The first Conference of the Platform for Green Macedonia established with the support of ENV.net project was held on 24th October in Veles.
Over 50 participants, representative from the NGO sector, national and local governments discussed the problems and progress of the situation related to 3 of the detected 10 hot spots. The key topics included: how to solve the historical contamination of Veles that comes as a result of 30 years of continuous pollution from the smelter plant “Topilnica”, problems related to industrial pollution in Kavadarci, Tetovo, Skopje, Bitola and Kichevo and protection of the National Park Mavrovo and the Radica River. In their discussions, participants also presented their recommendations how these issues should be dealt with.

Recommendations

About the problems in Veles:

• Dislocation of the dross (slag) located behind the smelter plant in Veles, which represents a source of constant pollution of the city.

About the air pollution in Skopje, Bitola, Kavadarci, Tetovo and Kicevo:

• To regularly control of emissions from industrial facilities around and in the city of Skopje. Competent authorities should ensure that all existing air quality monitoring stations are fully functional and for installation of new monitoring stations for real-time surveillance;
• To limit operation of all industrial facilities that do not meet the standards for integrated A – Integrate license.

About the protection of the National Park Mavrovo and the Radika River:

• To respect citizens’ and NGOs’ position, the decision of the Council of the Municipality of Debar and opinions of more than 100 experts sent in form of a petition to the Government of Macedonia;
• To stop any construction activities in the area of the National Park Mavrovo associated with construction of hydro power plants (dams), especially in Lukovo Pole and Bosko Bridge
• To adopt a new Law on the National Park Mavrovo, which will annul the illegal change for zoning, i.e., will return its status of a strictly protected zone

Participants also discussed the initiative, presented by the ENV.net partner in Macedonia (4x4x4 Balkan Bridges) to establish a formal green consortium, that will provide environmental CSOs from Macedonia a stronger position in dealing with the governments and other relevant stakeholders in the process of environmental reforms for closer EU integration.

Integrated Management of Solid Waste (MMNU) represents one of the most important and serious problems, which currently the country is facing. Although the legal framework for integrated waste management in recent years has improved significantly, clearly anticipating in the legislation ways of processing major waste streams and final treatment alternatives for waste, concrete results in this sector have been insufficient, uncoordinated, where the local unit options have been limited to meet the targets required by national policy.

Municipality of Tirana, during 2013 in cooperation with IFC, part of the “Project for Public Private Partnerships for solid waste in the city of Tirana”, conducted a feasibility study to understand the state of existing waste management system in Tirana and proposed solutions for the most appropriate ways for integrated waste management.

Based on this fact, Co-PLAN in cooperation with the Municipality of Tirana and IFC, under the ENV.net project, funded by European Commission will organize a Roundtable “On Integrated Management of Solid Waste in the City of Tirana”, aiming the presentation of the feasibility study on integrated waste management in Tirana, and to open a discussion with stakeholders, civil society organizations and businesses to discuss the most appropriate solutions for integrated management of solid waste in the city of Tirana.

The activity will take place at the premises of Polis University on 29^th of October at 9:30-12:15.

Yesterday, October 14th 2014, the Department for Agriculture and Forestry in Ferizaji Municipal in collaboration with the Kosovo Police and inspectorate of Forestry seized seven tractors with 23 cubic meters illegal woods.
This action comes after the regional workshop organized from ATRC as part of Env.Net project with the municipalities of Ferizaj region, and after commitment by municipal officials for increasing cooperation between local institutions in combating the phenomenon of illegal logging and commitment for taking into consideration workshop’s recommendation.

Association of Young Ecologists of Niksic implemented the final action of the project “Preserving and increasing the level of protection of water resources in accordance with the standards of sustainable development”, which included the organized visit to the estavelle and a lecture.

35 cyclists took participation in this action, from which the youngest participant was 4 year old (she was with her father) and the oldest participant was 63 year old.

The participants gathered in the town square and the event was recorded by two TV crews. During the gathering, our activists distributed promotional materials about the project and the estavelle to citizens.

Participants crossed over 30 km in the cycling tour to the estavelle and back. In addition to the members of our NGO, students from Niksic and Podgorica, representatives of other NGOs, local government representatives, and citizens were among the participants.

A group that was not in a position to ride bikes was waiting for us near Gornjepoljski vir. Boro Vukovic, from the municipal Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection, addressed the crowd and in his presentation informed them about the characteristics of this natural phenomenon.

After the break, the cyclists returned to the city in an organized manner.

We believe that we have completely fulfilled the goal with this action and managed in our intention to, through practicing healthy lifestyles, promote Gornjepoljski vir as a special natural area and achievements of our project.

