Belgrade, October 7, 2020 - Decision-making processes in the areas of environmental protection and climate change remain non-transparent, is one of the main conclusions of the Coalition 27 report entitled "Chapter 27 in Serbia: Progress in the Mist". The seventh annual report also points out as problems the unavailability of timely and accurate data on the state of the environment, inappropriate spending of funds intended for environmental protection, lack of capacity of state bodies, as well as lack of public participation in policy formulation and decision making.

"The key is to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving the environment, because all the well-being we have is not worth it if we do not have a healthy environment. Our report shows that there is room in the state budget for greater investments in the environment, but it is also evident that there is a lack of capacity in most areas. For example, in 11 local governments there is no inspector for environmental protection, and in some he is burdened with other tasks. On the one hand, we can see the intention and will of the state apparatus to improve the environment for citizens, but there is an obvious lack of human capacity to do that, "said the president of the Environmental Engineering Group, Igor Jezdimirovic.

An acute example of the lack of data on the state of the environment is the state of air quality, which has upset Serbia and other countries in the region. Even when there is an obvious public interest, draft laws or bylaws, as well as planning documents that are crucial for a timely response, are not available (the case of the cadastre of small hydropower plants). Access to information of public importance when it comes to nature protection topics is still a challenge for the media, although this mechanism has been functioning in Serbia for years, said the director of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia, Branko Cecen. Journalists often rely on cooperation with civil society organizations in their search for accurate information.

The European Commission's report on Serbia's progress in European integration was published yesterday afternoon and shows that the country has made limited progress in the field of strategic planning. Serbia should dedicate itself much more intensively to the so-called green transition and focuses on strengthening administrative and financial capacities, both at the national and local level, especially when it comes to the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency.

"The recommendations of the European Commission have remained the same as in the previous report, which means that very little has been done in the meantime, and the current pandemic further complicates the situation. The report points out how important it is for the topic of the environment to become the main priority of the political agenda of countries, both in the region and beyond. Water and waste management are big problems and Serbia is only there at the beginning of the implementation of the acquis communautaire. There is a serious shortage of inspectors, especially at the local level, and I am glad to see that there is cooperation and some partnership between inspections and civil society organizations, which can help the authorities enforce the law on the ground. We hope that next year the progress will be much better ", said Madalina Ivanica, coordinator of the enlargement sector in the General Directorate for the Environment of the European Commission, who joined the promotion of the report of Coalition 27 from Brussels.

The Coalition 27 report highlights these and many other challenges, but also suggests solutions that are sometimes very simple, such as the oft-repeated request to public administration: be more transparent. Otherwise, the public's trust in achieving the goal we all strive for together is undermined: a better and healthier environment for the citizens of Serbia and Europe.

You can download the report here.