The Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism (MORT) informed the Municipality of Žabljak about the facts that led to the impossibility of implementing the two projects of setting up a new cable car at Savina Kuk and building the Chedi Hotel on the site of the former Military Resort "Mediterranean" and called on the Municipality to essentially accept the fact that the development of this area, as part of an area that enjoys international protection, must be based on strict principles of preserving the universal values of the Durmitor area, which implies that the fulfillment of recommendations and suggestions that the state receives from the competent UNESCO bodies must be approached responsibly and consistently.
"When it comes to the construction of a new cable car at the Savin kuk site, we remind you that after the visit of UNESCO representatives to the site of the Savin kuk ski resort and the Blue Lake in Žabljak, which was also attended by representatives of the Municipality of Žabljak, the joint Advisory Mission of the World Heritage Center-IUCN in relation to the world heritage property 'Durmitor National Park', submitted a report on June 17, 2020, which stated the following: '...potential large-scale construction within the property, such as water infrastructure, replacement or construction of ski lifts , infrastructure for artificial snow, earthworks, including partial removal of trees and bushes, etc., must be avoided and, in any case, notified to the UNESCO World Heritage Center for examination by the IUCN, in accordance with the position 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, and that the signatory State should ensure that the construction of new ski resorts (ski slopes, ski lifts, etc.) is not allowed in the scope of the world heritage property. This kind of construction should be expressly prohibited and clearly highlighted in the revised PPPN. The proposed expansion of the ski area would pose a serious conservation issue leading to likely direct impacts on natural habitats and visual effects. Replacing an existing ski lift can also pose a serious conservation problem if it is applied to new slopes and results in an increase in the number of skiers. In a general sense, the Mission believes that, in the conditions of climate warming and in order to ensure the effective preservation of the world heritage, the signatory state should consider the long-term complete gradual abolition of the use of the ski slopes on Savina Kuk and to strengthen the forms of tourism in the Durmitor National Park with low negative influences. Regarding the part of the existing ski infrastructure, the Mission is of the opinion that every modernized ski lift must work within the limits of the current carrying capacity of the already existing ski slopes," reads the response of the Government and MORTA.
They say that in the same letter it was indicated that the state of Montenegro, through the relevant ministry, initiated the procedure to amend the Special Purpose Spatial Plan for the Durmitor area, all with the aim of protecting the natural asset - the Durmitor National Park, which enjoys the protection of UNESCO.
"After the proposed changes and additions to the Spatial Plan for the Durmitor area, which were the subject of an assessment by UNESCO, in its letter dated October 20.10.2020, 10, the World Heritage Committee once again unequivocally states that: 'expresses concern for the protected natural asset due to the planned expansion of ski areas paths and infrastructure within the property itself, still insisting that the signatory state abandon such plans and development and amendments and additions to spatial plans in the aforementioned sense' - reads the response of the Government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism to the Municipality of Žabljak to their letter sent on XNUMX November.
The Government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism informed the Municipality of Žabljak that, in view of the above and the indisputable fact that any further intervention in the protected area, i.e. investment in the direction of expanding the ski infrastructure at the ski resort "Savin kuk" or increasing the existing capacities would be in in direct opposition to the recommendations of UNESCO and seriously called into question the international protection enjoyed by the Durmitor National Park, the Government of Montenegro made a decision on November 6, 2020 to use the acquired installation of the six-seater cable car to connect other ski centers under construction, on which there is no this type of restriction.
"Your request that, with certain corrections, the already acquired equipment be used for the reconstruction of the existing two-seater cable car at the 'Savin kuk' ski resort, is not acceptable at this moment in the way it was proposed. Namely, it is a cable car whose designed capacity exceeds the carrying capacity of the existing ski slopes, so, in addition to the irrationality of such an approach, the state would also ignore the clear guidelines from the mentioned UNESCO report that any modernization should not result in enabling the presence of a larger number of skiers. In addition, the Public Works Administration, which procured the equipment for the new six-seater cable car, is not competent to undertake the rehabilitation of the existing ski infrastructure on Savina Kuk, which is owned by the Investment Development Fund. Therefore, a solution for the reconstruction, i.e. the necessary modernization of the existing two-seater cable car, should be sought in communication with the IRF, relying on the existing load-bearing capacity of the ski slopes, with the prior preparation of all necessary technical documentation, which will be followed by the preparation of an environmental impact assessment report, which will be it is necessary to notify the UNESCO World Heritage Center in a timely manner for examination by the IUCN, in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines" - the answer states.
The Government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism remind us that when it comes to the construction of the Chedi Hotel on the site of the former military resort "Mediterranean", "it was the Municipality of Žabljak, by the act of the Chief City Architect from 2019, that gave its consent to the conceptual design of the hotel complex in question, while not acting in accordance with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, i.e. without consulting the Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, thereby failing to inform the UNESCO World Heritage Center about this investment in the earliest stage of technical documentation in the conceptual design phase."
"Namely, you are aware that the conceptual design of the hotel, to which the Municipality of Žabljak gave its consent, deviated from the conceptual design from the Investment Program, which is an integral part of the Agreement on the long-term lease of the site of the former military resort "Mediteran". For this reason, the competent state authorities sent the project for verification to the competent bodies of UNESCO in the form of the Main Project, immediately upon its submission by the investor" - the answer states.
In the letter to the Municipality of Žabljak, it is reminded that during 2019 and 2020, as many as three new projects on the territory of the Municipality of Žabljak were included in the list of development projects in the field of tourism.
"These three hotel complexes have a total estimated value of 56,5 million euros, with over 200 high category beds (4 and 5 stars) and 300 new jobs. This is proof that the development of projects in UNESCO areas is not impossible, but is achievable when it is sustainable and when it corresponds to the prescribed standards and procedures", state the Government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.
The letter states that, bearing in mind the above, it is crucial that the Municipality of Žabljak essentially accepts the fact that the development of this area, as part of an area that enjoys international protection, must be based on strict principles of preserving the universal values of the Durmitor area, which implies that the fulfillment of recommendations and suggestions which the state receives from the competent authorities, UNESCO must approach responsibly and consistently.
"Also, as a local government body that is responsible for issuing opinions and consents to technical documentation that is prepared on the territory of the Municipality of Žabljak, but also for the planning and construction of facilities of local interest, we note that during the implementation of these procedures, you are obliged to take into account the international obligations arising from the signed and verified agreements, all with the aim of informing the UNESCO World Heritage Center about the planned investments in a timely manner, and ultimately, with the aim of preserving the universal values of the protected area, which is part of the world's natural heritage," states the response of the Government of Montenegro Gore and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Municipality of Žabljak.
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