Montenegrin and EU officials discuss ways to promote environmental protection

Minister for Spatial Planning and Environment Branimir Gvozdenovic and Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Ambassador Leopold Maurer meet Thursday for talks on the Commission’s Opinion on Montenegro’s EU membership application, focusing in particular on environment, as one of the key policy priorities of both the EU and the Montenegrin Government.

By this token, Minister Gvozdenovic presented the Government’s plans for building environmental protection capacities of the Ministry, the Environmental Protection Agency and other environmental agencies through direct cooperation with the civil society and the general public. ‘’We also expect considerable support from the European Commission within the Twinning projects’’, Minister Gvozdenovic told the press after the meeting.

The main topic in the meeting’s agenda was solid waste management and the two officials argued that considerable funds for that purpose would be provided by 2011 IPA projects.

Minister Gvozdenovic made special reference to the Government’s project with the working title of ‘’Let’s clean up Montenegro’’ aimed at raising environmental awareness of Montenegrin citizens, which will be carried out in cooperation with the civil society. ‘’The campaign is intended to involve 60 000 citizens, which accounts for 10% of Montenegro’s population’’, said Gvozdenovic.

Furthermore, particular care will be taken to ensure that big infrastructure projects, such as the building of Moraca River hydropower plants, are environmentally friendly, the minister explained.

Ambassador Maurer emphasized the need for the development of waste disposal infrastructure and human resources and promotion of investment, with special reference to accelerating the establishment of regional solid waste management companies, whose income will be used for activities of importance to local communities, such as motorway construction or creating new jobs.