Too long processes of enacting laws and strategic documents condition the realization of criteria from Chapter 27, said the Minister of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable and Development of the North, Vladimir Martinović, and said that the dynamics and efficiency of the work of the institutions responsible for implementing the obligations from that chapter must be improved.
He said that the Report of the European Commission (EC), in the part that refers to Chapter 27 - Environment and climate change, is the same as the previous one and that they cannot be satisfied with that, but that the current Government is not responsible.
In an interview with the MINA agency, Martinović pointed out that certain processes of adopting legal regulations and strategic documents take several years.
"Those processes condition the realization of measures, that is, the implementation of the Action Plan for the final benchmarks, and therefore the overall progress in that chapter," said Martinović.
As he stated, Chapter 27 concerns and depends on the jurisdiction of other departments, not only the Ministry he manages.
"Given that 25 institutions play a role in its implementation, their coordination should be key and a priority for the implementation of obligations from that chapter," Martinović emphasized.
According to him, it is a priority to implement everything that is apostrophized in the EC Report, as well as the measures that are being delayed in relation to the Action Plan for the final benchmarks for Chapter 27 and the Program for the Accession of Montenegro to the European Union (EU).
Martinović explained that these measures refer to areas that are recognized as the most challenging - air quality, waste management, wastewater, nature protection and climate change.
He said that it is necessary to pass all the new laws that the EC mentioned in the Progress Report as soon as possible, in order to fully comply with the EU acquis.
Among those regulations, as he stated, are the laws on waste management, on protection from the negative effects of climate change, on nature protection and on forests, as well as amendments to the Law on Game and Hunting.
Martinović pointed out that they have already started work when it comes to passing the necessary laws.
Martinović reminded that in December the Government adopted the Draft Law on waste management, which, as he stated, should soon be before the deputies.
"Also, the finalization of the Draft Law on Protection from the Negative Impacts of Climate Change is underway," said Martinović.
Martinović said that it is not gratifying to give estimates when Chapter 27 could be ready to close.
"But with dedicated work, we will do everything to improve the situation, in order to obtain the necessary conditions for the closure of the Chapter and thereby contribute to the faster accession of Montenegro to the EU", said Martinović.
Speaking about the financial aspect of the chapter related to the environment, Martinović reminded that in December 2021, the then Government adopted the Financial Assessment of the Action Plan for meeting the final benchmarks in Chapter 27 with the conclusions of that document.
He explained that it is planned that the planned activities will be implemented in the period from 2021 to 2025.
"This should be seen as an investment in our quality of life and health," said Martinović.
He pointed out that, in addition to the state budget, there are also available funds such as the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), through which the EU allocates significant money for the implementation of projects that help achieve defined standards and fulfill obligations.
Speaking about ecological black spots that endanger health and spoil the appearance of Montenegro, Martinović said that the plan is to rehabilitate the solid waste landfill in the vicinity of the Aluminum Plant.
"Then the continuation of the rehabilitation of Maljevac - cassette 1, and through the project with the World Bank, the rehabilitation of the red mud pool is planned," Martinović pointed out.
He said that Montenegro has big problems in waste management.
This, as he explained, causes a large amount of waste, most of which ends up in unorganized and wild landfills.
As Martinović explained, Montenegro, like other Eastern European countries, does not get energy from municipal waste, so for now the only option is landfilling.
"The key problem at this stage of development is the limited infrastructure, which is why public utility companies continue to dispose of municipal waste in wild or unsanitary landfills," Martinović pointed out.
According to him, the priority measures of the Draft Law on Waste Management relate to the selection of waste at the source, increasing the level of waste recycling and building the missing infrastructure.
Martinović explained that this is necessary in order to create a basis for achieving the set goals specified in key EU directives in the waste sector.
"The goal is to develop and improve the waste management system, including completing the legislative framework and planning documents in this sector," he added.
Speaking about the treatment of waste water, Martinović pointed out that with the opening of negotiation chapter 27, Montenegro is obliged to take a series of measures, both in the area of transposition, implementation and application of the acquis of the EU in the area of waste water quality, as well as in raising the level of monitoring and reporting on the quality of waste water at the central and local level.
In the previous period, as he stated, a high degree of compliance of domestic legal acts with EU directives was achieved in the part related to waste water management in Montenegro.
Martinović said that the increase in the number of waste water treatment plants since 2016, from the existing four to ten (planned 14) plants, creates preconditions for more efficient management of the waste water system.
"Construction of a sewage network for the collection and removal of waste water, solving problems during construction and in the functioning of existing treatment plants, will improve the efficiency of management of the waste water system," said Martinović.
He pointed out that in order to solve these problems, intensive activity of local self-governments and state authorities is needed, as well as significant investments.
In August 2020, the Ministry of Economy issued a concession deed to Elektroprivreda for the Komarnica hydroelectric power plant (HE) project, which was previously adopted by the Government.
After numerous reactions from environmental activists and citizens of the area, former Minister of Ecology Ana Novaković Đurović announced that the Komarnica HPP will not be built.
Martinović, when asked whether the decision of the previous government was final, said that, as far as HPP Komarnica is concerned, the assessment of the impact on the environment, which is at the Agency for Environmental Protection, is ongoing.
"What I can say and what I promise to citizens is that all infrastructure projects will be built according to ecological standards and norms, with the obligatory search for a balance with development projects," said Martinović.
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