Podgorica, (MINA) – Media in Montenegro are encountering various difficulties in accession information regarding environment protection, and the topics from that field should not be publish only sporadically in media, usually after natural disasters.
That was agreed in the conference “The EU integration process, media freedoms and chapter 27”, organized by the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN).
Head of EU Delegation in Montenegro Aivo Orav said that environment protection is one of the most challenging fields in the EU accession process, which demands significant reforms, investments and strategic vision in which way to protect the nature.
He said that the role of the civic society and media is very important, which should not only channel the voice of the citizens, but also educate them how to get involved.
Orav said that many journalists who have been covering the stories related to environment protection have been meeting numerous difficulties in accessing the information.
Orav said that regional cooperation in the field of environment protection is very important since, as he said, pollution and climate changes know no borders.
Director General of the Environment Protection Directorate Ivana Vojinovic believes that the role of media in the field of environment protection is of great importance, since the citizens want to know about the quality of air, water, and the use of nature resources.
She remarked that media coverage on ecology and the activities covered by the chapter 27 is very important.
Opening of chapter 27, as she said, means introduction of a new, advanced phase which brings new responsibilities to everyone in the society.
CIN president Milka Tadic Mijovic emphasized that Montenegro is defined as an ecological state, but that there is a huge gap between proclamation and the practice.
She said that during the project they had problems in accessing basic information, and that the institutions are closed since “there are usually influential political and economic circles and their interests behind devastation of the environment”.
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