We Introduce: The Ecological Thread that Connets us Prepared by: Ivana Vojinovic, M.Sc. Deputy Minister Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism
On the 20th September 1991, in Žabljak, Montenegro imposed upon itself a very pleasant responsibility. It declared itself to be an ecological state. 20 years later, the jubilee of this event needs to be marked, and the obligations arising from our constitutional commitment as an ecological state need to be reactivated. Consequently, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, together with a group of NGOs, has launched a campaign entitled “The Ecological Thread that Connects Us”. The campaign has been launched to activate our dormant eco-instincts, to reaffirm our willingness to preserve the natural beauty of Montenegro and above all to achieve ecological unity within our entire society and to prevent environmental accidents that potentially threaten our environment. Certainly, to achieve such a goal will require a significant joint effort from all of us who are living in Montenegro. Our desire to achieve such a goal is not primarily for our own benefit, but is rather for the benefit of future generations. Consequently, the main idea of the campaign "The Ecological Thread that Connects Us" is to restore and activate the ecological spirit of Montenegrin citizens, with the aim of making ecology an integral part of our way of thinking, our everyday behavior, and our personal culture. The desired outcome would be for ecology to be seen as a way of life, a lifestyle, and not as a short-term project. When such a lifestyle is adopted, Montenegro will then truly become an ecological state and will also become the ‘green spot’ in this part of Europe. The underlying logic of the campaign itself is based on a strong belief that a philosophy of healthy environmental living along with sustainable development should help to generate a general social consensus coupled with a common philosophy regarding the future development of Montenegro.
The aim of the campaign "The Ecological Thread that Connects Us" is not a singlestage clean up of our living environment, but is rather about changing our consciousness regarding the importance of the environment. This will hopefully, in turn, lead to the campaign having a long lasting effect, and also to ensuring that the future economic development of the country will be firmly based on ecological principles and postulates. Without doubt, there are some significant environmental issues in Montenegro and these can only be resolved only by the joint action of all the members of the society. Anyone who acts irresponsibly has to be aware that such behavior will not only affect the quality of his/her life, but will also affect the life of future generations. A level of
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personal commitment from all of us is necessary to prevent, or at least to mitigate, the consequences of environmental pollution. The campaign places a particular emphasis on the youngest residents in Montenegro and the fact that they should be taught everything possible about their environment. Through a series of workshops and eco-lessons within the campaign, we hope to contribute to forming the type of person who will think in the right way about how to improve the quality of the environment. Although the campaign was initiated by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the main idea was for all of the activities were developed through partnerships with the most active NGOs working in the field of protecting and improving the environment in Montenegro. Since all of the environmental issues are common to all of the municipalities in Montenegro, one objective of the campaign was to involve NGOs from all parts of the country. The campaign "The Ecological Thread that Connects Us" encouraged everyone to take part, with the aim of raising environmental awareness. Many diplomatic missions, companies known for conducting socially responsible business such as mobile phone operators, and many public figures also took part. During the campaign the following days were celebrated: Earth Day, Renewable Energy Sources Day, Trees and Birds Day, and Climate Change Day. In connection with this, some Municipalities such as the Capital City of Podgorica, Budva, Bijelo Polje, Danilovgrad, Tivat, and institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency, PE National Parks of Montenegro and others implemented a variety of activities under the visual
identity of the campaign "The Ecological Thread that Connects Us." The media occupies a special place within the environmental awareness campaign as well as having its own specific mission related to the campaign. The role of the media is incredibly important in the implementation of environmental policy because it affects the development of individual environmental awareness and culture. It also raises environmental awareness and culture within the entire Montenegrin society. The campaign “The Ecological Thread that Connects Us'' should be a major step forward in creating environmentally aware individuals who have a responsible attitude towards nature. The campaign is only the start of an ongoing process of influencing the public in the area of environmental awareness. A joint and concerted action by all is both necessary and appropriate. One thread may not mean much alone, but by connecting several threads we will be able to change the society for the better. Therefore, let us connect as many threads as possible to preserve what is ours, the nature of Montenegro.
