Podgorica, (MINA) – The area of waste management is one of important segments in the EU accession talks under Chapter 27, which is why it is important to be careful with commitments, because an unrealistic approach could lead to subsequent payment of penalties, the NGO Ozon has stated.
Ozon Director Aleksandar Pejovic told Mina that it is important for Montenegro to plan the dynamics of implementing EU rules and standards, in order to avoid paying penalties, which was the case with Croatia and some other countries after their EU accession.
According to him, the current state of play in the area of waste management is not in line with citizens’ expectations.
“Citizens cannot be satisfied, especially if we know that we are paying for the maintenance of public utility infrastructure through the bills paid to the public utility companies, which in many municipalities dispose their waste illegally at unregulated city landfills, thereby threatening the environment and public health in the most primitive way,” Perovic noted.
He explained that, in addition to partially regulated sanitary landfills in Podgorica and Bar, which are used for the disposal of part of the waste from the Capital City, Danilovgrad, Pluzine and the coastal municipalities, this area is also characterized by temporary waste disposal sites.
“Some of those sites have had the status of temporary locations for over 15 years,” Perovic explained.
“What represents a big opportunity for improving the situation in the area of waste management is the global shift from a linear into a circular economy, in which waste has been recognized as a resource, with a significant potential, and that fact should not be underestimated,” the Ozon director said.
This article was published with the financial support of the European Union available within the framework of the project “Dealing with Ethics and Fake News” IPA2018/397-252. The Mina agency assumes full responsibility for its contents, which do not necessarily reflect the position of the EU.
