After Montenegro was officially made available 80 million euros in grant support from the European Union's Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III), of which 48,5 million are intended for environmental protection and climate change projects, the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić says that these funds should be used with due consideration and to contribute to a more balanced regional development of the country.
He says that the north of Montenegro will be "again, this time, the subject of special attention."
"These funds will enable us to significantly improve waste and water management, protect natural habitats and raise living standards in local communities across the country, and more effectively adapt to the challenges of climate change," Ćulafić said.
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He says that in this process, he particularly appreciates the way it was achieved – through cooperation and "the commitment of multiple institutions, which worked in a coordinated and responsible manner."
"I am grateful to my colleagues for their help and support this time, because infrastructure is precisely what is needed to meet all the benchmarks from Chapter 27, the field in which we need to work most synchronously now, in order to strengthen not only the normative framework, but also our readiness in the real part, and for that, financial resources, in no small amount, are still needed."
He said that teamwork, guided by a clear goal and mutual trust, is important for the successful use of European funds.
Ćulafić points out that funds from the IPA III program will be directed to specific projects. "The focus will be on these projects bringing real benefits, so that citizens feel the changes through an even cleaner environment, safer infrastructure and better protection of natural values."
He reminds us that Montenegro has additionally, through participation in the LIFE program, joined the broader European network for environmental protection, which has given us the opportunity for new investments and for learning through cooperation with other countries facing similar challenges.
"I believe that we will be successful in withdrawing funds from this fund to the extent that we work as a team, skillfully and hard. Our obligation now is to use the funds entrusted to us wisely, responsibly and in the interest of all citizens, but also taking into account that we contribute to a more balanced regional development of the country. The north of Montenegro will, this time, still be the subject of special attention. Montenegro is defined by the Constitution as an ecological state and this designation must not be symbolic, but rather a guide for our daily work and confirmation through concrete policies and results, and the opportunities we have created so far are, in my opinion, solid proof that we know what we are doing," the minister announced.
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