State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection Dr Branislav Blazic said that, under the Law on Environmental Protection, the Government is obliged to submit annual reports on the environmental situation in the Republic of Serbia to the National Assembly. The Report contains all the relevant environmental data and in addition to the National Assembly it is made available to the general and expert public.

Environmental Protection Agency Director Filip Radovic presented the 2017 Report on the environmental situation in the Republic of Serbia in brief, stressing that it is among the best reports of its kind in the world. Compared to 2016, the quality of water in the Danube is better, as is the quality of the air, especially in cities such as Bor, opined Radovic. He said that the air quality is expected to be even better next year in view of all the investment into the energy sector. Waste water treatment had in 2017 gone up from 10 to 14%, as had waste collection, reaching 84%. Compared to the previous year, 2017 saw a 15% increase in protected nature reserves, while 13,315 RSD were collected in environmental contributions at the local and national level, Radovic concluded. In the last five years, packaging waste collection has gone up from 20 to 40% and is moving toward the European standard of 50%, while primary separation was introduced in 44 local self-governments, said the Agency Director.

Following a debate in which the MPs and ministry representatives talked about air pollution in cities other than Bor, packaging waste collection and primary separation, as well as the Ministry’s cooperation with local self-governments concerning environmental protection, job creation in the green economy, raising awareness on environmental protection, need for new forestation areas and wind protection zones, the Committee accepted the 2017 Report on the environmental situation in the Republic of Serbia.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Ivana Stojiljkovic, and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Radoslav Cokic, Borka Grubor, Dusko Tarbuk, Milena Turk, Aleksandra Jevtic, Gordana Comic, Ivana Nikolic, Prof. Dr Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic, Dr Ljubinko Rakonjac, Zoran Despotovic and Milena Corilic.

The sitting was also attended by the Committee associates from the Green Chair and the students of the Legal Clinic of Environmental Law of the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.