Press Conference organised within the Policy Dialogue for Environmental Protection and Development Action Project

On Wednesday, 16 March 2016, Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER) is organising a Press Conference and a Panel a Panel: Environmental Protection – an Opportunity or a Threat for Economic Development?” The event was organized within the Policy Dialogue for Environmental Protection and Development Action Project financed by the EU office in Kosovo, and implemented between January 2016 and March 2017.

The panellists were:

1. Prof. dr Desimir Petković, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Pristina temporarily located in Kosovska Mitrovica;
2. Dejan Jovanović, Director of the Department for Urban Planning, Cadastre and Environmental Protection in the Municipality of Gracanica;
3. Miloš Gvozdić, owner of the company “Zeleni region”, Municipality of Zvecan;
4. Marija Milenkovic, Project Manager, Institute for Territorial Economic Development.

Panel was opened with a presentation of the Policy Dialogue for Environmental Protection and Development Action Project which is aimed at initiating a broad social dialogue about environmental public policies and their effects on sustainable socio-economic development in the North Kosovo municipalities.

The panelists also discussed the current environmental situation in North Kosovo, as well as in Gracanica. They agreed that the situation was very bad and that it is urgent to solve problems. Improper disposal of industrial and communal waste and no treatment of waste waters are the biggest polluters of soil, water and air. The participants also stated that awareness was very low in case of environmental issues, and that there local self-governments have a lack of capacities and funds to deal with those issues, which is a very important aspect for solution of these problems.

Municipality of Gračanica underlines legal framework as a big problem, which does not allow local –self government to establish a landfill, and which is why they have a large number of wild landfills. Great efforts are invested in obtaining permits to build transfer centres for waste, which could solve the problem. Also, the lack of a public utility company is a big obstacle, and for those operations private companies are hired, and cooperation with them is very bad.

In the topic of private sector development, it was underlined that it is necessary to enforce laws, to have a clear strategy and plan of the local self-government, as well as a program of subsidies for entrepreneurs. Numerous challenges, from customs obstacles, small quantities and price of waste, to a lack of understanding among local authorities and population, all stand in the way to improving environmental protection and economic development.

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