Environmental Ambassadors of Sustainable Development organized the round table for media reporting on the environmental and climate change issues on October 28, 2015 in Belgrade. Focus of the round table was on the media relation to the environment and climate change and the role of journalists in the reporting on the issues related to the environment and climate change. This round table was a part of the project: “Chapter 27: environment and climate change in the media” co-financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia. About 25 participants, primary journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations who cover environmental issues and climate change, along with the representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection, were present.

On 21st of October, a round table was organized by ATRC in Drenas Municipality. Aim of this table was to discuss the effect of industry in environment with focus on air and water quality. The case that was mainly discussed was factory NewCoFeronikeli.

This table was organized in a panel where the participants discussed about the:

• Role of Municipality and its competencies in environmental protection and effect from the industry
• Establishment of the commission for NewCo Feronikel, its aim, duties and activities
• Integrated environmental permission for NewCoFeronikel, process, transparency, conditions and continuation
• Monitoring of environment in Drenas municipality with focus on air quality, monitoring plan, monitoring capacity, monitoring data, public information, other problems
• Monitoring the environment by NewCoFeronikel, environmental investments and future plans
• The role of municipal assembly on environmental protection at local level
• The role of civil society on environmental protection at local level

This round table was seen as a very important activity by all participants as it is a tool for people’s voice to be heard more on the issues that affect them directly.

Present in the meeting were representatives from civil society, municipality of Drenas, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Hydro-meteorological Institute of Kosovo, Agency for Environmental Protection, representative from Ombudsperson as well as random citizen of Drenas municipality.

All parties had their own presentations and when comparing them they not have same data on the same issues. Therefore all participants agreed that there is a need to further develop the monitoring system at all points required.

According to the data presented by all there is a moderate pollution that increases from time to time. Compared to the previous data, this year data shows some improvement. This is due to the investment done by the factory as per integrated environmental permission requirements.

Municipality has to be more proactive on the issues regarding the environmental protection and for this they have to plan a budget line in order to invest on environment and reduce pollution.

There is a clear lack of public information on the environmental pollution. This has to be improved immediately in order to avoid misunderstandings of people.

Factory has to be more open to the public and also continue investing in modern technology that would reduce air and water pollution. Also we would recommend that the factory should continue reporting to the relevant institutions on the monitoring data but also to inform municipality and people.

All agreed in one thing and that is that there is a need to raise the voice of people for greater influence in environmental reform process aiming at reaching faster the road towards European integration.

Legal framework on energy efficiency in Albania is really lacking behind. The Law into force on energy efficiency is really obsolete dating 2002 comprising none of the minimal energy efficiency standards required. For more than 2 years the Ministry of Energy and Industry in collaboration with external experts has started to work on the new draft law on energy efficiency.

During the month of October, ENV.net team in Albania was invited by the Parliament Commission dealing with environmental issues to make comments to the new draft law on energy efficiency.

The new law brings new concepts and processes in the field of energy efficiency, where the new Agency of Energy Efficiency (the executive body of energy efficiency policies), the Fund for Energy Efficiency and the Energy Auditors, where some of the main new concepts presented in the new law. We were interested on explicitly stating the Energy Efficiency Fund is important and should exist separated by other potential funds in the field of environment. Other recommendations were related to the task that should be appointed to the Energy Efficiency Fund to report any improvements made in the field of energy efficiency by the development of its activities.

The development of the Monitoring Matrix on approximation process to EU environmental acquis is an activity implemented within the EU-funded project “Development of the ENV.net in West Balkan and Turkey: giving citizens a voice to influence the environmental process reforms for closer EU integration”.

During the first phase of this project, ended on 31st January 2015, a lot of information was collected by the partners from Western Balkans and Turkey through a monitoring exercise conducted to compare the national legislations with the EU environmental policy and to identify the possible gaps. It was then decided to have an on-line tool to collect and organise this information in a structured manner and to make it accessible to all possible stakeholders.

The ENV.net Monitoring Matrix platform aims at giving an overview on the approximation process to the EU environmental acquis in the countries covered by the ENV.net network. More specifically, it allows to compare specific directives of the EU environmental policy with the national legislations and to identify possible gaps in the adoption and implementation processes. Moreover, it presents the findings and recommendations raised from this monitoring exercise.

