31 October 2014 31.10.2014- In the European Commission's progress report on Kosovo for 2014, in the chapter on Environment and Climate Change, among the achievements and progress, the following issues were highlighted: the adoption of several laws and administrative instructions such as the Laws on National Parks, the Law on Chemicals, and the Law on Environmental Inspection, as well as the process of drafting environmental plans and strategies such as the Framework Strategy on Climate Change and the National Waste Management Plan. The completion of the air quality monitoring network is also considered an important achievement.
Among the setbacks, among others, the lack of an air pollutant register, the lack of appropriate infrastructure for the storage or treatment of hazardous waste, the non-establishment of the River Basin Authority, the lack of a system for monitoring groundwater, as well as the lack of national plans for the establishment of the Natura 2000 site network have been highlighted.
The report, among other things, recommends ensuring funding for monitoring institutions, particularly to ensure the maintenance of existing air and water monitoring networks, and to create a system for monitoring and reporting Greenhouse Gases. It is also recommended to strengthen the implementation of environmental laws and to make the environment and climate priorities of the government.
It also suggests creating inter-institutional cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning to enable the approval and implementation of policies for low carbon growth.
For more, read the full 2014 Progress Report.