Thinking Green & Living Clean 2018

Endorsed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia

Thinking Green &Living Clean

2018

J O I N U P - TA K E A C T I O N !

INOS BALKAN DOO

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CONTENTS 06

IVAN KARIĆ, STATE SECRETARY AT THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

BLUE - AND WHITE - COLLAR JOBS CAN BECOME GREEN

KARMENU VELLA, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MARITIME AFFAIRS AND FISHERIES

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FILIP RADOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

FILIP ABRAMOVIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER, WASTE AND WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

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WE DON’T RUSH – WE WORK THOUGHTFULLY

GORAN TRIVAN, SERBIAN MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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POLLUTERS PROFIT, RECYCLERS SUFFER

ALEKSANDAR MILOVIĆ, “ECO UNION SN”

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HEADING FOR THE EU

ŽELJKO PANTELIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR SUPERVISION AND PREVENTION, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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WATER

FROM WASTEWATER TO DRINKING WATER

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BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PROTOCOL’S IMPORTANCE NEEDED

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REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

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EPS - ON THE GREEN ROAD

JASMINA JOVIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER IN THE SECTOR FOR NATURE PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

INCREASING EXAMPLES OF GOOD COOPERATION

FILIP RADOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY FOR BETTER ENVIRONMENT

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LARGE BUT COST-EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT

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RECYCLING DRIVES THE ECONOMY

VUJADIN ŠĆEKIĆ, DIRECTOR, JUGO-IMPEX D.O.O. NIŠ

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WASTE

DISPOSAL OF 2,100 TONNES OF HAZARDOUS

SRBIJE

BILJANA FILIPOVIĆ, MINISTER’S DEPUTY, SECTOR FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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ELEKTROPRIVREDA

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DON’T SKIMP ON PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT OUR LIVES DEPEND ON

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN AP VOJVODINA – POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

BRANISLAV BLAŽIĆ, SECRETARY OF STATE, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

ILIJA LABUS, DIRECTOR OF ENERGOTEHNIKA-JUŽNA BAČKA

CIAK

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THE FOUR “I”S OF SERBIA’S ENVIRONMENT PORTFOLIO

SLOBODAN PEROVIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER IN THE SECTOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PROJECTS, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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GREEN JOBS AND THE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

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EDUCATING IS THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN A CITY

GREEN ECONOMY

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WIND POTENTIAL WAITS FOR NEW LEGISLATION

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GREAT POTENTIAL OF BIOMASS & BIOGAS IN SERBIA

NEDA LAZENDIĆ, COUNTRY MANAGER, WINDVISION SERBIA

BIOMASS AND BIOGAS IN SERBIA

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OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS BREWING A BETTER WORLD

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WHAT ARE “ECO VEHICLES”?

ALEKSANDAR VESIĆ, ASSISTANT MINISTER IN THE SECTOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

HEINEKEN

PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANY “ČISTOĆA NOVI SAD”

EDITOR Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs DESIGNER Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs PHOTOS Zoran Petrović COPY EDITOR Mark Pullen mrpeditorial@mail.com

HALIFAX TRANSLATION SERVICES office@halifax-translation.com PROJECT MANAGERS Biljana Dević b.devic@aim.rs Nataša Trifunović n.trifunovic@aim.rs Nevena Đurković n.djurkovic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović v.vukajlovic@aim.rs

OFFICE MANAGER Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs EDITORIAL MANAGER Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs FINANCE Ajilon Solutions m.damjanovic@aim.rs

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs GENERAL MANAGER Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs PRINTING Rotografika d.o.o.

Segedinski put 72, Subotica, Serbia

THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN 2018 Published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67, 11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fascimile:

+(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: office@aim.rs www.aim.rs ISSN: 2560-4465 April 2018 All rights reserved alliance international media 2018 THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

INTERVIEW

Blue - And White - Collar Jobs Can Become Green Greening our economy is not a luxury; it is key to maintaining our competitiveness. Many European industries have already recognised the strong business case for improving resource productivity and are investing in green and sustainable solutions. Candidate countries must also be able to take on and effectively implement all the legislation of the EU, including in the area of the environment

KARMENU VELLA, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

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he European Union remains true to its decision to maintain its position of a climate leader and intends to continue with its ambitious climate policies, despite the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement – says Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. More and more businesses are seeing their interest in investing in green solutions as part of their own growth policy. One example is the circular economy, which has created new possibilities for investments and produces new types of jobs, confirming that “the economy and the environment are two sides of the same coin,” says CorD’s interlocutor.

and low carbon economy, but our crowded and warming planet calls for even more ambitious and innovative solutions. » Which sectoral policies do you envisage in your department following the reorientation of the EU budget’s contributions within the new Multiannual Financial Framework beyond 2020?

- The European Commission will present its proposal for an EU Budget for the future in May. It will be an investment budget that delivers a Europe that is prosperous and sustainable. But it is too early to prejudge the next Multiannual Financial Framework, and hence we cannot speculate on its impact on EU candidate countries and their environment-related obligations.

» The UN’s 2030 Agenda reflects many of the EU’s sustainable development priorities. What are the most relevant sustainability concerns within your mandate, and to what extent are they being addressed by the policies already in place?

- My mandate is fully in line with the spirit of the UN 2030 Agenda.

Today it is no longer a question of balance between the economy – blue and green – and the environment, rather it is all about integrating the two. We are making good progress towards a circular

THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

» The European Union is a climate leader. Which goals do you see as the most urgent; and will the EU be able to allocate sufficient resources to supporting the poorest and least developed countries in sticking to this path?

- Two years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the EU remains fully committed to reducing its domestic emissions by

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INTEGRATION

FINANCES

SHORTCUTS

Today it is no longer a question of balance between the economy – blue and green – and the environment, rather it is all about integrating the two

The EU is the biggest climate finance contributor globally, amounting to €20.2 billion in 2016. Climate finance from the EU budget will more than double between 2014 and 2020

There are no shortcuts to EU membership.

Candidate countries must be able to take on and effectively implement all EU legislation, including in the area of the environment

» Agenda 2030, alongside other efforts leading towards a more sustainable environment, has a strong dimension in the creation of sustainable jobs that preserve natural resources. Which jobs do you see as having the best prospects when it comes to achieving this goal?

- With the EU’s clear commitment to moving to a more circular economy, and to implementing the Paris climate agreement, I am convinced that we will see new opportunities emerge across the board – in renewable energy, recycling and waste management, organic farming, sustainable transport, the water and the maritime sector. Both blue- and white-collar jobs can become green jobs.

at least 40% between 1990 and 2030. We are on track to meet our 2020 target and have already adopted our climate legislation for the decade ahead. Our emissions are declining while the economy grows, largely thanks to innovative technologies, showing that growth and climate action can go hand in hand.

Whereas GDP grew by some 10 per cent from 2005 to 2015, primary energy consumption fell by almost 11 per cent in the same period. The signal is clear: cleaner energy and economic growth can go hand in hand. The EU has shown its commitment to the fight against climate change by mainstreaming spending on climate action across all EU programmes.

The EU is the biggest climate finance contributor globally, amounting to €20.2 billion in 2016 – a significant 15 per cent increase compared to 2015. Climate finance from the EU budget will more than double between 2014 and 2020. The EU’s new External Investment Plan will play an important role in promoting inclusive growth and job creation in Africa and EU Neighbourhood countries.

» One of your responsibilities is to work with the EU’s global partners on defining the management and governance of our planet’s oceans. What are the most pressing tasks in this field?

- Unsustainable exploitation of marine resources, illegal fishing, marine pollution and the impact of climate change on our oceans are among the most pressing challenges The newly created European Fund for Sustainable Development we face today. All of these challenges will leverage public investment to trigger more private capital require global solutions, especially given that two thirds of the oceans flows to sustainable projects. It builds on the success of the lie outside national jurisdiction.

European 'Juncker Plan' model

» As we all know, many countries felt threatened by the criteria imposed upon them by the Fisheries policy, amongst them Portugal, Spain and Iceland, which even opted not to join the EU for this very reason. How can the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy address these challenges, which leave some countries considering that certain restrains represent open threats to the sustainability of their economies?

- I think the facts speak for themselves. Thanks to the EU’s fisheries policy, we have drastically increased the stock fished at sustainable levels over the last decade. And fishermen are reaping the rewards: the EU’s fleets register record-high net profits. The economy and the environment are two sides of the same coin.

The newly created European Fund for Sustainable Development will leverage public investment to trigger more private capital flows to sustainable projects. This new external instrument, adapted to the specific needs of partner countries, builds on the success of the European ‘Juncker Plan’ model, which has already triggered investment worth around €250 billion within the EU. » One of the greatest challenges for Europe is to protect the environment while maintaining its competitiveness. Are EU budgets, and the budgets of European companies, ready to sustain investments in environmental protection and still keep pace with their counterparts in, for example, the U.S., who are not burdened by such costs?

- Greening our economy is not a luxury. It is key to maintaining our competitiveness. As the global competition for resources grows, we have no choice but to increase resource productivity, particularly as we in Europe are so dependent on imports of materials. Many industries have already recognised the strong business case for improving resource productivity and are investing in green and sustainable solutions.

» An estimated 400,000 people a year die due to poor air quality in the EU. Targets introduced for 2005 and 2010 are still being exceeded in 23 of the EU’s 28 member states. Poland, Bulgaria, France and Germany have already faced legal action over air quality issues. Bulgaria has since made some progress. How about others?

- EU clean air policies have helped to ensure our air is healthier to breathe. But in none of the 23 countries have we seen sufficient progress on this very basic issue of life quality, which is the number one

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environmental concern of EU citizens after climate change. Currently, 130 European cities are struggling to meet current air quality standards.

paigns also go a long way towards changing people’s behaviour.

There are a great many inspiring campaigns.

» You have also stated that countries’ proposals “were not substantial enough to change the big picture”. Which legislative or other tools do you have to persuade them to “change big”?

- We use both stick and carrot: pursuing infringements and continuing to help Member States through Clean Air Dialogues or the EU Urban Agenda. We are sharing knowledge and showcasing successful solutions. There is also considerable EU funding to help improve air quality across the continent.

» The European Commission last year adopted a guidance document on access to justice in environmental matters, which stipulates how individuals and associations can challenge public authorities’ decisions, acts and omissions related to EU environmental legislation before local courts. To what extent are environmental groups and citizens taking advantage of this possibility?

- We don’t have statistics, but the case-law of the Court itself shows that individuals and NGOs have been taking matters to national courts to ensure respect for the EU’s rules on quality of air, water and nature. By bringing together all these court decisions on access to justice in one guidance document, we are not only helping citizens and NGOs, but also national authorities and courts to deliver on the benefits of EU environmental rules.

» Single-use disposable plastic items like cutlery will be curbed by new EU proposals due out in May. How well has the EU progressed so far with plastic reductions, and what are your hopes for the future?

- Every year European consumers generate 25 million tonnes of plastic waste, only 30 per cent of which is currently recycled. Some 95 per cent of the value of plastic packaging – worth some €105 billion– is lost to the economy every year. With the EU Plastics Strategy, we are aiming for all plastic packaging on the EU market to be recyclable or reusable by 2030.

The European Parliament and Council have also reached a provisional agreement on new waste rules, with ambitious recycling targets, including for plastic waste. Taken together, all

» Noise pollution is the second biggest environmental health threat in Europe, according to the World Health Organisation. Given that noise reduction measures are cost-effective, why are EU states slow to implement them?

- EU rules require Member States to map noise and draw up action People all over Europe – and I am convinced in Serbia too – are plans to mitigate its negative effects. tiring of the disposable culture. They don't want birds, turtles and Local authorities often need greater sea life to get entangled in plastic bags and old fishing nets, which capacity when it comes to planning means they should give them up easily these health and wellbeing objectives. This is particularly true in cities, these measures will make the EU the global front-runner in waste as noise is predominantly an urban issue. But there is help on the management and recycling. way here. The EU’s Urban Agenda, for example, provides modern tools that will help to cut excessive noise. » An EU regulation adopted in 2015 imposed the phasing out of single-use plastic bags by 2019. When it comes to Serbia, which is » Some of the newer EU members states joined the Union withjust beginning this fight, could you tell us how you persuade large out having satisfied environmental criteria. One example is supermarkets and shopping centres to follow the lead set by the EU? Croatia, which is struggling - among other things - with waste - I don’t think they will need a lot of persuasion, as this is what management. What will the repercussions be for EU membership consumers really want. People all over Europe – and I am convinced candidate countries? in Serbia too – are tiring of the disposable culture. They don’t want - There are no shortcuts to EU membership. Candidate countries birds, turtles and sea life to get entangled in plastic bags and old must be able to take on and effectively implement all EU legislafishing nets. More than seven in ten Europeans have cut down on tion, including in the area of the environment. Accession is, and their use of plastic bags in the last two years. Putting a price on will remain, a merit-based process that’s dependent on objective carrier bags has proven very effective, but awareness raising camprogress achieved by each candidate country. «

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REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

Strong Civil Society For Better Environment The Environmental Civil Society Support Programme for Serbia, CSOnnect, has been implemented by the the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), office in Serbia since 2015, with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency that will keep it running until 2019

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he beginning of 2018 marks the last year of the programme. We have worked with various target groups, from civil society organisations to journalists and media editors and other interested parties, and have had great results. A total of 66 civil society organisations across Serbia, gathered in 11 consortiums, carried out their projects from mid-October 2016 to mid-October 2017.

