Separate waste disposal remains a challenge

The waste management model has not yet been fully explained, and it is necessary to establish infrastructure for separate waste disposal throughout the country.

This is one of the recommendations for improving the implementation of the Action Plan for meeting the final benchmarks in Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change, listed in the eighth semi-annual report, which the Government adopted last week.

The document states that since September last year, Montenegro has fulfilled just over 10 percent of the total number of measures envisaged in the Action Plan. During the eighth semi-annual report, the implementation of 281 measures was planned, of which 135 measures with a deadline for implementation were due, and 146 measures with a deadline for continuous implementation.

"The degree of implementation of measures with a deadline for implementation is 13 percent (17 measures), and the degree of partially implemented measures is 49 percent (66 measures). The degree of implementation of measures with a continuous deadline is 63 percent (92 measures), and the degree of partially implemented measures is 24 percent (36 measures)," the report states for the period from September 2024 to February this year.

The document states that this year it is necessary to intensify work on the implementation of planned activities, plan the budget, and that securing financial resources is "the biggest challenge in the implementation of activities from the Action Plan."

When it comes to the sub-area of ​​air quality, it is stated that no significant progress was achieved during the reporting period.

"The adoption of the Air Quality Management Strategy with the Action Plan is delayed due to the adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan," the report states.

In the reporting period, in the sub-area of ​​waste management, and based on the Law on Waste Management, the Regulation on the fee paid by sellers of lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness of over 50 microns, and the Rulebook on the content of reports on mercury sources and the method of keeping records on mercury storage were adopted.

"The 'Mislov do' landfill in Nikšić was closed in December 2024. The construction of the Regional Waste Management Center in Nikšić is underway, which will serve the municipalities of Plužine, Šavnik and some coastal municipalities," the document states.

It is added that the World Bank has provided a grant for technical support in the field of waste management, "and part of the funds are directed towards the development of technical documentation for the center."

"The study and main project for converting landfill gas into electricity at the 'Možura' landfill have been completed, and a tender for the construction of the facility has been announced. Also, the study for expanding the capacity of the 'Možura' landfill has been completed. A contract has been signed for the development of a conceptual design for the closure and recultivation of the Bakovići storage facility," it was stated.

The Integrated Waste Management Project in the Western Balkans, it is added, plans to quantify microplastic contamination in hydroelectric power plants in the Danube Basin, and implementation began in 2024 with a completion deadline of 2026.

The document states that the Eco-Fund has focused part of its work on the rehabilitation of unregulated landfills, and in 2024, the rehabilitation of 60 unregulated landfills began.

In the sub-area of ​​water quality, on December 19, 2024, the Government adopted the Surface and Groundwater Monitoring Program for 2025.

Within the sub-area of ​​nature protection, the document states, no activities were carried out in the reporting period to finalize the Draft Law on Nature Protection, nor the National Biodiversity Strategy with an Action Plan.

The document also states that work on mapping Natura 2000 habitats and species has continued, and that by February 2025, 76 percent of the land territory and 10 percent of the marine territory of Montenegro have been mapped.

In the reporting period, when it comes to industrial pollution, the environmental inspection carried out 18 controls, or inspections, of facilities covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive, in accordance with the Law on Industrial Emissions.

In the civil protection sub-area, all obligations have been implemented, so that sub-area is, as stated, temporarily closed:

"There is a need for further improvements and ensuring long-term capacities that will enable a faster and more effective response to crisis situations in the future."

In the recommendations section, along with the statement that the biggest challenge in implementing the activities from the Action Plan is securing financial resources, it is proposed, among other things, to prioritize the implementation of those activities that were not implemented in previous years, and to intensify activities in each institution responsible for the obligations from the final benchmarks regarding their implementation.

Also, as stated in the recommendations, where multiple institutions are responsible for a certain obligation, coordination and communication between them should be improved.