Recognizing its values, the estavelle Gornejpoljski vir was declared a protected natural area – Natural Monument, by the decision of the Municipal Council of Niksic from June 27, 2014.

On 10 October, 2014, Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) in collaboration with Eco Vision in Podujeva Municipality, within the regional project Env.Net, organized a regional workshop on the theme “Forest management and measures dealing with the prevention of illegal logging.” Participants in the workshop were representatives from Podujevo Municipality, representatives from Basic Court of Podujeva, Kosovo Police, Department of Forestry and Rural Development, Forest guards, Podujevo Youth Centre, local media, and citizens from Podujevo Municipality.

The discussion was focused on the real situation in the forestry and on the level of degradation, which was considered alarming and disastrous.

Participants agreed that the main cause of forest degradation is the lack of cooperation and coordination between Kosovo institutions, such as: forestry guard – the police – court, and the special police for protection of forestry.

On October 9, 2014, Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) in collaboration with the NGO network “AVONET”, within the regional project ENV.Net, organized a regional workshop on the theme “Forest management and measures dealing with the prevention of illegal logging.” Participants in the workshop were officials from the Municipality of Ferizaj, Viti, Kacanike, and Elez Han.

According to participants, deforestation continues. The increased cooperation with the police and courts has reduced cases of illegal logging. Only during 2014 are reported over 1,000 misdemeanor charges and charges related to illegal forest pests from these 4 municipalities. The problem is the lack of fines and sanctions imposition from the courts on the extent of damage caused.

Citizens’ cooperation with institutions of order; establishment of forest police; cleaning of damaged forests; afforestation of damaged forest parts; increased cooperation between the municipalities of the region, the development of a plan to supply citizens with firewood, heating alternative arrangements, etc. are some of the actions that were proposed by the participants of the workshops.

Here are some updates of the ENV.net subgrantees, as their projects approach the end.

Within the Legendary Pallid Scoops Owl (Bilecik-Urfa), school presentations are continuing. Upon demand by school principles, 4th and 5th grade students are included in the presentations.

 Şanlıurfa Municipality, Birecik Municipality, City Directorate of Food Agriculture and Livestock, Directorate on Conservation of Natural Habitats joined the CSO representatives on the field study of populus euphratica oliver trees since these are the habitat areas of the owls. A joint workshop on Pallid Scoops Owls will be organized with the cooperation of authorities.

ENV.net second subgrantee from Turkey that carries the “Beautiful City, Clean Sea Van” Representatives from the organization attended the 4th of September ENV.net roundtable in Ankara and presented their project to participants.

They also meeted with 40 teachers with the invitation of Ministry of Education and ÇEKUD (Environmental Organizations Cooperation Association) on 2-5 September 2014 for a Trainer of Trainers program.

The EU progress reports for candidate and potential candidate countries were released on 8^th of October. ENV.net as a network covering four candidate countries (Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey), one potential candidate country (Kosovo) and two CSOs from EU countries did a quick scan of the environmental situation (Chapter 27) in the respective partner countries.

According to the EC, countries have made little or no progress in the field of environment (approximation of legislation to acquis and implementation) and climate change.  Reading these reports, we can see three main directions in countries’  approach and commitments towards regarding approximation of their environmental legislation to the EU acquis: (i) Some of the countries are at very early stages in aligning the legislation to the acquis; (ii) In some countries the process of harmonizing the legislation to acquis is still not completed and (iii) in Turkey the story is completely different, as the new legislation being continuously adopted is not at all in compliance with EU Directives.

For more details please have a look at the paragraphs below per each partner country of ENV.net:

Albania

Directives on Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Crime are not yet fully adopted. EIAs are not carried out systematically and an effective system to prosecute and penalize environmental crimes needs to be established. Public information and consultations are still weak.

No National Strategy for Air Quality or Law on Ambient Air Quality has been adopted and overlaps between institutions on air quality monitoring still persists.

The new amendments to the Law on integrated Waste Management are not in line with the acquis. Although a national advisory group and committee on waste to plan and coordinate implementation of policies have been established, they lack human and financial capacities. Waste separation is non-existent; recycling is at very low rates and waste continues to be disposed in open legal dumpsites.

Still there is no strategy for water supply and sewage; however the new law on integrated water management is adopted.  The law on banning hunting is adopted but still hunting continues.  No progress in the field of industrial pollution and environmental noise.

A law on renewable energy was adopted in May 2014, with partial entry into force foreseen for January 2015. In the field of the energy efficiency, the draft Law on Energy Efficiency is still being prepared.  Substantial efforts are needed to fully integrate climate considerations into all relevant sectoral policies and strategies, as a comprehensive climate policy and strategy in line with the expected EU 2030 policy framework on climate and energy still needs to be adopted.