From March this year institutional grants will be given to 11 consortiums which, due to some minor changes in the partnership structure, now gather 64 organisations across Serbia. The total funds for this cycle are 413,000 euros. Programme activities will cover numerous topics concerning environmental protection, and we expect great results in the areas of waste management, horizontal legislation, water management, nature preservation, climate change, agricultural waste management and civil protection.

The Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe strives to fulfil its mission by assisting in finding solutions to environmental problems through synergies with various entities. Civil society organisations are our traditional, natural partners, and most activities of our office in Serbia focus on helping them grow, become stronger and continue their work on environmental issues.

Under the CSOnnect programme we apply a new, innovative approach to supporting civil society organisations that deal with environmental issues. Our team helps institutional capacity building in civil society organisations that have the potential to assume a leading role in key environmental challenges, especially in Serbia’s negotiations with the European Union on Chapter 27. REC helps strengthen these organisations and supports them in their efforts to contribute to the negotiations thro-

project activities. The Help Desk is tasked with coordinating the activities of civil society organisations concerning capacity building, increasing their visibility and networking, and coordinating their communication and cooperation with the institutions directly involved in environmental protection and the EU membership negotiations.

Whether through training, seminars, round tables, meetings with local, regional and national institutions and regional conferences,

Our team helps institutional capacity building in civil society organisations that have the potential to assume a leading role in key environmental challenges, especially in Serbia’s negotiations with the European Union on Chapter 27 ugh constructive dialogue with government bodies on environmental issues.

The CSOnnect programme is implemented through two mutually connected components: financial support to organisations, i.e. institutional grants, and the Help Desk, an office that provides support to civil society organisations.

By approving grants to civil society organisations we want to help their institutional capacity building and ensure that their work continues, even if it is not necessarily connected with the implementation of specific

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or through competitions for the best media piece on environment, our aim is to strengthen civil society organisations and help them take an active role in society. We also wish to increase the visibility and importance of environmental protection and make it one of the key topics in the public debate. In doing so, we have had great support from the media and journalists. ÂŤ For further information on the Environmental Civil Society Support Programme for Serbia CSCOnnect, please visit our website

THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

INTERVIEW

We Don’t Rush – We Work Thoughtfully In order to be ready to commence negotiations on Chapter 27, you must perfectly know the state of the environment in your country. As illustrated by the example of finding illegal waste storage, there are many more challenges ahead of us than we think. That's why I'm opposed to the opening of this negotiating chapter, which already cost some new EU member states a lot

» Considering talk about the possibility of Serbia entering the EU in 2025, is it realistic to expect the country to be able to fulfil its obligations under Chapter 27 by that deadline?

- High environmental standards mean a healthier life for our citizens, regardless of whether we’re part of the European Union or not. We are dealing fundamentally with the process of transposing European directives into our legislation, because that is one of the most extensive groups of regulations that our country needs to harmonise itself with on its path to the EU. The draft negotiating position for Chapter 27 will be completed by the end of June this year, after which comes coordination with Brussels, and 2025 is the year by which Serbia must adopt European regulations in this area, except those requiring additional financial investment.

GORAN TRIVAN, Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection

» Given that several member states did not resolve these issues before to joining, do you think Serbia could expect some milder treatment when it comes to this domain?

- In the process of negotiating membership with the EU, it is crucial that we overview and present the real situation and explain requests for transition periods well. We are currently drafting specific implementation plans for directives which will require

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he establishment of the Ministry of Environmental Protection is a clear sign that Serbia is strategically defined towards EU membership and dedicated to improving natural resources.

Serbia looks to the EU as a partner in the implementation of this important task, says Minister Goran Trivan.

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NO MISTAKES

DAMAGE

SUPPORT

I don’t want to make the same mistakes that some countries in the region have made, nor for us to get into the situation where others know the situation in our country better than we do

The total cost of material damage in Serbia caused by extreme climatic and weather conditions between 2000 and 2015 exceeds five billion euros, while more than 70 per cent of losses are associated with drought and high temperatures

European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Velle told us that he was impressed by what we have done so far and what we are planning… and also promised us support and assistance in defining the strategy, which will ease negotiations

additional financial investment and additional time for amassing the necessary funds and establishing infrastructure. These documents will include a financial assessment of the costs of implementing directives and analysis of the available sources of funding, both national and international. The priority in the period ahead is to negotiate transition periods that will be most acceptable for Serbia.

What I brought to the ministry with me is a stance that we don’t rush into the opening of the negotiating chapter. We can only launch negotiations once we have a strategy that we have agreed with EU representatives. I don’t want to make the same mistakes that some countries in the region have made, nor for us to get into the situation where others know the situation in our country better than we do.

After the December meeting with European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Velle, I am an optimist, because at the end of that long meeting he told us that he was impressed by what we have done so far and what we are planning, with the advice that we not rush. The Commissioner promised us support and assistance in defining the strategy, which will ease negotiations. We will, thus, do everything from the administrative side

invest in environmental protection, as that reduces the exposure of domestic agricultural production to the effects of climate change, which are already seeing reduced agricultural yields that is reflected on GDP. In addition to that, we are creating opportunities for the development of the green economy, which will enable the creation of new jobs and contribute to overall economic development. The adoption of the Law on Climate Change in Serbia, which lies ahead in the coming months, will enable the drafting of an action plan as the basis for tangible actions and measures in the fight against climate change and harmonisation with new climatic conditions in Serbia. One of the key assets in that fight will be forestation, as the most effective, simplest and cheapest measure.

» What are key lessons for Serbia arising from the conclusions of the Conference on Climate Change - COP 23?

- The conclusions of the Conference confirmed our commitment and justification for the involvement of a large number of stakeholders, especially non-governmental organisations, in the decision-making process relevant to climate change. Cooperation with the civil sector is extremely important to us. That’s why we organised meetings with NGOs, both In the process of negotiating membership with the EU, it is before and after the Conference, crucial that we overview and present the real situation and and it is certain that such a trend explain requests for transition periods well will continue in the future. Each of our draft laws will be presented and negotiate Chapter 27, while the key to that negotiation is to civil society organisations, which will have the opportunity to gaining the longest possible deadlines for those most complisay what they think, because many of these organisations deal cated things, in order for us not to subsequently pay penalties fundamentally with the environment, have a significant number for failing to apply that which we obliged ourselves to applying. of excellent experts in different areas of the environment and nature protection. I consider this to be of crucial importance to the » How does the Ministry’s assess Serbia’s exposure climate success of our ecological policy. It is in our interest for our laws to change? be as good as possible, to be implementable, and how better do - Serbia belongs to a region that has, evidently, already been hit that than to hear all possible opinions, even if we do not agree on by climate change. The total cost of material damage in Serbia all issues. Already with the launch of the public debate on the Law caused by extreme climatic and weather conditions between 2000 on Climate Change, which we are organising with Aarhus Centers, and 2015 exceeds five billion euros, while more than 70 per cent we are confirming the Ministry’s commitment to dialogue. of losses are associated with drought and high temperatures. In cooperation with renowned national scientific and professional » Serbia is one of the countries with a far lower percentage of institutions, the Ministry has carried out analysis of the impact of forested area than average, and due to unplanned deforestation, climate change on the water sector, forestry, agriculture, plant and among other things, the country faces major flood risks. Is Serbia animal life etc. We want to show that environmental issues are now more resilient to the kinds of floods that hit us in 2014? related directly to other development issues, and that it pays to - Serbia is considered a medium forested country. It has around

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30 per cent of forested area, which is close to the world standard, though markedly lower than the European standard. Our plan is for around 40 per cent of our country to be forested by 2040. In combating climate change, apart from limiting greenhouse gas emissions and some other measures, the most important thing, as I said, is afforestation. I will repeat that this is the cheapest, most efficient and simplest way to combat climate change, and we showed this in Belgrade, where 750 hectares of forests have been planted. A significant segment in the prevention of torrential floods is the greening of riverbank areas and embankments.

ste is processed in domestic capacities that are very scarce and poor, part is exported in accordance with the law, to be treated abroad, and a third part is missing. And that’s why we’ve launched an action, together with the Security Information Agency and the Prosecutor’s Office, to detect illegally deposited hazardous waste.

Environmental safety is one of the vital issues from the aspect of Serbia’s overall security, and with such unsavoury and criminal storage of thousands of tonnes of carcinogenic waste certain companies and individuals have committed a crime against the environment, our children and their future.

It is important to us that we have the support of citizens, who – following our action – reported several dozen locations which they suspect of containing hazardous waste. The second issue is so-called historical waste. Historical waste is actually industrial waste that includes a little communal waste, a little hazardous waste and all sorts... This relates to waste accumulated on the premises of around 70 companies that no longer operate or are under bankruptcuy proceedings, or which are empy facilities where nobody sits, left to the mercy and harshness of the weather. That’s why I say that these are potentially dangerous sites, possible “ecological bombs”, because all of that pollutes the environment. The Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, having taken into consideration the importance of urgently resolving this problem, have begun carrying out analysis that will highlight the locations, exact quantities

Trees, or forests and forest land, It is important to us that we have the support of citizens, who – significantly “absorb” water, in some following our action – reported several dozen locations which they situations up to almost 100 percent, suspect of containing hazardous waste thereby preventing torrential floods.

The floods showed that we weren’t led by the logic that a country that invests in its own resilience and composition of historical hazardous waste, after which its before a natural disaster occurs subsequently has little damage, removal in accordance with the law will start. fewer consequences and lower remediation and reconstruction Significant financial resources are needed to resolve this costs. The price of such solutions is now higher, but still lower problem, but there is no cost for permanently resolving this problem. The Ministry has already planned to earmark 100 million than the consequences that can be brought by flooding and all dinars for this year and immediately after analysis of the sites environmental neglect. and quantities is completed we will begin removing and properly disposing of this waste, which will continue until we dispose of » According to the ministry’s assessment, how much hazardous all historically hazardous waste. The Ministry is also working on waste has remained in former industrial plants and does the the preparation of a project for the construction of a facility to government have a strategy to address this issue, especially treat hazardous waste in Serbia. after the discovery of large quantities of illegally stored waste?

- Serbia, like any other country, generates certain amounts of » Considering that Serbia needs to invest about five billion hazardous waste each year. Every company is obliged to report euros that it doesn’t have in the processing of wastewater, such waste to the Environmental Protection Agency. According what other solutions are possible to resolve this problem over to the statistics on annually reported hazardous waste, there is the long term? Should the private sector expect higher taxes? somewhere between 150,000 and 230,000 tonnes, depending - Waste water is the Ministry’s number one priority. In Serbia on the level of economic activity, although I have reason to doubt there are three to five wastewater treatment systems that funthat all hazardous waste is registered. Part of this hazardous wa-

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ction well, whie it is necessary for there to be around 300 of them. However, this problem cannot be solved overnight. Even if we now had five billion euros on our account, we don’t have the required project-technical documentation. All wastewater must be purified, which is the only way to protect our riverss, groundwater, land and the environment as a whole. Our focus must be on the processing of wastewater: municipal, surface and industrial. The reason is clear - our pollution induces water. That then pollutes land and groundwater, which further causes the pollution of food and drinking water, and that leads to diseases that not only affect us, but also the entire ecosystem. And what don’t we throw into the water?! That won’t be possible anymore.

All companies that operate in Serbia will have to apply the laws adopted to protect the environment. We are aware that they are not all in a position to invest millions of euros in wastewater or air treatment plants, but it’s certain that they will have to work fast on that. I believe it’s possible to find a compromise between our need to live cleanly and the economy’s need to function. » Local governments should play an important role in applying for funding from domestic and international sources. How capable are they of developing appropriate projects and managing this kind of investment?

- Local self-governments play a very important role, primarily in defining problems in their areas and preparing technical project documentation. Most municipalities don’t have prepared

I believe it’s possible to find a compromise between our need to live cleanly and the economy’s need to function projects, and that’s a condition for obtaining funds from any source. The Ministry carries out activities in the support of local self-government units through the financing of the compiling of missing technical project documentation, in accordance with its list of priorities, but also through the provision of necessary technical assistance in terms of allocating experts who help in the implementation of projects at the local level. That’s why a special part of the Ministry was established to deal with projects and help local self-governments in particular, because we need to build their capacities and strengthen them for the preparation and implementation of projects.

Waste management in the developed world also implies waste generating money, but this is not yet the case in Serbia.

However, local governments, who until recently refused to allow regional dumps to be located on their territory, now want them, because they have realised that managing such a landfill site not only protects the environment but is also a lucrative business that generates profits. «

INTERVIEW

Increasing Examples Of Good Cooperation We have a large number of positive examples of good cooperation between companies and the Agency when it comes to reporting on environmental impacts, but there are also negative examples. By harmonising legislation with EU regulations, the differences between environmental management in our country and elsewhere in Europe are falling rapidly, which means that all companies operating in Serbia will have to comply with environmental regulations, as is the case in other countries

FILIP RADOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

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he reporting period for 2017 is about to end, by which time companies should inform the Environmental Protection Agency about the impact of their operations on the environment. We spoke with Filip Radović, director of this agency, about the way companies and local governments respect their legally prescribed obligations. » There are two phenomena in Serbia: enormous amounts of waste collected by the utility companies at landfills, while our recyclers do not manage to fill up their plants. Why is waste collection still the weakest link in the recycling chain?

