Spatial planning in Montenegro is burdened with systemic problems and irresponsibility, as proven by the process of amendments to the Spatial Urban Plan (SUP) of Podgorica and the Velje Brdo project, while the continuous threat to sustainable development, natural resources, biodiversity, and cultural heritage is moving this sector away from European standards.
This was stated at the panel "The Role of Spatial Planning in Environmental Protection between European Standards and National Goals", organized by the Center for Bird Protection and Research (CZIP) as part of the final conference of the project "Strengthening Civil Society Participation in the Environmental Field in the EU Accession Process (4E)".
Ksenija Medenica, program director of the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, assessed that the situation in Montenegro is "chaotic" when it comes to spatial planning, stating that the current approach harms citizens, while at the same time favoring investors and political interests.
"As key challenges for the preservation of biodiversity and habitats, we see unplanned urbanization, illegal construction and poor spatial planning, which open up space for conflict between resource use and nature protection," she said.
Medenica said that CZIP is particularly concerned about the process of amendments to the Spatial Urban Plan (PUP) for Podgorica, reports PR Center.
"This document, as well as the process itself, are not legal, because they have no basis in the current Spatial Plan of Montenegro, nor in the draft that passed the public debate. Also, for the first time today we hear that the Government declared the Velje Brdo project a project of public importance back in December during the public debate."
She reminds us that the construction project on Velje Brdo, despite criticism from the profession and the public, was declared a project of public interest, and that we remain without an answer to the question of what basis this was reached, but also when the Government's priority will be the preservation of our resources, sustainable development and reasonable planning for the benefit of nature and citizens.
"According to the latest MONSTAT data, there are already more than 170.000 empty apartments in Montenegro. Can't the state offer any other social policy and way to help those who do not have a resolved housing issue? Instead, we need to build a new city. Another contribution to centralization, not decentralization, which we strive for so much and with which we want to encourage the development of the north," said Medenica.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property Marina Izgarevic Pavicevic announced that, after the adoption of the Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040, amendments to the Spatial Plan of the Capital City will follow, although the Government previously announced that the adoption of the document would take place by the end of 2024 at the latest and promoted the Velje Brdo project before the legal conditions for its implementation were met.
She recalled that Velje Brdo was defined as a green oasis in the Spatial Plan of Montenegro from 2008, while the new Spatial Plan of Montenegro creates conditions for changes to that status.
"The Government of Montenegro has declared the project of constructing a residential complex on Velje Brdo a project of public interest, which directly influenced the consideration of this project through the proposal of the Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040."
She explained that this is a draft planning document, which may undergo certain changes in the following phases, and that all competent institutions are required to approve the plan before its final adoption.
Izgarević Pavicevic pointed out that Montenegro still operates according to outdated legal solutions and planning documents, which is why spatial planning does not follow the standards required by the European Union.
"We are operating according to planning documents that are in some cases older than three decades, and the possibility of their development often depends on financing from investors. We are still operating according to the law from 2017, which has not fully come into effect, while key documents such as the Spatial Plan of Montenegro, which was supposed to be valid until 2040, have still not been adopted."
She pointed out that the new legal solution, which is in the process, aims to reform the entire spatial planning system, stating that, among other things, it envisages strengthening the capacities of the state commission that will review state planning documents.
"The state agency will also provide opinions on local planning documents, and the Ministry will give its consent. We are aware of the fact that some planning documents have had a large number of amendments at the local government level, and we have tried to improve that process. Each amendment to a planning document will have to go through the full procedure, which ensures greater control and accountability," she said.
According to her, returning the urban planning inspection to the system will ensure supervision over the compliance of planning documents, while licensing experts will further professionalize the planning process.
"Our goal is to create a modern, efficient and transparent spatial planning system through reforms, which will be in line with European standards and enable sustainable development of Montenegro," concluded Izgarević Pavicevic.
Sonja Dragovic from the KANA organization warned of serious systemic problems in the process of amending the Podgorica Urban Development Plan, as well as the Velje Brdo project, emphasizing that spatial planning in Montenegro suffers from irresponsibility, inefficient inspection supervision and inexpert decision-making.
"From past experience, we know that none of those in charge will be held accountable for bad decisions. Signatures on problematic local plans are placed without careful consideration of the content, and the plans are often full of discrepancies between the narrative and graphic parts of the document."
He believes that the proposal to amend the Podgorica Urban Development Plan is "a shame for everyone who signed it", because it comes to experts and the public in a completely unacceptable state.
Dragović emphasized that the spatial planning process must be truly transparent.
"This does not mean just publishing plans and leaving the public to search for information, but rather requiring those leading the process to do everything in their power to accurately, truthfully and credibly present what they want to do. Right now, the public needs to do the research work to understand what is hidden in the documentation."
Speaking about the Velje Brdo project, Dragović said that the idea is pointless and will prove unsustainable in the future.
"This proposal represents an unfounded idea of urban sprawl for which we have no data on whether it is feasible, but we know that it would irreversibly damage a space of key importance for the sustainable future development of Podgorica."
