Ćulafić: Being the Minister of the Environment means you are often the opposition in the Government

Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change represents a major challenge for Montenegro, both financially and politically, said the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, Damjan Ćulafić.

Ćulafić said this at the panel "Ecology between Politics and Law", which was organized within the framework of the European Union Law School "European Law, Ecology and Montenegro" in Bar.

As announced by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development (MERS), he emphasized the importance of cooperation between the academic community and institutions in the European integration process of Montenegro.

Ćulafić thanked the organizers and emphasized the importance of cooperation between MERS, the school, and the University of Donja Gorica, emphasizing that he was pleased with the great interest of young people in issues of ecology and European law.

He stated that the field of ecology and sustainable development is in itself extremely topical, recalling that Montenegro opened Chapter 27, which relates to the environment and climate change, back in 2018.

As he stated, the path that Montenegro has covered within that chapter is great, although, according to him, certain processes could have been implemented faster, but the circumstances in certain periods were different.

Ćulafić pointed out that Chapter 27 is one of the most demanding negotiation chapters, especially from a financial and technical perspective.

He recalled that estimates from 2021 indicated that closing that chapter would cost around 2,4 billion euros, while current estimates reach as much as four billion euros.

"I'm not sure how many citizens know that 900 million euros are needed for air protection, 300 million euros for wastewater, and around 500 million euros for waste management. We submitted the complete normative framework to the European Commission in the first quarter of this year," said Ćulafić.

He emphasized that this chapter is a major challenge for Montenegro, both financially and politically, adding that the function of the Minister of Ecology often involves finding a balance between environmental protection and state development.

"Being the Minister of the Environment means that you are often the opposition in the Government, because it is difficult to find a balance between environmental protection and the development of Montenegro," said Ćulafić.

Speaking about the process of establishing the Natura 2000 network, he stated that this issue has caused different opinions and raised numerous questions in society, but that Montenegro is currently in the final phase of that process.

"For me, the ecology department is a life experience, but we have achieved a lot, at least in terms of increasing awareness of the importance of the environment. Here we are ahead of the citizens of Portugal, and we are not far from the citizens of Germany," said Ćulafić.

Ćulafić particularly pointed out the importance of preserving natural resources and the consequences of their devastation.