- Utility companies collect so-called munici-

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pal waste, which is essentially a mix of ten categories of waste. In order for recyclers to efficiently use particular types of municipal waste, these have to be clean and uniform in quality. This can be obtained either through primary selection in households or secondary selection on the lines for manual waste sorting, which is usually carried out at landfill sites. As you probably know, complete primary selection of municipal waste, as is the case in Germany or Austria, is not implemented anywhere in Serbia. Dry and wet fractions are separated in several cities, while secondary selection is carried out in several cities.

Under the Law on Communal Activities, this work is entrusted to local self-gover-

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nments. A number of them report to the Agency that they have 100% waste collection on their territory, while others have not yet implemented the plans that do exist. » Plastic bags are part of this waste that is undoubtedly the cheapest but also the most difficult to decompose. Why does our country, despite individual actions of cities or large shopping centres, have no unique institutional response to this serious environmental problem?

- The share of plastic bags in municipal waste in Serbia is about 4%, while they are completely eliminated in some others countries. This primarily relates to plastic carrier bags that we

receive in supermarkets and markets.

Other waste fractions also have a significant impact on the environment. It is a wellknown fact that it takes more than 500 years for an aluminium can to decompose, while processing a tonne of aluminium results in energy savings of 90 to 95%. The recycling of newsprint paper preserves 17 trees in nature, while recycling the same amount of office paper preserves 24 trees and saves over 4,000 KW of electricity and 32,000 litres of water.

This is similar to glass and PET packaging, with significant savings in energy and other raw materials.

We also need to point out that these characteristics ensure almost all fractions of municipal waste have a certain financial value, which is why we often state that waste is essentially not waste, but a group of new resources, i.e. secondary raw materials that can significantly replace the country’s natural resources. Another important aspect is the social aspect of waste management, which is manifested through the formation of an official network of collectors and operators treating these types of waste. There is also the prospect of establishing SMEs to deal with waste collection, preparation and recycling. » Are there any legal requirements regarding the companies responsible for the environment? For instance, are foreign companies that come to Serbia “more disciplined citizens” than local ones or not?

- It doesn’t matter if the company is foreign or local. Whether the company will be socially (and ecologically) responsible or not all depends on the attitude of the management.

Many foreign companies came to Serbia with already applied principles of environmental management, which are also efficiently applied here. But there are also those that avoid applying the same principles in Serbia that they apply in other countries. The same goes for local companies.

From the aspect of environmental impact reporting, for which our Agency is responsible, there are many positive examples of very good cooperation between companies and the Agency, but there are also cases when companies do not want to cooperate with us. The most frequently asked questions are - Why are you collecting this data; or Will

another tax or similar charge be imposed on us? With the latest amendments to the Environmental Protection Act, the Agency is now allowed to prepare requests for initiating misdemeanour proceedings against companies that do not comply fully with their legally prescribed reporting obligations. » One positive domestic example is EPS, which has signed an agreement with the Agency on long-term business and technical cooperation. What would you single out as tangible successes after a year of implementation?

» The largest generators of waste are thermal power plants, which annually produce coal ash in the amount of 6.2 million tonnes, which is 75 per cent of total waste produced.

Others have made a serious business out of processing coal ash, what do we lack?

- We should emphasise straightaway that ash from thermal power plants and similar waste, such as slag, comprises 75% of industrial waste produced, and not of total waste, which also includes municipal waste. Ashes are deposited on mounds near facilities, as is the case in Obrenovac and Kostolac.

It can be used in many ways and is most often used in road construction through its incorporation into the road bed. What Serbia lacks, in my opinion, is research on possible uses of this type of waste for various purposes, increasing the level of cooperation between those who generate such waste and potential users, and the exchange of experiences with users of ash from thermal power plants in other countries. » According to our information, there are over 2,500 illegal and old landfills in Serbia.

What does the Agency do to get the right information about them?

- It is true that there’s a large number of illegal and old landfills in Serbia. In order to obtain complete and precise data on the state of affairs in terms of solving this problem, the Agency, together with the Ministry

With the latest amendments to the Law on Environmental Protection, the Agency is now allowed to prepare requests for initiating misdemeanour proceedings against companies that do not comply with the prescribed obligations - Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) is one of the most important partners of the Environmental Protection Agency, from the aspect of reporting on the impact of EPS facilities on the environment. All thermal power plants of more than 50 MW are included in the PRTR register of the Agency, i.e. the Register of large pollution sources, and they all report in accordance with legislation. Smaller facilities are covered by other registries kept in the Agency, where the majority meet their obligations.

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of Environmental Protection, has prepared and adopted the Rulebook on the Manner of Keeping and Designing Records of Landfills and Dumpsites Records in the Area of the Local Self-Government Unit, published in the Official Gazette No. 18/2018. In order to facilitate the reporting and balance the entire process of representatives of local self-governments, the Agency has prepared a special module of the information system of the National Register of Pollutants for the purpose of reporting on landfills or dumpsites. «

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PLANET

Waste And Waste Water, Recycling

INTERVIEW

Solving Problems

By Consistently Implementing The Law Inadequate waste management and unsolved problems of wastewater treatment are Serbia’s greatest environmental problems today.

The damage is immeasurable and there are many serious consequences

concerning waste and wastewater treatment. This in itself is an important step. Good preparation for the implementation of EU directives in this area is our great responsibility and challenge, and the Ministry is intensively working on it.

The Serbian Law on Waste Management envisages the establishment of a modern waste management system in Serbia. Its consistent implementation would solve the existing problems, prevent further pollution of the environment, and turn waste into a resource.

FILIP ABRAMOVIĆ, Assistant Minister, Waste and

Wastewater Department, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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hese environmental problems are not just issues for the present, as by endangering the environment today we also endanger it for future generations. Finding systemic solutions is crucial for future investment in the environment as it is necessary for survival and for maintaining a good quality of life in general, and it starts from adopting and implementing good The Serbian Law on Waste Management envisages the laws and tested technical solutions. establishment of a modern waste management system in In its current EU accession procedure, Serbia must harmonise Serbia. Its consistent implementation would solve existing its legislation with the EU acquproblems, prevent further pollution of the environment, and is, i.e. adopt European standards

turn waste into a resource

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Protection has established a Waste and Wastewater Management We should collect sorted waste, make maximum use of the Department. The department will be committed to raising public recyclable components, treat the non-recyclable waste and stop awareness of the need to treat waste properly and reduce the inappropriate dumping practices. Municipal, non-hazardous and pollution of one of the key environmental elements - water. inert waste is the responsibility of local governments, but we To regulate waste and wastewater management in Serbia believe that the Ministry should provide the necessary assistance we need to draft and adopt the missing regulations and allow in preparing project documentation for building the waste collefor thorough implementation of the law. We need to improve ction and sorting infrastructure, building waste treatment plants, finding the ways to fund waste treatment and landfill projects, To work as effectively as possible, the Ministry of rehabilitating unsanitary rubbish Environmental Protection has established a Waste and dumps and creating waste disposal Wastewater Management Department. The department will be sites that would meet the highest national and international criteria. committed to raising public awareness The management of hazardous current regulations where necessary, and have detailed and waste in Serbia is a serious issue. The Ministry has an important regular communication with civil society organisations, and to responsibility to prepare documentation, choose a location and act to prevent inappropriate disposal of hazardous waste. All this build a plant for hazardous waste treatment as a permanent is the urgent responsibility of the Ministry and of its Waste and solution, using the most reliable and safest technologies.

Wastewater Management Department.

In addition, the Ministry is equally focused on solving waste We have a massive and difficult task ahead of us, but we water problems, i.e. on building wastewater treatment plants. It will do our best to complete it successfully and efficiently. In doing is of the utmost importance that we conduct an analysis of the so, we will not be afraid to take up all the relevant questions, as present situation, make detailed project plans that would involve complex and difficult as they may be, and to solve them in the every local government unit and map the realisation of this project. most effective and professional ways. ÂŤ To work as effectively as possible, the Ministry of Environmental

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CORPORATE

Polluters Profit, Recyclers Suffer The Eco Union is committed to the development of the recycling system, particularly in the area of collecting secondary raw materials. The easiest way to resolve this would be legally oblige households to sort their municipal waste before it ends up in landfill sites

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ALEKSANDAR MILOVIĆ, “ECO UNION SN” from municipal waste, but also because many years of managing packaging waste according to the “polluter pays” system has not yielded sufficiently positive results. This has resulted in protecting the interests of the polluters themselves, because they are able to pay an unrealistically low charge for placing packaging on the Serbian market.

As such, there has been a considerable reduction in the total amount invested in the further development of the packaging waste collection system, which has not been invested to date.

In the last few years, polluters have been conditioning licensed collection and recycling companies to supply their packaging waste, which polluters themselves generated in their plants, to their operators without any compensation. In this way, an unrealistically

- The system is not sufficiently developed, primarily in the area of collecting secondary raw materials. It can and must be improved through the defining of cooperation with public utility companies and the forming of strong partnerships between the private and public sectors. Likewise, we believe it is essential to conduct a comprehensive revision of the existing waste management system, primarily in terms of a revision of the issuance of permits for the collection, transport, storage and treatment of waste, which in many cases were issued unconditionally and without any basis. It is also necessary to prevent work with and trade in secondary raw materials on the black, to improve the work of packaging waste management system operators and to summarise everything done in the previous seven years.

Some polluters occasionally place colourful bins on the streets or stretch nets across rivers to “grab” plastic bottles that float by. And nobody asks: “How are they even in the rivers, when we’ve spent seven years investing money in a system for collecting those same bottles?”

» To what extent does the state encourage citizens and companies to support the collection of recyclable waste, instead of its finding its way into general waste?

- For the state everything begins and ends with the laws that define this area. There is a defined responsibility of all companies, which are obliged to separate and submit all secondary raw materials to licensed waste collection companies, which is further treated and recycled. Unfortunately, the part of the waste generated in the homes of citizens, i.e. municipal waste, is not covered by this kind of obligation. The separation of secondary raw materials from municipal waste is limited to sporadic activites by households or in public spaces, and the effects are minimal. «

urrent legislation only protects the interests of polluters, because it allows them to pay an unrealistically low charge for placing packaging on the Serbian market, and not companies licensed for the collection and processing of secondary raw materials. » “Eco Union SN” is a relatively young company that primarily deals with the collection and recycling of non-hazardous waste. Do you have problems procuring raw materials?

- The market of secondary raw materials is extremely turbulent and is subject to rapid changes and domino effects. Waste is the last element in the economic chain, so all events in the economy are reflected in

the quantity and quality of secondary raw materials. Existing quantities of waste are insufficient for all recycling centres in Serbia, because the vast majority of secondary raw materials still end up in dumps, due to the underdeveloped system for their collection from municipal waste. This happens because there are no laws that stipulate the obligatory separation of secondary raw materials

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low level of charges for polluters is maintained, while their operators are provided, simply and free of charge, with the quantities they need to “fulfil” the national goal for recycling packaging waste. » The recycling system in Serbia is insufficiently developed. Can it be improved and, if so, how?

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INTERVIEW

Heading For The EU The Law on Inspection Supervision, the full implementation of which began on 30th April 2016, introduced important novelties regulating the treatment of unregistered entities and establishing a risk assessment and management system for inspections

the Environmental Inspection; the Inspection for Protection and Use of the Fish Fund; and the Inspection for Protection against Ionising Radiation.

Inspection in the field of protection against major chemical accidents and protection against ionising radiation is performed by the Ministry. In areas such as waste, air and nature protection, non-ionising radiation, noise, fishery and wastewaters, inspection supervision is entrusted under applicable regulations, in whole or part, to the autonomous province or local government bodies. Entrusting these inspection tasks has entailed a number of limiting factors. The full implementation of the Law on Inspection Supervision has been a major challenge. It was obvious that the bodies of the autonomous province and local governments have been left to implement regulations in the area of environmental protection entrusted to them without a single procedure of treatment and control being first established, which in practise has resulted in differences of interpretation and application of the same regulations.

The irregular application of environmental regulations in the Republic of Serbia has in some cases caused confusion and

ŽELJKO PANTELIĆ,

Assistant Minister for Supervision and Prevention, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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onditions have been created for the elimination of arbitrariness, inequality, corruption and other potential abuses in the initiation and implementation of inspections and complaints about the frequency and duration of inspections, in some cases, or the absence of inspections, in others. The preventative aspect of inspection must take precedence over the repressive.

The Department for Environmental Monitoring and Prevention in the Ministry of Environmental Protection carries out inspections according to 17 special laws and over 250 bylaws.

There are three inspection services within the Department:

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by the Assistant Minister of the Department for Environmental Monitoring and Prevention, and the Department performs expert, administrative and technical tasks for the Working Group. The Working Group for the Protection of Natural Resources consists of representatives of relevant inspection services and organisations. The work and cooperation of inspection services through the Working Group is important because it provides more effective supervision and avoids overlapping and redundant repetition of supervision by coordinating tasks with other inspection services for related issues in the field of environmental protection.

dissatisfaction among operators investing in economic development, on the one hand, and citizens guaranteed by the Constitution to live in a clean and healthy environment and to be informed about that, on the other.

The Department for Environmental Monitoring and Prevention in the Ministry of Environmental Protection has recognised the importance of the advancement, coordination and functionality of the system of entrusted activities and has undertaken a number of steps to establish them. A Division of Entrusted Affairs and Education has been established and a series of meetings held with inspectors of local government units, inspection managers and heads of administrations.

A Table of Competences of the environmental inspection, as a supporting tool for their work, has been developed.

