Sustainable urban transport and mobility: policies and practices based on UNECE environmental impact assessments

The State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Angelina Živković, opened with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Montenegro, Fiona McCluney, the Director General of the Directorate of Environment at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Ivan Vojinović, and the Head of the International Sustainable Strategy Unit of the German Agency for Life, Hans-Joachim Hermann, a two-day workshop in Budva on 18 and 19 June, on "Sustainable urban transport and mobility: policies and practices based on UNECE environmental impact assessments".

The main objectives of the two-day workshop are: Providing platforms for Eastern and Southeast European and Caucasian countries to share their experience in solving sustainable transport issues and to support cooperation between relevant transport and environment experts; addressing the opportunities and challenges that are currently slowing the development of sustainable transport, with regard to the implementation of the goals of sustainable development; Improving understanding of available tools and instruments to support sustainable transport; addressing and identifying solutions to overcoming the challenges and removing bottlenecks in the area of sustainable transport.

The two-day workshop is divided into five sessions: priority issues for moving to sustainable transport; tools and instruments for sustainable urban transport / mobility and reduction of air pollution by mobile sources; development opportunities and challenges for the development of sustainable transport policies; an interactive session on identifying practical solutions in priority areas for support for sustainable urban transport and mobility; and an interactive session on identifying the next steps for the implementation of the Transport and Environment Report on Environmental Impact Assessment (EPR) Recommendations.

Živkovićev spoke in his introductory presentation about the importance of balanced approach and investment in the maintenance and development of traffic infrastructure and services. That Montenegro's strategic development objective is sustainable and inclusive economic growth that will reduce the country's development gap in relation to the EU average and increase the quality of life of all its citizens. That the strategic goals defined in the new Transport Strategy of Montenegro 2019-2035, to which the European Commission has given a positive opinion and whose adoption is expected by the end of June each month by the Government of Montenegro, is to contribute to the stimulation and development of sustainable transport. Positive impacts of the Traffic Development Strategy are expected as a result of the implementation of strategic and specific objectives and related measures. Strategic goals refer to economic well-being; availability, operation and quality of services; safety and security; EU integration and ecological sustainability.

The two-day workshop is attended by representatives of a large number of countries: Montenegro, Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Georgia, Italy, Romania, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, as well as representatives of institutions such as UNECE, EBRD, University of Milan-Bicocca, ISPRA, the German Environment Agency, etc.

Radionica se održava pod pokroviteljstvom Ekonomske komisije UN za Evropu (UNECE), njemačkog federalnog Ministarstva za životnu sredinu, očuvanje prirode i za nuklearnu bezbjednost, Umwelt Bundesamt i Ministarstva održivog razvoja i turizma Vlade Crne Gore.