Kosovo

EU Progress Report assesses Kosovo this year with limited progress in implementing primary environmental legislation and accompanying regulations on environmental vital sectors such as water, air quality, waste management, Nature Protection, Industrial Pollution Prevention, chemicals, Inter – institutional Cooperation etc.

The Report shows that Kosovo has not progressed beyond the very initial stages of harmonization with the acquis in these areas. There has been little progress on new legislation and implementing existing laws. Environment and climate need to become government priorities. Quality of environmental reporting needs to improve to better inform about government policies. Kosovo urgently needs to secure financing of monitoring institutions, particularly to ensure the maintenance of existing air and water monitoring networks, and to establish a system for GHG monitoring and reporting. Kosovo needs to adopt a climate strategy and action plan, in line with the expected EU 2030 policy framework on climate and energy.

Macedonia

Little progress was made in the areas of environment and climate change. Administrative capacity needs to be strengthened in all areas and the government needs to cooperate more with civil society and other stakeholders.

Strategic planning and significant efforts are needed in order to ensure that national legislation is in line with the EU acquis, and that this legislation is implemented. Investment needs to be significantly increased, especially in the waste and water sectors.

The country needs to put forward by the first quarter of 2015 its intended contribution to the 2015 Climate Agreement. Overall, preparations in the area of environment are at a moderately advanced stage while preparations in the area of climate change are at an early stage.

Serbia

Little progress has been made in the areas of environment and climate change.

Strategic planning, greater administrative capacity and substantial investments linked to strategic priorities are needed to further align with EU policies in areas of environment, climate action and civil protection. A pipeline of investment priorities was developed in May 2014.

Efforts are under way to strengthen inspections and enforcement but need to be accompanied by removal of inconsistencies and gaps in the legislation that prevents effective enforcement. An effective and permanent financing system for environment and climate change is needed.  The country needs to put forward by the first quarter of 2015 its intended contribution to the 2015 Climate Agreement.

Overall, priorities in the fields of environment and climate change have started to be addressed.

Turkey

Turkey amended again its horizontal legislation on the environment which is not consistent with the requirements of the (EIA) Directive, leading to several large infrastructure projects to be excluded from national EIA procedures, (micro hydropower plants and the third bridge on the Bosphorus).   Turkey is not yet Party to the Aarhus Convention, and further efforts are required for Turkey to align with related EU acquis on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters.

The draft Nature Protection Law is not in line with the EU acquis, and if adopted without implementing legislation, the law would repeal the National Parks Law, causing a legal vacuum. The potential Natura 2000 sites have not yet been identified. However, Turkey has adopted a series of laws allowing investments in wetlands, forests and natural site areas which are not in line with the acquis.

Turkey’s national climate change action plan still lacks an overall domestic greenhouse gas emissions reductions target.  By the first quarter of 2015 country needs to put forward its intended contribution to the 2015 Climate Agreement.

After the success of the e-learning course Social Media, Activism and Participation launched in June 2014, ENV.net team decided to develop a new course: Get funding from the European Union.

The course provides an understanding of the EU funding and programming system with a brief presentation of the main EU Institutions involved in this process. It also presents the funding opportunities available for CSOs from Western Balkans and Turkey to implement their projects. Moreover this course focuses on the necessary steps to carry out in order to apply for Grants under the EU Calls for proposals system.

See more info on the course here.

The course  is in English and free of charge and offers video-lessons, tests, exercises and also additional material (e.g. toolkits, official EU documents, useful links) for gaining insight into the proposed topics.

There are 3 periods in which interested users can attend the course Get funding from the EU

• 14th October – 28th October 2014
• 4th November – 18th November 2014
• 25th November  – 9th December 2014

Moreover ENV.net course Social media, activism and participation is also still running and next sessions will be on the following dates:

• 4th November – 18th November 2014
• 9th December – 23rd December 2014

New e-learning sessions will be launched in 2015 for both courses.

Association of Young Ecologists of Niksic implements the third phase of the project “Preserving and increasing the level of protection of water resources in accordance with the standards of sustainable development.”

During the third phase of the project we have implemented the action of removing waste and weeds at the location around the estavelle Gornjepoljski vir, placed the furniture for visitors and we are currently setting up the info boards. Four info boards will serve as signposts to guide visitors toward Gornjepoljski vir, while the fifth is near the estavelle and it will contain the basic information about this natural phenomenon.

The action of placing the furniture of 5 benches and 3 tables was preceded by the landscaping of a viewpoint and the whole action was implemented by 30 volunteers

.