December 10, 2018 - Coalition 27, a network of 20 non-governmental organizations dealing with the environment and climate change, thinks that Montenegro should understand that the opening of chapter 27 is a concrete step by the European Union to more stringent requirements and the application of more serious mechanisms.
"We therefore think it would be far more convenient to inform the public about concrete plans for the future, and focus on closing the process, instead of the tacky enthusiasm by certain leaders, who have absolutely no credit for such a decision of the EU member states," the statement said.
Croatia is said to have opened and closed the negotiation chapter within ten months. "This would be fatal for Montenegro, in a situation where state institutions do not have the necessary administrative and financial capacity to implement the values and the legal acquis in an optimal way," assesses the Coalition 27.
As stated, a decade after the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, Montenegro has managed to transpose a significant number of European regulations, while their implementation is seriously lagging behind, especially in the area of nature protection, waste management, water quality, and air emissions.
Montenegro has failed in ten years to respond to the priority task defined subsequently by the Accession Strategy, which relates to a significant strengthening of the capacity of the environmental inspection system in accordance with the European Parliament and Council Propaganda on Minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspection in the States members.
"Montenegro failed to provide temporary protection of potential Natura 2000 areas in which the devastation of natural values such as the devastation of Tara River, Cijevna, NP Skadar Lake and Durmitor, sea areas by hydrocarbon exploration resulted in devastation of the natural and unplanned development, while the protection of Ulcinj Solana and all international and national communications have not yet been reached," the statement said.
Coalition 27 estimates that Montenegro has not provided the goals for preserving good ecological status of waters, according to the Water Framework Directive, given the planned and carried out significant degradation of numerous watercourses in the north of Montenegro, caused by the construction of hydroelectric facilities.
"We are seriously concerned about the planning and management of finances now estimated at 1.6 billion euros and whose amount is not to be reduced, but it is increasing compared to the estimated 1.4 billion in the previous year, and especially knowing that the state so far invested 200 million euros," the statement said. It is alleged that the country's critical state of unreadiness is related to waste management and the situation that two local governments have not established a waste management system by the law, while in the whole country there are only four wastewater treatment plants with unacceptable dynamics in the construction of new plants and sewers.
"After decades, the institutions are fighting with 350 illegal dumps, urban dumps, unknown quantities of landfills, waste in factions and different waste streams," said Coalition 27.
They recall that, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization Pljevlja, they are on the list of the most polluted cities in the world, despite all legal obligations and standards that limit the excessive emissions of polluting particles.
Coalition 27 argues that there is no long-term plan, either at the local or national level, to solve the problem, and so far the measures have not produced any effects. "Thermal power plants continue to pollute the air in Pljevlja without paying compensation for damage to human health and the environment."
"Instead, that the Government of Montenegro and the relevant ministry should seriously examine the problems and accumulated obligations in implementing regulations and invites all interested social actors to the necessary cooperation, they are conducting a campaign of discrediting the non-governmental sector and concealing the real situation in the public," the statement said.
Text by MINA, on December 9th, 2018, read more at Vijesti