This department took into consideration problems related to entrusted activities: insufficient professional capacities and qualifications of inspectors; environmental protection inspectors in a large number of local government units also doing other jobs (communal inspector, construction inspector, traffic inspector, environmental protection officer etc.), while 11 municipalities don’t have any environmental inspectors.

In 2017, the Department conducted training for 100 environmental inspectors from local government units. This training served to eliminate the observed problems in the implementation of regulations that had been recognised through the Department’s long experience. Beginning the education of inspectors will inevitably lead to the establi-

The Department for Environmental Monitoring and Prevention of the Ministry of Environmental Protection carries out inspection according to 17 special laws and over 250 bylaws. There are three inspection services in the Department including: the Environmental Inspection; the Inspection for Protection and Use of the Fish Fund; and the Inspection for Protection against Ionising Radiation

The Department regularly publishes checklists related to its jurisdiction, work reports, plans, lists of regulations, tables of authorities and other relevant material related to inspection work, on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection: http://www.ekologija.gov.rs/organizacija/sektori/ sektor-za-nadzor-i-predostroznost-u zivotnoj-sredini/inspekcija-za-zastitu-zivotne-sredine/ Increased inspection capacities at all levels are needed to carry out inspections and deliver the expected results.

The first step is always the hardest, but it has already been taken with the establishing of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The second step is ahead for all of us, and will require maximum engagement at all levels for the further improvement of environmental awareness and implementation of the EU Acquis on the Republic of Serbia’s road to the EU, which is precisely our strategic goal. «

shment of a permanent education of environmental protection inspections at all levels, and in 2018 training is planned not only for inspectors, but for all stakeholders (non-governmental organisations, professional associations, chambers of commerce, media, prosecutors and judges).

The Coordination Commission for Inspection Supervision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia has formed several working groups. The task of these working groups is to harmonise, coordinate and improve inspections in a particular area that is within the scope of two or more inspection services.

One of the working groups formed is the Working Group for the Protection of Natural Resources, the work of which is managed

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WATER

From Wastewater To Drinking Water All water is recycled water. Chances are that most, if not all, of the molecules of water that you drink have passed through the bodies of other humans or animals.

In addition, all water on the planet has been recycled countless times through the natural “hydrologic cycle.”

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recipitation in the form of snow or rain falls to the ground and then eventually flows to rivers, lakes and the ocean. The water then evaporates, rises into the sky, condenses into clouds, and falls back to the earth as rain or snow, completing the cycle.

Some rain percolates into underground aquifers where it remains until feeding a surface water body at a lower elevation or being pumped out for use.

Although our sources of fresh water

equally important part of the solution is reusing (and reusing, and reusing…) the water we have.

Much of the water (“graywater”) that goes down the drains from showers and sinks in our houses is suitable to be used locally for irrigation purposes. The rest (“black” water) can be used for irrigation after going through a conventional primary/secondary sewage treatment process, typically followed by filtration and disinfection. This treated wastewater

Serbia will have to work on the scaling down air pollution and securing better access to clean water in the coming years in order to improve and protect health of its population. In this endeavor it can rely on the help and support of various UN agencies as well the EU. Data shows that there is water quality gap between rural and urban areas, and that premature deaths could be directly linked to the air pollution in Serbia are finite, they are part of a naturally-replenishing system. The problem – we tend to use up the water faster than it can be replenished. The solution – use water more efficiently. Part of that is using less water through a variety of means, including more efficient irrigation systems, ocean friendly gardens that don’t require much water and water-conserving appliances and shower heads. But an

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is often referred to as reclaimed water and can be used to irrigate parks, golf courses, cemeteries and other landscaping. And 100% recycling is possible. Cape Coral, Florida recycles all of its wastewater during some years.

Understanding and implementing water recycling requires a paradigm shift from thinking of “used” water as wastewater (something to get rid of as

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cheaply as possible) to thinking of it as a valuable resource. Existing, proven technology can be used to convert water that has previously been flushed down your toilet into drinking water that meets all applicable water quality standards and is probably purer than most expensive bottled water.

Most buildings use municipal drinking water for all uses, but many applications (such as irrigation, toilet flushing, decorative fountains) do not require it.

Wastewater recycling is the reuse of water after it is no longer potable.

Water used for irrigation should not harm plants, so wastewater coming from sinks, showers, and process equipment should not contain harsh chemicals.

This can be accomplished by instructing occupants to only use non-toxic biodegradable soaps, and/or by purifying the greywater before it is used.

Some cities recycle greywater on a municipal scale. They have separate plumbing lines for non-potable water, which homes and businesses can use for irrigation, decorative water features, or process water.

This water is filtered to be free of solids and suspended particles, and will be purified to an extent. However, since very few cities provide this infrastructure, there are not widely-accepted standards for the quality of the water. «

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THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

PLANET

EU Section, Chapter 27

INTERVIEW

Large But Cost-Effective

Investment The negotiations and the opening of Chapter 27 is one of the greatest challenges for Serbia in the process of accession to the European Union. Encouraged by the establishment of a special Ministry of Environmental Protection, the new environmental administration has enthusiastically taken a number of steps to develop and define the “environmental status quo” to enable the opening of negotiating Chapter 27

Since we began preparing the negotiating position for Chapter 27, the explanatory and bilateral screening was successfully completed by the end of 2014. At a government session in September 2015, the post-screening document was subsequently adopted, which provided a clear transposition and implementation plan for the EU legal framework for Chapter 27.

Serbia has to pay particular attention to its environmental preventive activities and the “polluter pays” principle if it wants to accept the basic principles of the EU acquis. It is very important to fight against environmental damage at the source of pollution, joint responsibility, integration of environmental work, adaptation to climate change and increasing resilience to disasters and catastrophes.

It is clear from the aforementioned that Chapter 27 is one of the most complex and demanding of all the 35 chapters that Serbia must traverse to join the EU. It pervades through all others and it is therefore necessary to coordinate, communicate and support the institutions and society as a whole. The specificity of this process is that not all the sectors negotiated in Chapter 27 are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. A particular drawback at this moment is an unpredictable institutional financing mechanism and a lack of administrative capacities. This is because harmonisation with the EU acquis requires significant financial investment, very close and structured cooperation among all stakeholders (business and industry, civil society organisations, local government, institutes, faculties, public utility companies etc.).

IVAN KARIĆ, State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection

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urdened with historical pollution, the state of waste and wastewater and insufficient cross-sector connectivity, this will not be an easy job for the new ministry. However, we have made a plan to complete the first draft of the negotiating position by the end of June and submit it to the European Commission in Brussels for informal consultations. That still means we have a lot of work before opening the negotiations.

To prepare the position for negotiations successfully, we must achieve the objectives of EU policies in the field of environment protection and climate change. For Serbia, this will be a long-term and difficult process, since it must find a way of encouraging sustainable development, an economy that uses resources rationally, an industry with low emissions of gases and robustness in the face of climate change. A particular challenge will be the transition to a green economy based on the principle of the circular economy.

The laws, rulebooks and regulations that need to be adopted and implemented include over 200 legal acts. These acts are horizontal legislation, water and air quality, waste management, nature protection, industrial pollution control and risk management, chemicals, noise, civil protection and climate change.

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A strong and well-equipped administration both at the national and local levels is the basis for implementing and executing harmonisation.

In the last few months we have exerted great efforts and so far we have made the fourth draft of the negotiating position, which contains some of the information prepared in the Draft Specific Implementation Plans (DSIP). The most demanding and expensive areas are further processed in the following implementation plans: the Action Plan for Strengthening Administrative Capacities, the Waste Framework Directive, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the Electrical and Electronic Waste Directive, the Batteries and Accumulators Directive, the Water Framework Directive, the Municipal Wastewater Directive, the Drinking Water Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Industrial Directive and the Landfill Directive. The fourth Draft Negotiating Position is very extensive, demanding and comprehensive. It currently covers 160 pages and in the coming period it will grow due to the formulations of transition periods.

We have, thus, quantitatively and qualitatively intensified the consultative meetings held with all stakeholders in society, primarily with the civil sector, the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, the bodies of AP Vojvodina and local governments, and especially with sectors of the economy, industry, chambers, faculties, institutes, institutions and recyclers. For our Ministry and Negotiating Group 27 it is very important to include as many stakeholders as possible in pre-

for informal consultations.

Currently, and thanks to the available information, the DSIPs show that we need approx. €6.44 billion for full implementation only in the Water and Waste Sector. Each of the listed DSIPs should offer proposals for infrastructure works, technical solutions, transitional deadlines, methods and sources of financing. The implementation plans should provide these in three scenarios (optimistic, medium, pessimistic) and then the government will decide which one to negotiate with the Commission. It can be estimated from the experiences of other countries that the necessary investment can be provided through EU funds (50% of investments), national grants, state co-financing, local funding (30%) and loans (20%).

The new environmental administration at the ministry has been working on collecting and preparing quality projects in the fields of water and waste management for the last several months. Special attention has been paid to local government units, and Minister Goran Trivan has on several occasions asked city and municipal mayors to start drafting technical documentation and projects that can facilitate and improve the lives of their local communities.

After the opening of Chapter 27, and before the expected date of accession in the period from 2021-2024, we have to be ready to accept and invest about €100 million a year. It is expected that Serbia will have €1.288 billion from EU funds in various financial cycles over the seven years after joining the European Union. This means It is expected that Serbia will have €1.288 billion from EU that, in addition to developing the position and starting funds in various financial cycles over the seven years after negotiating negotiations, the relevant ministries joining the European Union must be able not only to produce technical documentation, but also to invest in cooperation with local paring implementation plans and the draft negotiating position, governments and spend the offered funds properly. The funds since we will thereby gain a better understanding of the needs, can be expected to be available after 2025 (assuming that is the problems, deadlines and adaption to new conditions following EU year of accession). In this case, EU funds could finance 50% of the accession for all actors in society. Finalisation of the Draft Specific costs, mostly in the water management (about 70%) and waste Plans is expected by the end of March 2018, after which come management (about 30%) sectors. technical consultations with the European Commission during If we, as a country, want this work of national importance to April 2018. At the end of the Draft Negotiating Position, we expect be successfully completed for the benefit of all our citizens and coordination and meetings with stakeholders by early June 2018, the environment, we need the support and greater involvement when the 6th Draft Negotiating Position should be completed. The of the public, the media and CSOs, and above all understanding last consultative meeting in Brussels, with the Sub-Committee and discussion within the government: the ministries responsible on Transport, Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Regional for finance, water, health, internal affairs, energy and mining.

Development, is expected in June. Negotiating Group 27 will then Nevertheless, a necessary condition is further development of submit the Draft Negotiating Position to the European Commission institutional capacities for preparing and implementing projects. «

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CORPORATE

Recycling Drives The Economy The release of the obligation to pay corporate tax on investment would lead to the development of a complete recycling industry and the creation of a large number of jobs. We had this, but it was abolished in 2013, so investments were halted VUJADIN ŠĆEKIĆ, DIRECTOR, JUGO-IMPEX D.O.O. NIŠ

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ugo Impex, one of the leading companies in Serbia engaged in the purchase and processing of raw materials, the recycling of electrical and electronic waste, advocates a more consistent application of the law, reviving of the Green Fund, which was established a year ago, and opening new processing plants. » Among other things, Jugo Impex is engaged in purchasing and processing raw materials and recycling electrical and electronic waste (EE waste). This sector of the economy has great global importance, but what is its status here?

- Recycling of electronic waste is a very demanding task, both technically and in the level of education of the whole of society.

New recycling technologies are being made and changed globally on a daily basis in line with the development of modern electrical and electronic devices, and this area is only in its infancy. For predicting global trends and development, a predictable business climate is needed. » A year ago a Green Fund was established, a new budget line for environmental projects as a requirement for the opening of Chapter 27. What results has the Fund achieved so far?

- The Green Fund is not yet alive, although it is a major condition for the work and development of the recycling industry. As an ecofund, it will support all projects in the field of recycling and environmental protection.

Every green dinar collected from the eco-tax goes into the Fund, it is paid for recycling and financing environmental projects. This should be its primary purpose, but our Green Fund has not yet come to life, i.e. the green dinar

The Green Fund is not a cost to the budget of the Republic of Serbia, but investment in all segments of the society. The idea is that the Fund serves to preserve our health, provide raw materials for processing and strengthen all industries THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

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has not yet been separated from the central state budget, even though it was deliberately created for that by the Law on Environmental Protection and Waste Management. If the new law on fees that is currently out to public debate does not provide for the green dinar to go directly to the Green Fund, we will have the same problems again. » How much help does Jugo Impex get from the Green Fund and can the Fund be a driver of Serbia’s economy and development?

- The Fund has an investment rather than a consumer nature. When you look at the strongest European countries like Germany, Sweden and Norway, you will see that their recycling industry is the most developed.

Recycling in those countries is so high that Germany, for example, no longer needs any ore to manufacture cars as they work with 95 percent of recycled raw materials. When you see all this and when you understand what is happening, you become aware that the time of urban mining has come, but that we have not yet got hold of it. Besides the state’s strategy and the Ministry of Ecology, the Green Fund can be a great flywheel of our economy and achieving the right European standards.

» In Germany about 90 percent of waste is recycled, and in Serbia about 10 percent. What is the problem? Lack of waste, lack of recycling plants, gray economy, leglasation ...?