The Monitoring Matrix section of this platform presents an overview of all categories of the environmental policy and include links to relevant EU pieces of legislation. The matrix is also downloadable in pdf version.

In the country pages of the platform, there is a general presentation of the situation of each country concerning the approximation process and a detailed analysis on the national legislation compared to the EU pieces of legislation. The Matrix does not aim to cover all directives and legislations of the EU acquis, but rather a selection of them that are considered the most important for all partners’ countries. In particular, three specific categories of the acquis have been selected so far:

• Water quality
• Horizontal legislation
• Climate change

Within these categories, some specific legal scopes/directives have been selected and monitored accurately in their adoption by the local governments and when relevant in their implementation.

Main findings and recommendations from the ENV.net appear in all country pages and can be compared between countries.

The ENV.net monitoring matrix is a work in progress. It will be continuously updated by the ENV.net partners and it will hopefully include inputs from other organisations that would like to contribute. To this purpose, all interested stakeholders can contact us at any time to ask for additional information or to contribute to this initiative.

At the Second Regional Conference on Environmental Impact Assessment, held from 16-19 September, 2015.  in Novi Vinodolski, Croatia, EASD representative and ENV.net Serbia expert represented the study: EU SEVENTH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAM: EIA AND SEA ARE EFFECTIVE TOOLS WHEN CORRECTLY IMPLEMENTED.

“Get funding from the European Union”

ENV-net team in Albania is taking part in a meeting organized by the French Embassy with Mrs. Berengere Quincy, itinerant ambassador of Paris Climate 2015!

In August 2015, NGO “Ecological Association Camping Fans”, Kragujevac and “High School of Technology, Arandjelovac” organized, International eco-camp for children in Arandjelovac. The camp was visited by the National Mentor of the Foundation of Environmental Education and ENV.net expert, Prof. Andjelka Mihajlov, who spoke to the participants of the camp about the importance of environmental education.

275 TEMA Volunteers from 52 cities got together between 20-23 August in Istanbul for the Field Coordination meeting.

One session of the meeting was dedicated to the River Basin Management Plans and the role of NGOs in the planning process. The presentation started with the introduction of EU Water Framework Directive and the RBMP process. What a hydrological cycle is and what defines river basin regions as well as what a good water condition means was defined. The content, and concepts such as characterization, typology (meaning and status of water mass, water quality classifications, analysis of pressure and effects, environmental targets), precaution programs and monitoring, economic analysis and public participation were explained with examples. Presentation was concluded with the NGOs role with specific example from TEMA works.

ENV.net Macedonia and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia – (AJM), on 30^th July 2015, at the Hotel Continental in Skopje organized a round table on the situation in the field of the environment, as a result of (non) implementation of legal regulations in the direction of promotion and improvement of living conditions for all citizens, and (un) consciences of the citizens and institutions about the problems we are facing in the country.

At the meeting, which was attended by representatives of several printed and electronic media and representatives of civil society organizations – members of the Platform for Green Macedonia, we presented the goals and objectives of the second phase of ENV.net project and the website env-net.org, from which one can gain significant regional information and experience. The participants discussed the need for greater and continuous reporting on environmental issues, as well as taking a common position on certain issues related to the environment, sharing experiences from the collaboration of journalists with civil society organizations and vice versa, as well as opportunities for regional networking of environmental and media organisations, (like the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the Forum of editors in chief)

Conclusions from the meeting for future steps and joint actions and specific projects included a request to the media for more space on national televisions and shows dedicated to environment issues, better cooperation between the Forum of editors in chief and civil society organizations, including a proposal for regional treatment of problems and topics in the field of environment, such as “Feni” in Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Turkey, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other issues alike.

From the event participants sent an open appeal to the authorities not to build foundry in the industrial zone in Probishtip, announced by the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski as foreign investment, because we do not believe in the high environmental standards that Cranfield Foundry company owners are proclaiming. Our message was that we as environmentalists support creation of new jobs, but not at the expense of peoples’ health and the environment.

Furthermore the meeting was used to clarify the announcement on “Eco-conscience of the society” photo-story competition. Support for its implementation has been provided by Pakomak and Zero Waste.

The action is part of the project “Development of the ENV.net in West Balkans and Turkey: giving citizens a voice to influence the environmental process reforms for closer EU integration”, supported by the European Commission.

