Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic says that the dismissal of the director of the Environmental Protection Agency was not requested Milan Gazdić, who was publicly supported yesterday by several non-governmental organizations and environmental activists to "perform that function smoothly."
Gazdić did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" yesterday, and Abazović said that he had to say whether and by whom he was being pressured.
"The line minister (Ana Novaković-Đurović) she never asked for his dismissal, nor was there any talk of it. I defended Mr. Gazdić when he was threatened, and I would defend him again, with the proviso that he must say whether and who is pressuring him. I'm not interested in hearsay stories. "Let everyone do their job in accordance with the law, that's my only request, and if someone is not ready for that, let them not complain, but let them leave the administration," said Abazović in a statement to "Vijesti".
In the letter of support to Gazdić, it is stated that he suffers pressure and threats from investors and polluters, "but also from decision-makers who do not understand what ecological Montenegro, sustainable development and independent institutions mean, and thus exert an illegal influence on the work of this Agency".
Civic and environmental activists agree with these assessments Zenepa Lika i Aleksandar Dragićević.
Lika states that Gazdić gave the best results since the existence of the Environmental Protection Agency.
"A large number of non-governmental organizations supported the change of government, for just one reason, and that is to prevent further destruction of our unique natural resources and UNESCO heritage and to protect them," Lika told "Vijesti".
He points out that Gazdić, since coming to office, has been proactive and called for the cooperation of activists and NGOs dealing with the protection of nature and the environment, and that they have great confidence in him.
"While the predecessors ignored our requests, signed decisions that harmed the identity of this ecological state and forever officialized the destruction of natural resources, incredible landscapes and landscapes, Gazdić looked at all options and legal regulations to prevent such disastrous plans, all for the purpose of protecting nature and for the benefit of the state," explains Lika.
He adds that this contributed to the agency being invited by the European Environmental Protection Agency, which consists of agencies from 28 member states, which is completely unusual if you are not a member of the EU.
"He is not a brake on development because he gave suggestions on how some manifestations can take place without causing damage to areas that are sensitive and recognized for their biodiversity, for which the whole world admires us. And of course, quarries are a symbol of the destruction of the environment, especially those that threaten the future of Unesco heritage and ancient settlements that should be developed by our country in a sustainable way. Such an announcement only indicates that there are people sitting in the state apparatus who did not understand what it means to be the only state in the world declared by the constitution as an "ecological state". Such an announcement indicates that we have people who are only promotionally advocating for a "green" transition, such an announcement indicates that personal interest is still the premise and that they continue like the old, already passed set of authorities, in the destruction and weakening of institutions", says Lika.
Abazović believes that no Montenegrin government was "greener" than the one he leads.
"The Agency made a special contribution to this and I am personally very satisfied with their results. I emphasize that all initiatives around green policies have our unreserved support. I believe that the citizens do not have a short memory and that I do not need to remind them that it was this government that stopped the construction of the military training ground in Sinjajevina and is looking for a new location so that the army can be trained in accordance with NATO standards, banned the construction of mini-hydroelectric plants, that we are the first working we spent the day at the bumper of Komarnica, that we stopped the devastation of gravel, that we fight with the devastators of Montenegrin forests, illegal builders, that we succeeded in declaring new laws of nature, participated in cleaning actions... The government that I lead, not even me personally, is in the interest to stop with all these activities, on the contrary. That's why Gazdić and everyone who inherits such values will have our support as long as they work in accordance with the law and the interests of the state," concludes Abazović.
Dragićević comments for "Vijesti" that it is sad to hear that the agency led by Gazdić is called out at the Government sessions and that they are labeled as a business barrier and a brake on development.
"In the past two years, this institution experienced a revival, managed to implement laws as it did not in the previous 13 years, and achieved cooperation with the civil sector and local communities in order to work together on environmental protection. As now the Agency is not only used to sign the wish lists of various investors and as the former "valuators" are not used to respecting laws and regulations, its director is under pressure from both investors and decision-makers because he makes decisions independently and in accordance with the law. And all for the reason that he does not issue permits and signs consents such as quarries in the buffer zone of a UNESCO protected site, festivals in National Parks where there is no legal solution to approve maintenance, he does not allow the issuance of consents for further devastation and projects that do not comply with environmental protection ”, says Dragićević.
He believes that investors exert illegal influence on decision-makers and the director of this institution and that "those pressures resulted in public calls for the dismissal of the members of the Government."
The Environmental Protection Agency recently gave partial consent to the holding of a cultural-educational-musical festival in Grebaje, on the territory of the Prokletije National Park. On that occasion, Gazdić pointed out that the limit values of noise, which must not be exceeded in protected areas, are defined by law and approved the holding of the cultural and educational part of the program. State Secretary in the Ministry of Capital Investments I admire Šahmanović at the Government session, he questioned the Agency's reasoning, stating that owls will be bothered by loud music and assessing that people who expect a large profit from the festival should have an ear for it, as it would attract around 50 visitors.
The signatories in support of Gazdić stated that the Agency has stopped bad practices and that he is standing up to "all those who through the devastation of the environment and violations of the law managed to gain profit and political points."
"The Environmental Protection Agency has been an accomplice in the devastation of nature for thirteen of its fifteen years of existence. During that period, it issued controversial approvals for mini-hydroelectric power plants, gravel mining, forest cutting, the devastation of Tara during the construction of the highway and many other controversial projects that were to the detriment of the nature of Montenegro and contrary to the postulates of sustainable development," states the letter of support that are.
They added that significant strides were made in the area of environmental protection precisely thanks to the director of this institution, recalling that Gazdić was appointed Head of the negotiating group for Chapter 27 in the process of accession to the European Union.
"In 2022 alone, the director of the Agency achieved significant savings, returning almost 300.000 euros to the budget of Montenegro, which was not the practice of the director of this institution until now. The amount that was saved during Gazdić's management and what was done during this period for the nature of Montenegro and the country is much more significant than the profit from the festival, due to the permits for which the Agency is under pressure, and that only because it wants to work in accordance with the law and for the benefit of the nature of Montenegro, which is also its independent role", they explained.
They said that the road to Montenegro should not include quarries in protected heritage, large music festivals in national parks, as well as airplane landings on the nesting grounds of protected species.
"That's why we once again express our support to Milan Gazdić because he decided to act in accordance with the laws, regardless of all the pressures and threats he suffers from investors, polluters, but also decision makers who do not understand what ecological Montenegro, sustainable development and independent institutions mean. , thus exerting an illegal influence on the work of this Agency", they concluded.
The signatories of the support are the Coalition for Sustainable Development, the Montenegrin Society of Ecologists, the Dr. Martin Schneider-Jacoby Association, the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, Let's Green Montenegro, the KOD Organization, Eco Etiquette, Eco Patriotism, Eco Team, the Initiative to Save Sinjajevina, Who if Not an Architect - KANA, Green Home, Initiative You won't be able to do more, Let's not throw bottles, Zeleni Kolašin, Association of Gorica and Nature Lovers, Expeditio, Petrović Njegoš Foundation, Fidelity consulting, NGO Jedano, NGO Mogul, Center for Interethnic Relations and Minority Rights, Center for Research journalism, Association of Women Entrepreneurs Ulcinj, Initiative Spasimo Komarnica, NGO Jednako, Ochi Podgorica, Society of Young Environmentalists Nikšić.
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