Skopje, 11 November 2023 (MIA) - Overall, there was limited progress during the reporting period in the area of environment and climate change, and last year’s recommendations were partially fulfilled, says the European Commission (EC) in its latest report on the country's progress, adding that North Macedonia is encouraged to take further steps towards the green transition, notably under the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.  

The report recommends that the country should implement concrete measures to reduce air pollution at local and national level and to reduce point and diffuse pollution of freshwater resources, make operational the regional waste management system in the eastern and north-eastern regions; implement the Paris Agreement, including by adopting a Climate Law, consistent with the EU 2030 framework, and by adopting the national adaptation plan, and strengthen significanly the administrative and inspection capacities, and implement structural reforms in all the sectors covered under the Chapter. 

"On horizontal legislation, North Macedonia needs to intensify the work to achieve full alignment with the cornerstone Directives on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment. This negatively impacts all other environmental sectors, infrastructure investments and overall public participation and perception," reads the report. 

The Law on the environment, it adds, was amended in July 2022 to introduce a ban on the construction/reconstruction of new installations for heavy and polluting industries less than five kilometres from a settlement or a nature protected area. 

"The country has not yet aligned with the Directive on environmental liability and the Directive on environmental crime. The lack of specialised staff and weak institutional and administrative capacity are undermining quality control and the performance of environmental impact assessments," notes the EC. 

Whilst air pollution remains a major concern in large cities, limited progress was made on air quality monitoring and no legislative developments on air quality were made during the reporting period.

"The automatic monitoring network continued to be maintained and was upgraded with a new station operating in Ohrid. The cadastres for air emission for Kicevo, Kocani, Stip, Kavadarci, Gevgelija and Prilep were finalised in 2022 While the ones for Veles, Tetovo, Gostivar and Struga are still under development. Air quality plans have been approved for Gostivar Municipality in February 2023 and by the Municipality of Kumanovo in December 2022," the EC says.

In the area of waste management, the process for closing non-standard landfills in the eastern regions is ongoing and the use of plastic bags has decreased. 

"The first (2022-2028) national plan for waste prevention was adopted in September 2022, setting out regulatory, policy and practical measures to be taken by various stakeholders across the public and private sectors. The process for closing non-standard landfills in the eastern regions is ongoing. The use of plastic bags has decreased by 80% since their ban by end-2021 was introduced. A system set up by collective operators for the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme comprising public utilities and licenced private operators for the separate collection of plastic, paper and glass from households and businesses is operational, but capacity is limited," the report says, adding that activities aimed at further improving the EPR system have begun. 

Nevertheless, implementation remains a significant challenge in the waste management sector, it adds. 

"North Macedonia needs to continue efforts to align national legislation with the EU acquis on water quality management. In February 2023, the 2023 water management programme was adopted for the design and construction of new - and maintenance and improvement of existing - public facilities for water supply and regulation of watercourses. The legal and policy framework for integrated water management aligning with the water acquis is largely in place. However, the slow pace of implementation and enforcement is an overwhelming, systemic weakness," the EC notes, adding that some progress was made on increasing the very low level of funding.  

The lack of sustainable financing and of administrative capacity to manage protected areas remain a major challenge, according to the EC. 

"Activities to identify potential Natura 2000 sites continued throughout the country. Initial steps were taken to digitalise the system for issuing permits, promoting information exchange and cooperation to facilitate the implementation of CITES. Progress was made on crossborder cooperation for the protection of Prespa Lake during meetings of the Prespa Park Management Committee and the Water Management Working Group. The implementation of UNESCO recommendations on the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region remains insufficient. The Secretariat of the Bern Convention carried out a mission in connection with the open file “Alleged negative impacts on Ohrid Lake and Galichica National Park - candidates for Emerald areas”, due to infrastructure development. In July 2023the EU and North Macedonia signed the agreement on the country's participation in the LIFE programme. Joining the LIFE programme will allow North Macedonia to participate in the various environmental protection activities, including support for nature and biodiversity and climate action," reads the report. 

The Commission points out that the law on industrial emissions is yet to be adopted and there have been no developments on integrated permitting, adding that North Macedonia should align with the Seveso III Directive, the EU Ecolabel Regulation and the EU EcoManagement and Audit System.

"On civil protection, the European emergency call number E 112 has been available to people across the country since February 2022. Furthermore, the fleet of firefighting planes was serviced and new firefighting equipment was acquired. North Macedonia signed the revision of the administrative arrangement with the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Despite its longstanding participation in the system, no progress has been made in linking the national emergency communication system to the European Commission's Common, Emergency, Communication and Information System (CECIS) or in better defining the role of the national coordinator for the National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction," the Commission says. 

It notes that the new national protection and rescue strategy for 2022-2025 is yet to be adopted. 

"The country needs to take concrete steps to introduce a mandatory training programme for all territorial, fire and rescue/civil protection staff," reads the report. 

Photo: MIA archive