- You have listed three things, the most important being the legislation. We have the laws but the problem is their application. It would be much better if all adopted laws were implemented quickly and efficiently. There is one thing missing in the legislation, and that is the release of the obligation to pay corporate tax for investments in the recycling industry. We had this, but it was abolished in 2013, so investments were halted. If you invest in new technologies from the current year’s profits, you burden them with corporate tax, which hampers the entire development of the recycling industry.

Gray economy exists exclusively in the green list waste, but it is insignificant for the development of the recycling industry. With the new legislation on control of exports of strategic raw materials from Serbia, gray economy will disappear in that part, because when there is no export of waste iron, it will be difficult for washing machines to end up on a landfill that deals with collection and processing of iron.

Lack of plants is a major problem and because of it we do not recycle, and it is connected primarily to legislation and predictable business. We currently do not have any high technology in Serbia for separating rare metals and minerals, and we send all

because the funds you can invest you have to use to pay interest rates for your current business. If the recycling is paid quarterly, as inspection supervision is carried out, we would be in a much better position and the investments in new technologies and development would be continuous. This is the basic condition for predictable business in our industry.

and, despite several open plants, we have to export it. This also happens with many newly created values, that is, with raw materials that we do not process in our country. I think that all of us will soon realise the importance of circular economy, recycle → produce, and that in this process we can become a flywheel of the economy, and a generator of new jobs.

At the moment, there is not a single plant in Serbia with high technology for separating rare metals and minerals, and we send all the waste that is rich with these elements to Germany and sell

» We assume that you are traveling a lot for business ... Is Serbia a dirty and polluted country compared to the region, even Europe, or are we not as bad as we often think?

the waste that is rich with these elements to Germany and sell. It would be justified if this was the second year of recycling in Serbia, but we are years behind with implementing modern technologies, and I ask, “Why is that?!” » EE waste recycling is economically unjustified because you receive eco-tax reimbursement for recycling after one year, so you finance your business with the help from commercial banks, which leaves no room for development. How could the state solve this problem?

- Yes, you are right, that is the biggest problem here. You do not have room for investment,

» In the recycling industry in the developed parts of the world, new jobs are being created all the time. Do you believe that one day we will get to this point, and when?

- New jobs are being created all the time in our country, but this number is insignificant compared to what it could and should be. The recycling industry creates new raw materials that need to be processed and converted into finished products. Ten years ago, the amount of plastics, plastic parts and various types of plastic massess in our market was very small, and so there was almost no recycling industry for it. Now we have surplus plastic

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- It is difficult to answer this question without being honest. When you take a look around, a lot has changed, but we still have ecological bombs, the problem of old landfills that we need to solve as soon as possible. In 2010, I visited the recycling system of the city of Graz in Austria and their processing of wastewater from the sewage system. One of the fascinating things I saw was that they released the processed water in the river Mura, where even trout live today. The water they release is of PH5 quality because even then they found a way to eliminate hormones from contraceptive pills that cause sterility in fish from wastewater. «

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CORPORATE

Ruma Residents Drink Excellent Water DR SLOBODAN STANIĆ, PUBLIC ENTERPRISE “VODOVOD” RUMA

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ublic Enterprise “Vodovod” manages two organised sources from which the town of Ruma and nine settlements on the territory of the municipality are supplied with water that meets all the parameters of the Rulebook on the Hygienic Correctness of Drinking Water. » How would you rate the quality of the water that residents of the municipality of Ruma drink?

- The drinking water of the Municipality of Ruma, with its physical, chemical and bacterial properties, complies with the permitted parameters defined by the Rulebook on the

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Hygienic Correctness of Drinking Water. The town of Ruma and nine settlements of the Ruma municipality are supplied with water from two organised sources. Water from the “Sava I” source is processed in the water factory located at the “Fišerov salaš” source.

Under the framework of processing, it reduces volumes of iron and manganese, while water from the “Fišerov salaš” source is directed without treating, only with disinfection, towards consumers. We also manage six local sources, and the water from them is only disinfected before being directed to consumers in these settlements without treatment.

The results of analyses of our potable water show that there are only occasional deviations in quality compared to the permitted values, but we are certainly working constantly on its

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improvement by introducing modern technologies and equipment for water disinfection, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of facilities and equipment for water treatment. » Do you manage to secure funds for investments in systems and equipment that would contribute to environmental protection?

- We only manage to secure part of the funds, but this is insufficient in relation to what should be done. Financial resources aren’t the only problem, rather there are also unresolved property relations on the land occupied by the facilities of “Vodovod”, which prevents the preparation of planning documents that form the basis to receive approvals for construction, rehabilitation, reconstruction and applications with financiers. «

CORPORATE CIAK

Disposal Of 2,100 Tonnes Of Hazardous Waste CIAK is an ecologically responsible company that takes care of the environment. As Serbia's major importer of batteries, CIAK pays more than 40 million dinars in ecological taxes to the Republic of Serbia annually

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n order for CIAK to realise its ambitious plans and build a state-of-the-art warehouse for the temporary storage of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in line with EU standards, the government must solve the problem of unfair competition and suppress corruption in the environmental sector.

CIAK has been operating successfully for many years in Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia, where the company’s headquarters are located. CIAK Ltd. Belgrade was established in 2004, as an importer and wholesale distributor of products related to the auto industry, mainly batteries, oils and auto equipment.

The company today has headquarters in Novi Sad, a retail network positioned strategically throughout the country and wholesale departments in Novi Sad and Niš.

CIAK’s range of car batteries includes the following brands: Fiamm, Autopart, CIAK, Varta, Bosch and Magnum. It also offers tyres of Bridgestone, Firestone and Dayton, as well as a wide range of world-famous oils: Rowe, Lotos, Total, Mobil, Castrol and Antifreeze Pilots.

The products that CIAK distributes

can be found in all well-equipped shops and vehicle service centres throughout Serbia, and in 12 retail outlets that have a network covering the whole of Serbia.

The specialised CIAK Truck Company was established at the beginning of 2018, dealing with the distribution of spare parts for haulage vehicles. CIAK Truck represents all famous international producers of freight and construction vehicles.

In the coming period, CIAK is planning

government loses more than a million euros annually just on unpaid taxes that companies are obliged to pay when purchasing waste from individuals. Secondly, education is needed at all levels of government, especially customs, since a large amount of waste enters the country illegally and then also leaves the country illegally, especially towards Kosovo.

The competent Ministry must make an effort to provide legally-based companies with incentives and reduce corruption in the environmental sector, which is growing into an epidemic to gather everything it imports and launch that on the Serbian market – car batteries, mineral oils, tyres, electronic and electrical waste. For this objective to be realistic, the government or competent Ministry must make an effort to provide legally-based companies with incentives and reduce corruption in the environmental sector, which is growing into an epidemic.

In waste car batteries alone, the

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CIAK is a company that’s planning high investments in the environmental sector aimed at building a state-of-the-art warehouse for the temporary storage of hazardous and non-hazardous waste that will meet all EU standards, and establishing hazardous waste treatments. But it will not be possible to make these investments until the mentioned problems have been solved or at least significantly reduced. «

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PLANET

Green Economy

INTERVIEW

The Four “I”S Of Serbia’s Environment Portfolio The current state of play in Serbia’s green investment portfolio might seem grim even to connoisseurs – but only at first glance.

Even with the current low rate of investments and projects in the pipeline, a reality check shows that Serbia might be the future investment Eldorado when it comes to capital environmental infrastructure projects

Managing such long-term needs will require a thorough revision of environmental planning and the financing of the system, with special focus on setting priorities and developing a pipeline of investment projects. However, rethinking innovative environmental management will require strong leadership, a clear vision and improved communication among all parties involved, as well as the streamlining and clarifying of decision-making process. At the end, delivering negotiated targets will also require the clear setting of the sequencing of priority projects and which institution is to assume the responsibility for achieving negotiated targets.

SLOBODAN PEROVIĆ, Assistant Minister in the Sector for Strategic Planning and Projects, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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he paradigm shift needed for the commencement of a new investment cycle and the necessary inflow of private capital in the green part of domestic economy is still essential. It will comprise the introducing of innovations in the traditional investment cycle and the initiating of a new portfolio of infrastructure projects. Both activities will demand the full commitment of the stakeholders involved and excellent communication between them – which is definitely not a job for a single ministry alone. As this was spotted early by the Ministry for Environmental Protection’s (MEP) Sector for Strategic Planning and Projects (SSPP), the outline of a more strategic approach to the vital issue of rebuilding Serbia’s environmental infrastructure can naturally be described with four “I”s: Initiative, Infrastructure, Investment and Innovation.

INFRASTRUCTURE The priority fields for investments in the environment in Serbia are clearly the waste and water management sectors. If we delve into greater detail, several directives and their implementation will be the main driving force for the selection and preparation of priority infrastructure projects for financing. Among the most important for public infrastructure financing in the field of environment are the ‘Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive’ and the ‘Drinking Water Directive’ – for large water management infrastructure – and the ‘Landfill Directive’, including the ‘Waste Framework, Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive’ – defining regional waste management infrastructure. In addition to available IPA funds and several successful PPPs, Serbia has very limited experience in completing capital infrastructure projects in these fields. Some of the public projects commenced in 2010 have still not been finalised, while the number of projects in the development pipeline is not even

INITIATIVE The main driving force behind the initiative is the Government’s determination to empower the ministry and increase its ability to manage EU environmental approximation processes, efficiently prepare and take part in the upcoming EU accession negotiations for Chapter 27 and successfully implement the EU Acquis.

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CORPORATE

close to enabling the utilisation of all available funds. There are multiple reasons for this situation, but only one answer: Serbia needs developed infrastructure projects, and the focus of the MEP in the period ahead will be supporting the development of technical and tender documentation in accordance with Serbia’s priority list of projects. Special assistance is to be provided to municipalities and cities, since their internal resources are often insufficient to meet the needs for new investment in environmental infrastructure.

INVESTMENT Financing environmental investment remains a major issue for providing a solid background for the Negotiating Position.

According to the preliminary proposal developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, to be discussed with the Ministry of Finance, financing of €6.44 billion for investment in the water and waste sectors from public sources (EU and national) might be required, while the expected sharing of funds among priority infrastructure needs is approximately 70 per cent for water and 30 per cent for the waste sector.

The planning and coordination of financing sources for waste and waste water project preparation and implementation remains the main task for both the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Finance, in order to improve investment processes.

A prerequisite for this is the so-called ‘multiannual investment and financing plan’ which will integrate costs and financing needs from all available DSIPs. Furthermore, in order to make the process

The Green Fund and its operationalisation will mean that the new, transparent way of supporting the green agenda has prevailed and that innovators in Serbia are gaining a powerful ally transparent and inclusive, the MEP has adopted ‘Environmental Financing Principles’, which include both the determination to concentrate and manage financing resources from all sources and to reduce the greatest negative impacts on the environment first. Something that is also appearing as a logical solution is the utilising of public funds only for priority public infrastructure, while gaining maximum available environmental funds via co-financing and making investments attractive to private investors and simultaneously affordable for end users.

INNOVATION Rethinking the classic principles and “greening”, from technology to financing, is certainly one of the MEP’s basic values. The Green Fund and its operationalisation will mean that the new, transparent way of supporting the green agenda has prevailed and that innovators in Serbia are gaining a powerful ally. Moreover, the nascent ‘Climate Smart Urban Development Project’, which is currently being implemented together with the UNDP, will provide a safe environment for developing innovative ideas and concepts until they are mature enough to be financed at the local level. Finally, there is a realistic hope that innovations will horizontally connect the private sector with academia and investors, thereby providing a solid base for new investments leading to economic growth. «

Disposing Of A Million Tonnes Of Waste

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WW in Serbia has 160,000 users from the category of households and 15,000 from the economy, 500 employees, a million tonnes of waste collected, recycled and disposed of, 60 vehicles, 10,000 rubbish skips, 45,000 waste bins...

During the past 10 years, fifteen cities and municipalities on the territory of the Republic of Serbia recognised the importance of finding a final solution to the problem of municipal waste, placing their trust in us and joining our integral system. We are present in two cities, Jagodina and Leskovac, and the municipalities of Ćuprija, Smederevska Palanka, Velika Plana, Lebane, Medveđa, Crna Trava, Žitorađa, Vladičin Han, Bojnik, Prokuplje ...

We are particularly proud of the two regional landfill sites with recycling centres that we constructed in accordance with the highest world standards and made operational in Jagodina and Leskovac.

This system enabled the closure of existing local landfills, eased the collection, transport and disposal of municipal waste, reductions in the amount of municipal waste that ends at landfills, thanks to the introduction of primary selection and waste recycling, the disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous industrial waste, as well as the education of the population.

We use all our capacities to promote the selection and recycling of waste as part of the culture of life in all areas where we operate.

The Porr Group relies on its rich past, tradition and experience to continue defining trends in operations. The company’s main business activities include construction, i.e. the construction of highways, tunnels, infrastructure facilities, sanitary landfills and waste management, so that today 18,000 motivated workers generate an annual turnover of four billion euros.

European experience, combined with our strength, readiness, diligence and creativity, comprises a formula that provides us with positive results that are useful for all citizens who want a cleaner and healthier environment, and orderly surroundings. «

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GREEN ECONOMY

Green Jobs And The Sustainable Economy

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espite the efforts of many governments around the world to implement such strategies as well as international cooperation to support national governments, there are continuing concerns over global economic and environmental developments in many countries. These have been intensified by recent prolonged global energy, food and financial crises, and underscored by continued warnings from global scientists that society is transgressing a number of planetary boundaries or ecological limits.