Sources:

www.telma.com.mk/vesti/ekologisti-learnicata-kje-go-zagaduva-probishtip

“Eco-conscience of the society” – photo-story competition for journalists and photographers

On July 10^th, 2015 we announced a photo-story competition for all journalists and photographers from Macedonia, from both print and electronic media, titled “Eco-conscience of the society”. The call will be open until 20^th, November 2015. The final exhibition of the winners and all submitted works, is envisaged to take place on 5^th December 2015. As part of the exhibition we plan to prepare a promotional catalogue.

The competition, part of the ENV.net project, is organized by “4x4x4 Balkan Bridges” from Skopje (www.4x4x4bb.org), and with the support of “Pakomak”, company on packaging and packaging waste (www.pakomak.com.mk), and “Zero Waste”, (www.nulaotpad.com.mk) company on managing batteries and electronic waste.

Новости од Македонија: јули 2015

Одржана тркалезна маса со претставници на медиумите и граѓанските здруженија на Платформата „Зелена Македонија“

ЕНВ.нет Македонија и Здружението на новинари на Македонија – ЗНМ на 30-ти јули 2015 (четврток), во Хотел Континентал Скопје организираа тркалезна маса на тема состојбите во полето на животната средина како резултат на (не)имплементација на законските прописи во правец на унапредување и подобрување на условите за живеење на сите граѓани, но и на (не)совестa на граѓаните и институциите за проблемите со кои сме соочени во Република Македонија

На средбата, на која учествуваа претставници на повеќе печатени и електронски медиуми како и претставници на граѓански здруженија – членки на Зелената платформа Македонија, беа претставени целите и задачите на втората фаза на ЕНВ.нет проектот, како и веб страна env-net.org, од која можеме да црпеме значајни регионални информации и искуства. Присутните дискутираа за потребата од поголемо и континуирано известувањето за еколошките теми, како и заземање заеднички став по одредени прашања врзани за животната средина, споделување на искуства од соработката на новинарите со граѓанските организации и обратно, но и за можностите за регионално поврзување на еколошките организации и медиумите преку новинарите, и Форумот на главни уредници при Здружението на новинари на Македонија.

Од средбата произлегоа заклучоци за идни чекори и заеднички акции и конкретни проекти меѓу кои барање до медиумите за повеќе простор на националните телевизии за прилози и емисии посветени на животната средина, поголема соработка межу Форумот на главни уредници и граѓанските организации, како и предлог за регионално третирање на проблеми и теми на полето на животната средина, како на пример „Фени“ во Македонија, Србија, Косово, Албанија, Турција, Црна Гора, Босна и Херцеговина, и слично.

Од собирот беше упатен апел да не се гради леарница во индустриската зона во Пробиштип, бидејќи не веруваме во високите еколошки стандарди на кои убадуваат сопствениците на фирмата Кранфилд Фаундри која како странска инвестиција беше најавена од премиерот Никола Груевски. И екологистите се за отворање нови работни места но, не на сметка на здравјето на луѓето и животната средина.

Воедно средбата беше искористена за појаснување на објавениот конкурс на тема “Еко-совест на општеството“, за чија реализација обезбедена е поддршка од страна на Пакомак и Нулта отпад.

Активноста е реализиранана во рамките на проектот “Проширување на ENV.net во земјите од Западен Балкан и Турција: гласот на граѓаните за нивно влијание врз процесот на реформи во областа на животната средина за побрза интеграција во ЕУ“ поддржан од Европската Комисија.

Извори:http://www.telma.com.mk/vesti/ekologisti-learnicata-kje-go-zagaduva-probishtip

Објавен конкурсот за фото-сторија на тема „Еко-совест на општеството“

Од 10 јули 2015 во тек е голем награден конкурс на тема „Еко-совест на општеството“ на кој учество може да земат сите медиуми (печатени и електронски) од Република Македонија. Повикот е отворен до 20 ноември 2015. Финалната изложба на наградените како и на сите пристигнати трудови, е планирано да се одржи на 5 декемви 2015. Како дел од изложбата предвидено е да се изработи промотивен каталог.

Конкурсот е во рамките на проктеот ЕНВ.нет, а во организација „4х4х4 Балкански мостови“ од Скопје (www.4x4x4bb.org), и со поддршка на „Пакомак“, друштво за управување со пакување и отпад од пакување (www.pakomak.com.mk) и „Нулта отпад“, (www.nultaotpad.com.mk) друштво за управување со батерии и електронски отпад.