At a roundtable discussion on the Draft Law on Ports, Secretary of the Committee for Utilities and the Environment of the Union of Municipalities Sanja Zivkovic said that their position is clear: ports of local importance must be managed at the municipal level.

Zivkovic recalled that six coastal municipalities jointly launched an initiative late last year to amend the laws on the coastal zone, spatial planning and construction, and ports. The initiative aims to promote decentralization and transfer management to local administrations.

She added this solution is not new – it is already the practice in Croatia, Albania, and Italy, where municipalities play a key role in the regular management of the coast and ports, ensuring more responsible, sustainable, and fairer resource management.

The Union of Municipalities expressed confidence that Parliament and the Government will recognize that decentralization is not a threat but an opportunity for municipalities and central authorities to work together for the benefit of citizens.