With governments today seeking effective ways to lead their nations out of these related crises whilst also taking into account these planetary boundaries, green economy (in its various forms) has been proposed as a means for catalysing renewed national policy development and international cooperation and support for sustainable development. The concept has received significant international attention over the

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definition or universal principles for green economy, the emergence of interrelated but different terminology and concepts over recent years (such as green growth, low carbon development, sustainable economy, steady-state economy etc.), a lack of clarity around what green economy policy measures encompass and how they integrate with national priorities and objectives relating to economic growth and poverty eradication, as well as a perceived lack of experience in designing, implementing and reviewing the costs and benefits of green economy policies.

Recent publications on green economy or green growth by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), have begun to address these knowledge gaps and demystify these concepts. Importantly, there is also emerging practice in the design and implementation of national green economy strategies by both developed and developing countries across most regions, including Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific and Europe. This emerging

Sustainable development has been the overarching goal of the international community since the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. Amongst numerous commitments, the Conference called upon governments to develop national strategies for sustainable development, incorporating policy measures outlined in the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 past few years as a tool to address the 2008 financial crisis as well as one of two themes for the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). This has resulted in a rapidly expanding literature including new publications on green economy from a variety of influential international organisations, national governments, think tanks, experts, non-government organisations and others.

Despite the growing international interest in green economy, negotiations between Member States on the concept in the lead up to Rio+20 were challenging. This was partly due to the lack of an internationally agreed

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practice can help to provide some important insights and much-needed clarity regarding the types of green economy policy measures, their scope with regard to various sectors and national priorities, and their institutional barriers, risks and implementation costs.

This international experience may serve to alleviate concerns regarding the effective integration of green economy policies with national economic and social priorities and objectives, including the achievement of international agreements, notably the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ÂŤ

CORPORATE

Educating Is The Best Way To Clean A City In order to increase levels of awareness regarding the importance of preserving the environment and cleanliness of the city, we constantly appeal to the public, organise extraordinary cleaning activities and pay special attention to the education of citizens, especially pre-schoolers and primary school pupils PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANY “ČISTOĆA NOVI SAD”

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ublic Utility Company “Čistoća Novi Sad” manages to achieve high standards in maintaining public hygiene thanks to the renewal of its fleet, raising productivity, consistently fulfilling works programmes and realising capital investments. » Novi Sad is considered one of the cleanest cities in Serbia and in the region. What does it take to preserve this image?

- According to our field experience, people from Novi Sad know how to dispose of waste, and PUC “Čistoća” has been improving its business activities year on year. In addition to cleaning activities, the maintenance of public hygiene and refuse collection, our company works continuously on educating citizens, and the problem are those few whose unscrupulous and irresponsible behaviour, unfortunately, is most noticeable.

These are people who, despite our constant appeals, make illegal dumps. We also have problems with the improper disposal of bulky waste and construction rubble, which is punishable by law, but these individuals are still not prevented from doing it. » People from Novi Sad can now efficiently classify waste through your pilot project under the slogan “Let us get used to it!”.

How much interest is there in this?

- In November last year we completed a one-year pilot project of primary waste separation, carried out in the wider centre of Novi

Sad, which included 15,000 households. We are particularly pleased that citizens accepted the project very well, and the percentage of recyclable waste transported by special trucks to the landfill was increased by 30%.

From 1st January to 30th November 2017, within the Primary Separation project, 2,644 tonnes of waste were collected, but this is not the end. We are currently preparing a project for the further expansion of primary separation in urbanised parts of the city with the most densely populated areas, i.e. those where waste disposal is at the highest level, such as ‘Liman’ and ‘Novo Naselje’. Our plan

playgrounds and sports grounds. As usual, we invite all people from Novi Sad to support us in these activities, primarily by acting responsibly and not discarding of rubbish in playgrounds and sports grounds outside the containers intended for that purpose. » Is there a permanent solution for the problem of illegal dumps that are now along access roads to Novi Sad? - A permanent solution to the problem of illegal dumps depends on several factors.

We are working constantly on the removal of illegal dumps, but we also act preventa-

We will put efforts to set up underground containers in all parts of the city in the following years. These are far more cost-effective than the ground level ones, as they have larger capacities than the latter ones and facilitate the maintenance of public hygiene is for this project to cover the entire city and suburbs. » Will you continue organising the campaign “Big Spring Cleaning” and landscaping children’s playgrounds and outdoor sports grounds in neighbourhoods throughout the city?

- Once weather conditions are favourable, we will continue the general city cleaning, comprehensive landscaping of children’s

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tively, in order not to allow their creation in the first place, which is far more important.

Considering that the creation of illegal dumps is punishable by law, we are planning a series of periodic activities in cooperation with the Communal Police and Communal Inspection. Punishing irreconcilable individuals and legal entities, in cooperation with the media informing citizens about such actions, will prevent the future creation of illegal dumps. «

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PLANET

Climate Change, Renewables

INTERVIEW

Reduce Climate

Change Impacts The need to utilise renewable energy sources emerged after alarming warnings of the ramifications of using fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions as by-products of fossil fuel combustion, which leads to climatic changes, primarily global warming ni-hydro power plants. Locations for the construction of Small Hydro Power Plants (SHPP) were determined on the basis of the Cadastre for their construction way back in 1987, which determined 856 sites for the construction of SHPPs. The available potential of these 856 small hydropower plants amounts to just 4.7% of total electricity generation in Serbia. Unfortunately, the SHPPs so far constructed have caused complete devastation in the area, destroying certain strictly protected habitats and protected species, interrupting migratory routes and destroying special fish habitats, changing the hydrological regime etc. From the perspective of nature protection, the damage caused by the construction of MHPPs greatly exceeds the benefits obtained in terms of kilowatts of electricity.

Simultaneously, another problem requiring an urgent solution at the global level is that of climate change. Recognising the need to respond urgently, the international community adopted the 2015 Paris Agreement to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the primary objective of which is to limit rises in the global average temperature to significantly below 2°C by the end of the century, and thus it also set the goal of further reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), in order to keep the global average temperature rise to below 1.5°C. According to the decisions of the Convention and Agreement, the modalities, procedures and instructions necessary for monitoring the fulfilling of the Agreement’s objectives, as well as the long-term objectives, should be adopted by 2018 at the latest.

Serbia ratified the Paris Agreement in August 2017, with which it took on the obligation to reduce GHG emissions and submitted itself to the 2015 Convention. The aim of the Nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the reduction of GHG emissions document – to

JASMINA JOVIĆ, Assistant Minister in the Sector for Nature Protection and Climate Change, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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hese disorders are also felt in Serbia and we are witnessing very hot and dry summers, floods, increasingly frequent occurrences of hail storms etc. Serbia has high energy potential when it comes to renewable energy sources, but that potential is not sufficiently utilised. Solar and wind energy are virtually unused in Serbia.

Only three solar power plants have so far been constructed, in Kladovo, Bečej and Kikinda, and when it comes to wind energy, three wind farms have been built, in Alibunar, Kula and Vršac. The greatest interest, primarily among private investors, was expressed with regard to the energy of waterways and the construction of mi-

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The Law on Climate Change and the Strategy on Combating Climate Change will provide the necessary framework for reducing GHG emissions and adapting to altered climatic conditions, and it remains for us to work together with all stakeholders (local self-governments, civil society organisations, the scientific and expert public etc.) to exert special efforts in order for all activities related to this field to become one of the key parameters of national and sectoral development planning.

From the aspect of fulfilling the obligations of reporting under the Convention, which have to date been identical with the obligations under the Agreement, it is significant that the First Report of the Republic of Serbia (First National Communication) was submitted to the Convention in 2010 and the Second in November 2017. The first biennial updated report of the Republic Serbia was submitted to the Convention in 2016. All of these documents were produced using funds of the Global Environment Fund (GEF). These documents provide an overview of the current situation in terms of the impact of climate change on sectors and systems, as well as necessary adaptation measures, GHG emissions levels and possible measures and activities to reduce them in the coming period.

It is also significant that it was decided at the Conference held in 2007 to introduce the principle of certain “checks” on the quality of reports submitted by the Monitoring the fulfilment of obligations linked to the Paris members of the Convention, and at Conference held in 2010 it was Agreement will be ensured by the Law on Climate Change, the decided to include in this process which introduces the obligation to monitor and report on GHG biennial updated reports from deemissions and other information relevant to climate change veloping countries, including Serbia.

The official name of this process is International Consultation and Analysis (ICA). ICA reports actually the century, and a deficit in precipitation of up to 20 per cent. In increase the transparency of GHG emission reduction activities unthe 2000-2015 period, total material damage caused by extreme dertaken by countries and presents the contribution of their effects climatic and weather conditions (drought, heatwaves and floods) to global GHG emissions in reports. In essence, the ICA’s goal is to exceeded €5 billion, while damage caused by forest fires in the improve the quality of upcoming reports and actions in the fight 2000-2009 period was in excess of €300 million. against global climate change.

In order to ensure timely preparation and more efficient impleThe biennial updated report of the Republic of Serbia under the mentation of the Agreement, the Ministry, in cooperation with the UN Convention passed technical analysis in 2016, as well as the public Development Programme (UNDP), is implementing the project “Local presentation of the document in the exchange of experiences and Development Resistant to Climate Change”, which is financed with information during the Conference of the Country Parties to the funds from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and for the first Convention in 2017. The biennial updated report of the Republic of time funds have been allocated from the national budget for climate Serbia and presentation has been praised by numerous countries, change. This project aims to support local governments in planning, including Austria, the U.S., India and others. « implementing and resolving innovative measures for reducing GHG emissions. This will contribute to achieving the national goals taken on by the Republic of Serbia, both through the signing and ratification of the Agreement, as well as through the EU accession process.

In principle, monitoring the fulfilment of obligations linked to the Paris Agreement will be ensured by the Law on Climate Change, which introduces the obligation to monitor and report on GHG emissions and other information relevant to climate change, • BELGRADE, Šumatovačka 124/6 including GHG projections, relevant policies and measures, GHG • Tel: 011 39 85 233,032 55 74 301 emission reduction strategies and adapting plans to altered climatic • Fax: 011 39 85 232, 032 55 74 307 conditions and the like. reduce GHG emissions by 9.8% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels – was primarily based on the aims of increasing use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency as defined by the Energy Community Treaty, for which the Republic of Serbia has financial and other support available in the form of technology transfers, capacity building and similar.

In accordance with the obligations arising from the Agreement, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as the body responsible for the area of climate change, launched a revision of the NDC within the framework of the process of developing the Strategy for Combating Climate Change with an Action Plan, which – through the implementation of an EU-funded project – should be completed by the end of 2018. The Strategy will determine the possibilities for reducing GHG emissions for the period until 2020, 2025, 2030, 2050, and the level of emissions by 2070, as well as identifying priority measures in the most vulnerable sectors (water resources, agriculture and forestry).

The issue of adapting to altered climatic conditions is of particular importance to the Republic of Serbia. In the 1960-2012 period, we observed an increase in daily temperatures with an average trend of 0.3°C per decade, so in the future it is possible to expect temperature increases ranging from 3.2-4°C by the end of

• info@elektrovat.net

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CORPORATE ELEKTROPRIVREDA SRBIJE

EPS - On The Green Road E

The need to advance environmental protection, Serbia’s moving closer to the European Union, and electricity market opening are the main reasons why EPS is increasing its investments in the environment and electricity generation from renewable sources

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very investment project of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) encompasses measures to advance environmental protection as part of the responsible and sustainable operations of Serbia’s largest energy company. EPS has invested more than €320 million over the last 15 years in projects that improve the quality of air, water and land. With this, EPS earned the leading position as the largest investor in environmental protection in Serbia.

EPS is continuing along that same green road in the coming years, with planned additional environmental investments of around €860 million, through 50 projects that should be implemented by 2025.

Eight environmental protection projects worth €296.4 million are already in the implementation stage, while another 16, worth €325.2 million, are under preparation.

The implementation of additional projects worth €242.6 million is also envisaged.

The priority and the largest volume of investment, totalling around €650 million, is envisaged in the field of air quality protection, through the construction of flue gas desulphurisation systems and reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions in thermal power plants. With this, EPS meets stringent EU environmental standards and reduces emissions below the limits set by domestic and European regulations.

By 2025, these investments will have reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by 90 per cent, nitrogen oxide by 45 per cent and particulate matter by 95 per cent, compared to levels from 2008 - 2012 period.

Around €53 million is foreseen for land protection, primarily for remediation at ash dumps, while around €43 million is envisaged for wastewater treatment at all plants and surface water monitoring. About

€115 million has been foreseen for investment in waste management and around half a million euros has been set aside for reorganisation of the environmental protection system.

At EPS’s six thermal power plants, lignite from the open-cast mines of RB “Kolubara” and Kostolac coal basin produces about 70 per cent of the electricity required for the needs of the market in Serbia.

Coal production and electricity generation represent an entirely domestic product that ensures Serbia’s energy stability and independence. That’s why planned projects have also been initiated to invest in the modernisation of production and meeting strict environmental criteria.

One of the most important projects is the construction of the flue gas desulphu-

Systems. Serbian companies’ share in the project will exceed 50 per cent, because the project also aims to contribute to the development of the local economy.

This is one of the most important investments in the region, due to investment level and positive environmental effects, as well as the fact that it fulfils Serbia’s obligations under the Southeast European Energy Community Treaty.