IV Proleterske brigade 19 81000 Podgorica tel: 00 382 20 446 232 fax: 00 382 20 446 215 mail: ivana.vojinovic@mrt.gov.me web: www.mrt.gov.me
August 2011
We introduce: Oil and Gas in Montenegro According to the Montenegrin Energy Development Strategy, it is estimated that there could be up to 7 billion barrels of oil deposits in Montenegro, and be up to 425 billion cubic meters of natural gas deposits present in the seaside area. Therefore, further research regarding these resources is necessary in order to prove their existence. During the last couple of years, the energy sector has become one of the most important and interesting sectors for the future development of the Montenegrin economy. Geological oil and gas explorations began in 1949 and covered the area including Crmnica and the Municipality of Ulcinj. A seismic surveys were carried out between 1973 and 2002 over a distance of 1,220km at depths of up to 5309 m. In addition, many studies, analyses and detailed expert reports have already been prepared. These analyses have shown the need for a new and intensive research program. If research results were to show the existence of natural gas, a system for supplying natural gas in Montenegro would develop much more quickly than as a result of any of the other options already present for importing energy resources. Gas supplies are envisaged in the future for the following cities: Podgorica, Niksic, Tivat, Bar, Budva, Cetinje, Kotor, Herceg Novi and Ulcinj.
Picture: Geological Promise
The search for oil and gas, along with the production cycle, consists of several phases: exploration, appraisal, development, production and abandonment. In order to start commercial activities it is necessary to have knowledge, technology and experience because this process requires a lot of investment. Montenegro does not possess the necessary technology, nor does it have experience of producing oil or gas. Therefore it will be necessary to carefully select the future explorer in such a way as to establish both long term and beneficial cooperation. The next step for the Montenegrin government is to publish a new call for proposals in order to find an investor who is both willing and able to take on the concession for exploring and producing oil and gas. Montenegro has definitely made an important step forward regarding the development, exploitation and usage of its resources.
An action plan for the period 2008-2012 was created on the basis of the Energy Development Strategy. It prescribes the following phases/ activities and government obligations. In order to achieve its planned activities, the Government has improved the legal framework as follows:
• The Law on Concessions was adopted in 2009; • The Law on Exploration and on the Production of Hydrocarbons was adopted in 2010; • Preparation of the Model for Concession Contracts has now started (including exploration work for the Concession Contract and for the Production Concession Contract). An exploration concession contract can be awarded to one or more bidders for a period of up to 2 years, whereas a production concession contract is awarded on the basis of exclusive rights for a period of up to 30 years. The exploration phase last 6 years for on-shore research and for 7 years regarding off-shore areas, with a possible extension period of up to 2 years. The production phase lasts for 20 years with a possible extension period of up to 10 years; • Two sets of fees are payable: acreage fees and royalty fees (for producing oil and/or gas). Fees for producing oil and/or gas are based
Activities of the Ministry of the Economy The Ministry of Economy published a tender for the research of possible oil and gas sites along the Montenegrin coast. Letters of interest were sent in by 18 world renowned companies. The bids will all be opened by the end of summer, 2011. Letters of interest were submitted by well-known oil companies from the following countries: Gazprom (Russia), Statoil (Norway), Total (France), ENI (Italy), Novatek (Russia), Naftna Industrija Srbije (Serbia), HESS Corporation (USA), Trajan Oil&GasEnergian Oil&Gas (Great Britain and Greece), Edison SpA (Italy), Geopartners Limited (Great Britain); TDE Services (Hungary); Hellenic Petroleum (Greece); Sterlin Energy PLC (Great Britain); Northern Petroleum PLC (Great Britain), INA (Croatia), and Premieroil (Great Britain). Interest in oil and gas research has also been expressed by the Hungarian company, MOL, which will soon establish a joint company with the Montenegrin state-owned company, Montenegrobonus.
The tender for the selection of the most advantageous bid for provision of consulting services for implementation of the tender procedure for exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the offshore of Montenegro was published in June 2011 by the Ministry of Economy. The deadline for the submission of letters of interest was July 22nd, 2011. The consultant’s main responsibility will be to help to move the whole process forward until a contract has been signed with the future concessioner. The tender for consultants has been announced several times, but there has been a need to further prepare both legal and sub-legal regulations in order to make the legal framework fall in line with the best of international standards. One more tender offer will be published by the end of the year regarding the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Montenegrin coastal region.
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