In the next year, Northern Macedonia should especially improve the intersectoral coordination and increase the financial resources for reducing air pollution at local and national level, to make significant steps in establishing a regional waste management system, to implement the Paris Agreement, including adapting to the EU 2030 Strategy and Laws, according to the European Commission’s Environmental Progress Report.
The European Union promotes strong climate action, sustainable development and environmental protection. European legislation contains provisions relating to climate change, water and air quality, waste management, nature protection, industrial pollution, chemicals, noise and civil protection. Northern Macedonia, according to the Report, has some level of readiness in that area.
– Limited progress has been made in the area of nature conservation and climate change. However, implementation in all sectors remains a matter of concern. The country is encouraged to move ambitiously towards the Green Transition, especially in the context of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Most of last year’s recommendations have not been implemented, is highlighted in the Report.
.
With regard to the environment, the EC notes that administrative capacity at all levels remains weak, with insufficient financial resources to implement and strengthen existing legislation.
– The implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Strategic Environmental Assessment should be particularly improved through public consultation processes and in terms of the quality of the reports. Dialogue with civil society and public consultation processes in this sector need to be significantly improved. Lack of transparency and access to information is a recurring problem. The Law on Environmental Inspection and the amendments to the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment have not yet been adopted. Limited progress has been made on the INSPIRE Directives in the field of environmental responsibility, assessed by the EC.
Regarding air quality, it is emphasized that the financial assistance for investment in reducing the use of fossil fuels has been reallocated, the reports are submitted to the European Environment Agency.
– However, limited implementation and resources, poor intersectoral coordination between both central and local government are reducing the impact of air pollution reduction measures. Air pollution in big cities remains a very worrying issue. The monitoring stations in the municipality of Gevgelija were procured and replaced with measuring instruments from the already existing monitoring station in Bitola, which was already finalized. The air quality system upgrade was also implemented, is indicated in the Report.
With regard to waste management, the EC noted that weak administrative capacity, poor execution rate and limited cross-sectoral cooperation remain major obstacles to progress in that sector.
Source: MIA
