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Montenegro ready to open Chapter 27

Montenegro ready to open Chapter 27

Montenegro has made significant progress when it comes to reaching EU standard in environmental protection and climate change and it is ready open Chapter 27, they said in Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.
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Director of Directorate for EU Integration in Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Marija Vukčević, said that the plan is to have national regulations match EU legislation by 2018.
She reminded that Montenegro plans to be ready for EU membership by 2020, and all the standards in environment protection should be met by then.
„However, in order to meet certain EU standards in Montenegro, great funds are necessary for infrastructure, such as in the case of waste waters. Current plans indicate that these standards will be met in full by 2035”, Vukčević said to MINA Agency.
She said that a lot of things have been accomplished so far, and that almost all municipalities on the coast have infrastructure for treatment of waste waters.
According to her, once a facility for filtering waste water is established in Ulcinj and Bar by 2020, Montenegro will have this issue solved on the coast.
She said that in Mojkovac, public service established a system of differentiated collecting of waste – paper, carton, cans, nylon, plastic.
„Households separate paper, cans and plastic and the waste is picked up on certain days. There is also an education program for citizens Think twice, waste is resource!”, Vukčević said.
She said Montenegro is ready for negotiations within Chapter 27 because it has a clearly defined plan for the next four years. Vukčević said that Montenegro is aware of the cost of adjusting regulations.
„Special challenge will be to make institutions adjust to new obligations that come from EU legislation. There is also a lack of human resources in some matters of environment and climate change, especially on a local administration levels”, Vukčević said.
She said that Montenegro has fulfilled conditions to open this chapter.
„Council of EU asked that Montenegro makes total strategy for transposition, implementation and application of legislation for Chapter 27 as a condition to start negotiations. The Government passed this strategy in the end of July this year, after it has been green-lighted by European Commission”, she said.
Currently, EC is preparing a report on fulfilling the condition that will be discussed in Council of EU and that will be a basis to decide whether Montenegro is ready to open this Chapter.
„Judging by our experience so far, it would be realistic that this Chapter is opened in the beginning of next year. We achieved a great success this year by passing the strategy”, Vukčević said.
She said that Montenegro is currently working on strengthening administrative capacities for Chapter 27.
„Within next 4 years, the Government is planning to double the number of employees in environment and climate change. Inspection in ecology will be especially strengthened”, she said.
She said there are currently 6 ecological inspectors in Montenegro, but the Government plans to have 24 inspectors by 2020, thus providing better supervision of legislation implementation.
She said that NGO sector provided a lot of support in creating conditions for opening Chapter 27.

Source: CDM

http://www.cdm.me/english/montenegro-ready-to-open-chapter-27

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