such an example in Lovćen," claims Gregović.

Larger dimensions and unnatural material?

The Agency explained that the plan for the new restaurant envisages larger dimensions and unnatural materials that deviate from the previous facility, so it "as such is not acceptable for maintaining the balance of the surrounding ecosystem".

The NPCG submitted a request for a permit to carry out activities and activities in the protected area of ​​NP "Durmitor" on July 20, and a decision disallowing their activities was made on August 24.

The Agency explained that the plan for the new restaurant envisages larger dimensions and unnatural materials that deviate from the previous facility.

"According to the provisions of the European Convention, the location in question is recognized as an area that enjoys a special protection regime, where every activity must be carried out with the aim of restoring and improving the landscape. Areas such as the NP 'Durmitor' are protected in accordance with the Directive on the Protection of Natural Habitats of Wild Flora and Fauna, and carrying out actions and activities at this site was contrary to the law and practice of EU countries", said the coordinator of the Aarhus Center, Nikola, to "Vijesta". Golubović.

He explained that in the project documentation for the restaurant in Žabljak, it was stated that it is possible to "partially increase the facilities for the area of ​​non-standard heights by lowering the roof slopes to the level of the terrain, and in this way the expansion of the facility in the area of ​​50 meters would be achieved".

Absence of a by-law

Golubović explained that the Ministry annulled the decision because the Agency did not submit the request to the Institute for Nature Protection for processing in order to assess the acceptability of actions and activities in the protected area immediately after its submission.

"One of the reasons that the Agency did not submit the request to the Institute for Nature Protection is the absence of a by-law that prescribes the detailed content and method of preparing the Acceptability Assessment from the Nature Protection Act. The agency is obliged to carry out a new procedure as ordered by the decision of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism", Golubović said and added that they submitted the request on November 1 with a recommendation to the Institute to submit the assessment as soon as possible in order to make a decision within the legal deadline.

At the session of the Management Board, Gregović also said that the Agency had unfoundedly asked the parks for an assessment of the impact on the environment, which is provided for in the Nature Protection Act. As he said, the Ministry has not yet prescribed the sub-legal act that prescribes the detailed content and method of preparing the acceptability assessment for planning projects, actions and activities, so the Agency cannot ask them for it.

Golubović confirmed that the Ministry did not pass that by-law, as well as the detailed content of the request for approval, which is foreseen by the Law on Nature Protection.

Golubović confirmed that the Ministry did not pass that by-law, as well as the detailed content of the request for approval

"In the same article, it is prescribed that for planned projects, actions and activities for which the obligation to prepare an environmental impact assessment is established by law, the acceptability assessment is an integral part of the environmental impact assessment. For planned projects, actions and activities in a protected natural resource for which the law does not establish the obligation to prepare an environmental impact assessment, an assessment of the acceptability of those actions, activities and activities on a protected natural resource is carried out," he explained and added that the absence of a by-law makes it difficult The agency's job is to apply and enforce the law, and therefore the applicant cannot be required to fulfill conditions that are not prescribed.

Golubović: We work professionally

Responding to Gregović's claims that the "hospitality lobby" does not allow the restaurant "Crno jezero" to start operating due to someone else's interests, Golubović said that the Agency does all the work they are responsible for professionally and responsibly.

"In the decision-making process according to the request of JP National Parks of Montenegro, we are guided only by the interests of protecting and improving nature. Issuing a building permit is not within our jurisdiction," said Golubović.