She pointed out that the project is inconsistent with the need to stop uncontrolled urbanization and preserve important spaces for climate change, water sources, and sustainable development.
"This is another example of how spatial plans are adopted without expert analysis and consideration of the consequences," Dragović added.
Dragović singled out poor implementation of laws and dysfunctional inspection supervision as key problems of spatial planning in Montenegro.
"Inspections are not implementing legal obligations, which we see in the examples of illegal construction under Ljubovići and the building in Kolašin. In both cases, citizens and the KANA organization had to submit documentation indicating irregularities," said Sonja Dragović.
She referred to the 2017 spatial planning law, which, she says, the entire professional community warned would bring problems.
"The abandonment of the General Regulation Plan was expected, because experts even then indicated that such a plan was not feasible due to lack of capacity. The Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040 precisely identifies problems, but the system breaks down precisely when regulations should solve them."
She assessed that Montenegro urgently needs a functional spatial planning system, based on transparency, expertise and efficient implementation of laws.
Coordinator of the GEF project “Integrating biodiversity into sectoral policies and practices and strengthening the protection of biodiversity hotspots in Montenegro” Marija Tripunovic She said that Montenegro is not using its limited space in a sustainable way, which is a consequence of non-implementation of laws, lack of awareness, inadequate planning documents and insufficient respect for the profession, especially in the field of environmental protection.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like we are solving these problems, but rather complicating them further. Investors often dictate the rules, while the state and expert opinions remain in the background."
She recalled that since 2023, the Ministry of Ecology has been implementing a project to integrate biodiversity into sectoral policies, which is the first time that the state has independently implemented such a project according to UN procedures, which significantly contributes to strengthening the capacities of state administration.
“The project aims to preserve biodiversity, not only within protected areas such as national parks, but also beyond their borders. One of the key activities was the mapping of biodiversity in Montenegro, which identified 96 areas of importance for conservation, including 61 areas of exceptional conservation importance, as well as 629 species of special importance for the country.”
She explained that these areas include rare and endemic habitats that, if threatened, could disappear on a global scale.
"The spatial plan is the most important mechanism for protecting biodiversity. Through our project, we ensured that the guidelines for the protection of 96 areas were integrated into planning documents, thus enabling their practical implementation," said Tripunović.
She reminded that the guidelines for each area are available on the website www.biodiversitymontenegro.me, and all municipalities are familiar with them.
"In order to ensure their effective implementation, work will be done to strengthen the capacities of officials in local governments responsible for nature protection. This project represents a step towards improving the protection of Montenegro's natural values and the sustainable development of the country," she concluded.
Aleksandra Kapetanović from the NGO Expeditio says that spatial planning in Montenegro requires urgent and substantial changes, because "it is sad and terrible to witness the state of our spatial planning, which is not only not progressing, but is going backwards."
"These are topics we have been talking about for decades, and conditions are continuously deteriorating. The answer to the question of whether our spatial planning is in line with European standards is best seen in the space in which we live."
In her opinion, the key problem lies in the lack of awareness among institutions and the state that the current spatial planning model is not sustainable.
"Individuals and experts are warning about these problems, but without a serious institutional response, things will not change."
She reminded that cultural heritage should not be viewed only through the prism of individual objects - houses, churches, mosques, or urban and rural entities.
"The concept of cultural heritage protection today also includes the broader concept of cultural landscape, which represents the joint work of nature and man. Although the Law on the Protection of Cultural Property in Montenegro recognizes cultural landscapes as a special category, to date no area in our country has been formally protected in this way," she pointed out.
She said that space is the most important resource, but that we are continuously destroying it.
"The key to the preservation and sustainable development of space lies in good planning that integrates natural and anthropogenic factors. Current plans, however, are not up to the task. The example of the Spatial Urban Plan (SUP) of Kotor shows that recommendations from expert studies are not being followed, which results in the complete degradation of the value of that space," said Kapetanović.
He says that in 2017, the entire community – non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and citizens – warned that the Spatial Planning Law was not good and would cause negative consequences, and today we are witnessing the justification of those warnings.
Kapetanović said that spatial planning is a key tool for spatial preservation and sustainable development, but only if it is based on serious expert analyses and principles of sustainability.
"Since 2003, UNESCO has been warning us that excessive urbanization could endanger the outstanding universal value of the area of the city of Kotor, which is why it is on that list."
He believes that the planning and urbanization activities currently being carried out in the Kotor area, according to current planning documents, directly threaten the values of this exceptional area, including its cultural and historical heritage.
"The problem lies in the fact that, in addition to the environmental impact assessment, there is also a heritage impact assessment, which represents an additional mechanism for providing guidelines for the development of the area. However, although Montenegro is one of the first countries to legally recognize the importance of heritage impact assessment, unfortunately, this mechanism is completely incorrectly applied, which may lead to further endangerment of the unique values that Kotor possesses," she concluded.
The conference was organized within the project "Strengthening Civil Society Participation in the Environmental Field in the EU Accession Process (4E)", funded by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media.
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