- We are striving to secure the future of TENT A and harmonise production with the European environmental standards. The construction of a desulphurisation plant at the largest Serbian power plant is just one in a series of EPS projects, which places us among the most developed energy companies in Europe. The new ‘Kostolac B3’ 350-megawatt thermal unit is being built

Additional environmental investments of around €860 million are planned through 50 projects that should be implemented by 2025 risation system at EPS’s largest power plant.

When the construction of the flue gas desulphurisation facility at Nikola Tesla A Thermal Power Plant in Obrenovac is completed in 2022, sulphur dioxide emissions will be reduced nine-fold, to 7,800 tonnes annually.

TENT A produces about 10 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which means that a third of Serbia’s electricity generation will be protected by the desulphurisation project, enabling stable and environmentally friendly coal exploitation that serves the security of the energy system.

The construction of the flue gas desulphurisation plant at TENT A is being implemented under the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of Japan, which forms the basis of the Loan Agreement for project financing that was signed between PE EPS and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Contractors are led by the Japanese company Mitsubishi Hitachi Power

in accordance with the strictest environmental criteria, we are modernising hydro capacities and building new capacities that utilise renewable energy sources. Our obligations are to preserve all inherited production and distribution capacities, to improve them, modernise them and bring them closer to the European level - said EPS Acting Director Milorad Grčić.

EPS isn’t dedicated only to environmental protection – the priority is also operating in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. This much broader notion encompasses projects related to increasing the share of renewable energy sources in generation, improving energy efficiency, more efficient use of coal by managing quality and reducing losses on the grid. EPS will invest €2.3 billion in these areas by 2025, which testifies to how aware EPS is of its obligations and responsibilities.

Serbia’s moving closer to the European Union, the opening of the electricity market

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and the need to improve environmental protection are the main reasons why EPS is increasing its investments in environment and electricity generated from renewable sources. EPS is involved in wind power projects and, together with projects in the hydro sector, it will contribute to Serbia achieving the European obligation for 27 per cent of total consumed energy to be generated from renewable sources by 2020.

EPS’s first solar power plant “Brana Lazići” in Zaovine, began operating in October 2016, when the first capacity of 110 kilowatts of electricity generation was made operational. During the first 15 months of operations, until December 2017, ever since the remaining 220 kilowatts have also been on the grid, 478,553 kWh of electricity have been generated.

Among EPS’s priorities are the revitalisation and modernisation of existing large and small HPPs, the construction of new small HPPs, as well as the development of wind farms, the first of which will sprout up two years from now.

ENERGY FROM THE POWER OF KOŠAVA WIND EPS and the entire Serbian energy system are taking steps towards fulfilling obligations to increase the share of renewable energy sources in total consumption.

The first wind farm EPS is constructing in Kostolac represents a significant investment amounting to total of around 100 million euros.

The wind farm will have total power of 66 megawatts, which is sufficient to supply a city of 30,000 households. EPS signed a contract for financing of this project with the German Development Bank – KfW, for 80 million euros loan. 20 pylons with wind generators will be built within the wind farm, in the area of the closed open-cast mines and landfills of EPS’s branch “TPPOCM Kostolac”. Expected annual generation is about 150 million kilowatt-hours. «

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CORPORATE

Don’t Skimp On Protecting The Environment Our Lives Depend On Cooperation with research and educational institutions, creating new jobs for young people, promoting exports and developing the “green energy” project will be our future priorities, since we are constantly working to promote the values that will make things better for us all ILIJA LABUS, DIRECTOR OF ENERGOTEHNIKA-JUŽNA BAČKA

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nergotehnika-Južna Bačka is involved in maintenance and construction of the most complex energy facilities, and one of major companies in the field of energy. We are strong advocates of improvement in this sector, especially investment in renewable energy sources.

» In 2017 your company was declared a leader in competitiveness and sustainable development in Serbia. What has contributed most to this recognition?

- What recommended us for this highly regarded award was our leading position in the region with regard to maintenance and construction of the most complex energy facilities, the quality of services that we provide, our care for the environment, and our proven corporate responsibility to our local community and society at large.

We are happy to have received this recognition because it proves that we are indeed heading in the right direction. At the same time, we are aware that the acknowledgement brings further responsibility and demands that we incessantly work on achieving the business targets we have set. » Is it possible for Serbia to reach a 20%share of RES in its gross consumption before 2020, as required by EU Directives?

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- It is essential for this question to be constantly asked by everyone involved in the energy sector, as our country has committed itself to reaching the target of 20% of RES share in gross final consumption before that time. I should also mention that in Energotehnika-Južna Bačka we are intently following developments in this field and believe that a lot has certainly been done in the last five years to make RES-related projects more attractive for investors.

First, we now have a sound legislative framework for this sector; all parameters are clear and transparent. Secondly, the regulation on incentives for renewable energy

we are able to honour this commitment in the specified time, before end of 2020. » Since you are one of leading companies in energy sector, where do you see room for further improvement of environmental protection and how do you perceive the development of green energy in Serbia?

- We need to remember that the main factor in environmental pollution is the human factor, i.e. people. Knowing this, Energotehnika-Južna Bačka has developed a large number of educational and promotional campaigns and panels to develop both individual and collective awareness and call attention to this – I would say fundamental – issue.

In the present situation of economic and social development, the promotion of environmental protection is one of the greatest challenges sources or feed-in tariff has made a realistic picture of our energy potential and facilitates investments in several aspects of green energy. We have now ongoing wind-related projects, in Kovačica and Dolovo, with the participation of Energotehnika-Južna Bačka, besides many projects relating to biogas, biomass, and so on.

Because of all this, we are certain that

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Moreover, we are great supporters of “green” projects and, in our organisational structure we have set up a special unit to deal with these issues. Since environmental protection requires considerable financial and material resources, we also make sure that appropriate funding is provided for environmental protection and promotion every year. «

CORPORATE

Wind Potential Waits For New Legislation Windvision is an independent renewable energy supplier that operates in six countries across two continents. With knowledge of every step in the chain of renewable energy projects, Windvision is committed to delivering clean and safe energy NEDA LAZENDIĆ, COUNTRY MANAGER, WINDVISION SERBIA

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ind turbines generate electricity from a natural, renewable resource, without any hidden social or environmental costs – there is no need to mine for fuel or transport it, no global warming pollutants are created, and there’s no need to store, treat or dispose of waste.

» With 500 MW of electricity produced in wind farms, Serbia would be able to reduce electricity imports by 90 per cent.

How far away from that goal are we?

- Serbian external energy dependency is high, while the need to diversify internal energy generation sources has been a topic for almost two decades. In my opinion, wind could definitively play a major role in contributing to the country having a more resilient and independent energy system. Wind parks are relatively easy to build and operate, their environmental impact is very low compared to other methods of energy generation, and they can quickly fill the import gap.

Luckily, Serbia has very favourable natural preconditions for wind parks, but this potential still largely remains locked.

There are just a few turbines spinning at the moment, while several projects are close the construction phase – despite

the fact that we all started developing our projects about a decade ago. » Your ‘Alibunar’ wind farm complex has total installed power of 174 MW. Do you plan to expand it and increase its capacity?

- For the moment we are waiting to see what the newest legal framework for the electricity production from wind power will be like. We have not acquired a place under the cap, which means that we need to adapt our project to the new market and legal circumstances, which are yet not defined but are expected to

» How high is the potential of Serbia when it comes to generating energy through wind farms, and how can the government encourage this sector’s faster development?

- As mentioned earlier, Serbia has solid potential for wind power generation, especially in the southern Banat region. The government officially supports investors throughout the process, but we often feel a lack of coordination between various competent institutions and we often experience difficulties at the level of local authorities who tend not to understand or simply neglect the broader interest

We are sure that a project with the range and quality of Wind Farm Alibunar will find its place in the energy mix of Serbia under any subsidy model lead to Feed-In Premium (FIP) system and auctioning. Nevertheless, frequent legal changes and insufficiently transparent law-making processes slow down investments in this sector, but we are not in a hurry. We are sure that a project with the range and quality of Wind Farm Alibunar will find its place in the energy mix of Serbia under any subsidy model.

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of the country. We are very proud of the progress that Alibunar Municipality has made in economic and development aspects, together with projects on its territory. We would also certainly benefit from a more predictable legal framework or a one-stop-shop institution/official that would help us move quicker through the administrative framework and speed up our investment cycle. «

THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

BIOMASS AND BIOGAS IN SERBIA

Great Potential Of Biomass & Biogas In Serbia

Biomass has the largest share of the total potential of renewable energy sources in Serbia, representing as much as 61 per cent. Investing in bioenergy and biogas could improve energy efficiency in Serbia, but also reduce air pollution

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peaking at the opening of the expert conference “Biomass and Biogas in Serbia”, organised by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of the Economy and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany, AHK Serbia coordinator Stevan Đurić stressed that biomass has the greatest share of the total potential of renewable energy sources in Serbia, representing as much as 61 per cent, while he noted that in Serbia at present there are existing biomass plants with a total capacity of just 11 MW. Đurić recalled that the National Action Plan of the Republic of Serbia envisages the construction of plants generating up to as much as 100 MW by 2020, and that the same plan envisages the construction of biogas plants with a capacity of up to 30 MW. “There are currently 10 plants in Serbia with a total capacity of 12 MW. If we compare this with Germany, where there are about 9,000 biogas plants, it is clear that Serbia

still has a long way to go in the field of bioenergy,” concluded Đurić, emphasizing that AHK Serbia is exerting efforts to bring together German companies, as market leaders, with Serbian companies, in order to exchange experiences and knowhow.

Dragan Zukić, member of the Management Board of the Biogas Association of Serbia, noted that investing in biogas could be a solution for many young people who want to stay in rural areas, stressing that it is necessary to secure favourable loans and that German banks are interested in financing such investments. According to him, Germans are interested in selling their technology, which has been proven over the last 30 years.

At the ‘Biomass and Biogas in Serbia’ conference, which brought together more than 150 representatives of Serbian and German companies and institutions, leading experts from Germany and Serbia reviewed renewable energy sources in Germany, the most important market developments, the potential for using biomass in Serbia THINKING GREEN & LIVING CLEAN

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GIZ expert advisor Rainer Schellhaas said that investing in bioenergy and biogas could increase energy efficiency in Serbia, but also reduce air pollution.

“Biomass is waste from agriculture, industry and other sources, which can be used to make a fuel that can be utilised as an alternative to coal, oil and other fossil fuels. As such, we both save money and get air containing fewer harmful gases,” he said.

At the ‘Biomass and Biogas in Serbia’ conference, which brought together more than 150 representatives of Serbian and German companies and institutions, leading experts from Germany and Serbia reviewed renewable energy sources in Germany, the most important market developments, the potential for using biomass in Serbia and the subsidising of the use of wood biomass.

Conference participants that gave presentations included German companies Cathaia International, Strawtherm, 2G Energietechnik, ENSPAR Biogas, NRG Group, Weltec Biopower, Franken Plastik and Agraferm. «

CORPORATE

Our Efforts Towards Brewing A Better World One of the most recognisable initiatives in Serbia is our campaign “Guys who drives home?”, the primary goal of which is to raise awareness and educate citizens, primarily young people, about responsible alcohol consumption and travelling safely ON THE GLOBAL LEVEL, HEINEKEN TARGETS TO GROW ITS SHARE OF RENEWABLE THERMAL ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY IN PRODUCTION FROM THE CURRENT LEVEL OF 14% TO 70% BY 2030

HEINEKEN Srbija is continuously launching initiatives in the field of environmental protection, related to energy saving, reduction of water consumption and pollution levels, because the company firmly believes that business and sustainability “go hand in hand” HERE’S HOW WE BREWED A BETTER WORLD IN 2017

Ensuring safe travel for festivalgoers One of the most recognisable initiatives in Serbia is our campaign, “Guys who drives home?”.

Its primary goal is to raise awareness and educate people about responsible alcohol consumption and to ensure safe travel to and from the biggest summer festivals in Serbia. We offered festivalgoers free taxi and bus rides from festivals in 2017, in order to promote public transport as a safe alternative when consuming alcohol. Over the last five years, we’ve safely transported close to 200,000 festivalgoers home.

Our global commitment Sustainability has been fundamental to HEINEKEN for many years. Today, our global ambition is to Brew a Better World from barley to bar. It is this commitment that unites our global brands in respecting people, the planet and prosperity.

We focus on the six areas where we can make the biggest difference. This shapes our contribution towards delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

We’re making good progress overall, putting us on track to reach most of our Brewing a Better World 2020 commitments with more to do in some areas. «

Investing to reduce CO2 In 2017, we replaced our old LPG (liquid petroleum gas) powered forklift fleet with new electric forklifts. Over the next five years, we’ll see significant cost savings. However, most importantly, we will reduce CO2 emissions from our forklift trucks by almost 50%, down from 11.3kg an hour to just 5.9kg an hour.

Making responsible consumption cool In partnership with the Committee for Traffic Safety and the University of Belgrade, we held a number of workshops to promote responsible drinking among university students. Our international “When You Drive, Never Drink” campaign was presented to over 1,000 students and they had the opportunity to participate in various activities, such as trying on glasses that simulate vision under the influence of alcohol and checking their reflexes on the special “BATAK Champion Reaction” machine.

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PLANET

Drinking Water, Health

INTERVIEW

Better Understanding

Of Protocol’s Importance Needed In April 2013, the Republic of Serbia became the twenty-sixth Party to the UNECE/WHO Protocol on Water and Health to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

BILJANA FILIPOVIĆ,

Minister’s Deputy, Sector for International Cooperation and European integration, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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local communities and municipalities to participate in ccording to the Law on Ratification of the Protocol on future activities under the Protocol and, ultimately, to Water and Health, ministries responsible for health, further improve the Serbian population’s access to safe water management and environmental protection drinking water and sanitation. ensure its implementation.

The National Working Group for the implementation of the The national process of accession to the Protocol, Protocol (PWH) was established as a coordination mechanism which lasted two years and included broad consultatito undertake joint measures and activities important for the ons among different stakeholders, thematic workshops, awareness-raising and media The National Working Group for the implementation of the campaigns, was important not Protocol (PWH) was established as a coordination mechanism only to inform the general public about the benefits of acto undertake joint measures and activities important for the cession, but also to motivate implementation of this important international document

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One of our priorities is to increase access to potable water for disadvantaged groups.

With respect to equitable access to water and sanitation, the Ministry of Environmental Protection conducted the project ‘Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation in Serbia’, which was very significant in terms of considering disparities and contrasts between urban and rural areas.

The effects of gradual climate change and extreme we-

implementation of this important international document.

The Republic of Serbia fulfilled the main Protocol’s obligations by setting national targets and target dates according to Article 6 of the Protocol, clearly acknowledging priority areas for setting specific targets and implementing measures, such as improving the situation and management of small-scale water supplies and sanitation systems in rural areas, improving water and sanitation in schools, introducing a water safety plan (WSP) approach and introducing regular, systematic and cost-effective risk-based surveillance approaches.

In 2016, with the support of the Italian Government, the Ministry responsible for environmental protection and the Regional Development Agency for the Šumadija and Pomoravlje regions implemented a project relate to the situational analysis of water and sanitation (WASH) in the rural schools of 13 municipalities.

Present activities are focused on promoting the Protocol on Water and Health at the international, national and local levels, with the aim of supporting local stakeholders in implementing targets, particularly related to small-scale water supply and sanitation systems and WASH in schools, as well as

ather events, such as floods and droughts, represent an additional challenge to the sustainable provision of safe water and adequate sanitation in the region.

The opening of Chapter 27 in the negotiation process with the European Union, which covers environmental and climate change policies, remains our best chance to change the situation in the water sector for the better. There are still many challenges to the implementation of plans and regulations in this field, and significant advancements will be achieved after the full transposition of the EU Acquis related to drinking water directives.

The Protocol is a success story for the environment and health process. Serbia will use the opportunity, as a country chairing the Bureau of the Protocol, to consolidate this success by encouraging further accessions of other countries in the region to the Protocol, with the aim of improving the water and health situation. «

The opening of Chapter 27 in the negotiation process with the European Union, which covers environmental and climate change policies, remains our best chance to change the situation in the water sector for the better better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in Protocol implementation.

Serbia took over presidency of the Bureau of the Protocol for the next triennium at the Fourth Meeting of the Parties, held in November 2016 in Geneva, and is continuing to support the programme area on small-scale water supply and sanitation systems, co-leading together with Germany since 2014.

In Serbia as a whole, 99 per cent of urban and 98 per cent of rural populations have access to improved sources of drinking water. Nearly 100 per cent of the population of Serbia live in households that use improved sanitation facilities.

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INTERVIEW

Environmental Problems In AP Vojvodina – Possible Solutions Vojvodina’s main resources are its agriculture, oil, gas, waterways...

Vojvodina’s main environmental issues are a lack of wastewater treatment plants, unregulated waste management, a lack of windbreaks, a disastrously small percentage of woodlands, and natural disasters caused by climate change

BRANISLAV BLAŽIĆ, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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system has been crucial for the life of the region. Today, instead nvironmental protection has been neglected and irresof being an advantage, it is Europe’s environmental black spot. ponsibly managed for decades, causing a weakening of Twenty thousand kilometres of canals could irrigate the 1.1 million the resource potential and constant degradation of the hectares of Vojvodina’s arable land. Instead, they provide water environment. As these problems are connected, the deteriofor only 40,000 hectares, which is less than 4%. Until 1990, ration of one causes the deterioration of the other, creating a vicious circle that can only be escaped Due to the lack of wastewater treatment plants, the irrigation by quick and efficient synchronised action and finding a comprehensive network is constantly being polluted. In some places, such as solution to all the problems. the Great Bačka Canal, the flora and fauna have been For centuries, Vojvodina’s irrigation

completely destroyed

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addition to looking at the problem itself, we want to see what progress each municipality has made in resolving it, either on its own or with the support of domestic or foreign funds, including whether project documentation has been prepared, whether locations have been identified and whether any infrastructure work has already started. The second step is a political one. It means presenting the idea and getting political support for it, both at home and from the mentor country. In this regard, I have talked to the director of the Serbian Environmental Agency and the representatives of the Austrian Embassy to Serbia and received their full support. I chose Austria because some Austrian companies are already present in Vojvodina, because this is a country with great know-how, experience and results

150,000 hectares of land were irrigated, four times as much as today. On average, 20% of arable land in Europe is irrigated, which means that we should approach this problem seriously.

Due to the lack of wastewater treatment plants, the irrigation network is constantly being polluted. In some places, such as the Great Bačka Canal, the flora and fauna have been completely destroyed.

The lack of windbreaks and woodlands has an adverse effect on the canal network, its potential and crop yield. Winds take the fine layer of humus off the surface of the fields. They carry, scatter and deposit it in the canals along with all the minerals it contains. Because they are highly nutritious, these deposits cause the canal vegetation to flourish, obstructing the water flow and aggravating the poor condition of the canal network. Because of people’s lacking awareness and care, and because there is no proper waste management system in place, they add to the problem by throwing solid waste into rivers and canals.

Only three regional landfills in Vojvodina meet European standards and there is no consistent waste sorting and recycling system.

To solve these problems we need a lot of money, and if they are to be tackled one by one it will take a long time. This is why I have come up with an integrated problem-solving model, which will take as little time as possible and sever the endless sequence of reciprocal negative cause and effect. The idea is to hold international talks and find a country that has the finances, the know-how, the experience and the capacity to mentor us, i.e. to help us understand and solve our problems.

in environmental matters, and beOnly three regional landfills in Vojvodina meet European standards cause it has a proved itself a friend and there is no consistent waste sorting and recycling system to Serbia.

We will be visiting Vienna in late May to discuss our ideas in detail with the relevant Austrian ministry, the Environment This special relationship would partly be based on concessions, Agency of Austria and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. on the delegation of activities within specific time-frames, and If the model proves successful, it could be a pilot project partly on government debt. We believe that Serbia would get for other Serbian regions. The proposed model of comprehenmuch greater funding from the pre-accession funds than if it sive problem solving on a single geographic territory involves applied on its own. This would be a large short-term investment state-of-the-art technology and can be strategically planned project, which would boost economic activity and create new on a larger territory in an integrated manner, and followed by jobs not only in the area of wastewater treatment but also in cost-effective and efficient services, compliance and support. the entire field of environmental management. The elimination If feasibility studies prove this model to be effective and of adverse factors would help increase revenue from farming. worthwhile, I would like to see Vojvodina as the greatest building Turning waste into profit would not only solve environmental site in Europe for environmental infrastructure, with work carried problems but have a positive effect on Vojvodina’s economy. out in every part, and where, by educating our citizens and raising What steps do we need to take along the way? First, one awareness, we would create a civilised and environmentally-friendly that we have already taken, which is to create a ‘cadastre’ of region by all European and environmental standards. « all environmental problems in Vojvodina, by municipality. In

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PLANET

Traffic - Eco Vehicles

INTERVIEW

What Are

“Eco Vehicles”?

We all know what a “sports car” or “allterrain vehicle” is, while some who are better informed know what the “B-segment” of European car classification is, or what a “crossover” is in terms of an all-terrain vehicle intended for city driving, but what’s an ‘Eco Vehicle’?

“design and production”, “use” and “post-use” following the end of the vehicle’s life.

At the design stage, we will take into account performance, vehicle size and the purpose for which it will be used. We will envisage materials from which the car will be made, with special limitations (minimisation) in the use of harmful and hazardous materials and substances. We will also focus on the fact that in the production of both types of vehicles most of the materials such be envisaged as originating from recycled materials rather than raw materials taken from the environment, as well as that special measures are taken for their production and later use to be designed with reduced energy consumption – creating an energy efficient vehicle.

In the phase of the vehicle’s production, we will take care to ensure that the consumption of raw materials and substances, energy and water consumption are energy and materials efficient.

It is particularly necessary to bear in mind that the production of these vehicles, both the ‘FIAT 500L’ and our ‘Eco vehicles’, utilises materials that are essential to obtain such a product: steel, aluminium for the chassis, paints and varnishes, various types of non-ferrous metals for electronics and electrical installations, rubber for pneumatics and seals, plastics, adhesives, lead for the production of accumulators/starters, acids etc. The process of producing the actual materials used for the production of vehicles contributes to environmental pollution, which then raises a question as to whether it is possible at all to achieve all the norms, in terms of the life cycle of the product, for our ‘Eco Vehicle’ to have a significant advantage over other vehicles.

The usage phase is the most difficult for monitoring and evaluating, as it can last 10 years or more. During this period we

ALEKSANDAR VESIĆ, Assistant Minister in the Sector for Environmental Management, Ministry of Environmental Protection

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n order to answer this question, we will have to “park” and head out into the field of environmental protection.

If we understand the term ‘Eco Vehicle’ as referring to a car with a reduced environmental impact, the first question will impose itself: reduced in relation to what? This leads us to the point at which we need to establish the basis for our research.

Considering that we live and work in the Republic of Serbia, the basis could be the ‘FIAT 500L’, bearing in mind that it is a medium-class vehicle that it is also produced in our country.

Now we can take hold of the tool called “product life cycle”, which is used in today’s economy as an excellent basis for product development and customising products to suit customers’ demands. As a product, on one side we will have the ‘FIAT 500L’ and on the other our ‘Eco Vehicle’. We will observe both vehicles through the phases of their “life cycle”, which means through

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should take into account: Fuel consumption per 100 km, emissions into the air (especially carbon dioxide – CO2, but also sulphur oxide – SOx, and nitrogen oxides – NOx, soot particles etc.), but also the replacement of tyres and other consumable materials, frequency of service and other maintenance requirements, noise in the environment and longevity. This is a good juncture to note that when assessing individual ‘Eco Vehicles’, which do not have exhausts and do not emit gasses in the air, there must also be consideration for whether the electricity itself is produced from renewables, i.e. whether that electricity’s generation itself has a negative impact on the environment, given that electricity in the Republic of Serbia is mostly obtained from thermal power plants, and that in this regard the emission factor of the network must be taken into account, as a factor for the calculating of kilowatt hours in the emitted CO2 to be comparable to a classic car.

Finally, for the usage phase, there remains a comparison and assessment of the recyclability of certain vehicle components, the ease of disassembling the motor vehicle into recyclable components, as well as the handling of waste materials, both non-hazardous and especially those characterised after usage as “hazardous materials”, i.e. “hazardous waste”, especially taking into account the types and quantities of hazardous substances that must be disposed of as hazardous waste and which are an integral part of the ‘FIAT 500L’ and our ‘Eco Vehicles’.

On the basis of the aforementioned, we can conclude that every car has an impact on the environment, to a greater or lesser extent. The measurement and comparability of these influences make it possible for us to really say for some car that it is an ‘eco vehicle’.

of the harmful gases, water vapour is released from the exhaust system into the atmosphere!

Recently, major markets like the United States, Germany and Canada are increasingly seeing the emergence of “hydrogen pumps”, while these vehicles are increasingly present on the road.

The biggest problem – particularly pronounced in the Republic of Serbia – related to the use of electric vehicles and hydrogen powered vehicles concerns a lack of infrastructure to support the use of such vehicles. This is primarily about charging stations, a developed service network and related services.

Other problems that can be noticed are economic power, reluctance to embrace new innovations, poor environmental

awareness and insufficient promotions of such vehicles, which are just some of the reasons for the lack of ecological vehicles on Serbian roads.

In accordance with the conclusions of the UN on climate change prevention, which reads: “It is necessary to exclude carbon dioxide emissions and change the pattern of fossil fuel use if we want to save the planet”, some European countries (e.g. Norway and the Netherlands as of 2025, and the UK and France as of 2040) are considering the decision to ban sales of cars powered by fossil fuels (diesel and petrol).

The concept of ecological cars has certainly taken a major step in the world. Nobody knows for certain how long it will take to completely transition to ecological vehicles, but one thing that’s for sure is that we are moving inexorably towards that and the Republic of Serbia should be ready to take on its obligations in terms of environmental protection and preserving natural resources in this field. «

Nobody knows for certain how long it will take to completely transition to ecological vehicles, but it is certain to happen, and the Republic of Serbia should be ready to take on its obligations in terms of environmental protection and preserving natural resources in this field What are the ‘eco vehicles’ with reduced environmental impact that are currently represented, both on the world market and in Serbia? These are vehicles powered by electricity (electric cars) and a combination of a standard internal combustion engine, which is used as required, and an electric motor that has primacy in operating the vehicle – hybrid cars.

Which ‘eco vehicle’ would currently be closest to the ideal from the aspect of environmental protection, and which are currently under represented on the world market? These are hydrogen vehicles, which essentially operate very simply, with hydrogen from the tank “merging” in the fuel cell with oxygen from the air, releasing electricity to power the vehicle, and instead

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