Environment
Montenegro, Republic of Srpska to set up expert team to assess impact of HPP Buk Bijela on Tara river
26 July 2021 - The two sides have agreed to form an expert team of seven members, whose task will be to review the project documentation.
EU Forest Strategy targets 3 billion trees planted by 2030
23 July 2021 - The new EU Forest Strategy includes roadmap to increase the number of trees grown per year from 300 million to 600 million.
Slovenia’s Vizjak proposes referendum on country’s energy future
21 July 2021 - Minister Andrej Vizjak said a plebiscite should be held on Slovenia's overall energy plans and not just on the second nuclear reactor for Krško
Croatia bans single-use plastic products
20 July 2021 - Croatia's parliament has adopted a new law on waste management which bans the sale of single-use plastic products.
Greece sees sharpest coal emissions cut among EU coal-producing countries
19 July 2021 - Greece has achieved a 56.3% reduction in emissions in the sectors covered by the EU ETS, the third best performance among member states.
Plastic Free July: How much plastic waste is dumped into the ocean?
14 July 2021 - While the US is the world’s biggest generator of plastic waste, India is responsible for dumping the largest amounts of plastics into the ocean.
European Parliament wants fossil fuel subsidies phased out by 2025
13 July 2021 - Members of the European Parliament said that all environmentally harmful subsidies should be phased out by 2027.
124,000 sign petition against lithium mine as Rio Tinto mulls project Jadar 2
13 July 2021 - Even though people around Serbia are increasingly protesting Rio Tinto’s plan to open a jadarite mine, the British-Australian miner is in talks with the government on expanding the project.
Coal power stations in Western Balkans emit twice as much SO2 as EU plants
13 July 2021 - The Western Balkans’ 18 coal-fired power plants released twice as much sulfur dioxide in 2019 as all 221 such facilities in the EU.
Serbia enables state agriculture land to be leased for solar, wind projects
12 July 2021 - The Government of Serbia adopted the decree on the leasing of state-owned agricultural land for non-agricultural use.
Serbia’s Ministry of Energy files charges against ex-minister of environmental protection over small hydropower plants
12 July 2021 - Serbia's Ministry of Mining and Energy filed criminal charges against the ex-environment minister and the Director of the Institute for Nature Conservation
Belgrade, Zagreb, Skopje out of race for European Green Capital 2023 as Sofia makes it to final four
08 July 2021 - Sofia is among the finalists for the European Green Capital 2023 award, while Belgrade, Zagreb, and Skopje are out of the race.
Only a handful of EU countries ban single-use plastics as deadline expires
06 July 2021 - The EU's deadline to ban single-use plastics has passed, but only a handful of member states have done enough to comply.
Women in Drina basin have power to solve environmental threats
03 July 2021 - Participants of the workshop said an increasing number of women from different spheres are becoming active in efforts to protect the environment and that they have the enthusiasm and energy to combine their strengths to create models for sustainable development with a particular focus on gender issues.
Nine Western Balkan mayors sign declaration to tackle air pollution
01 July 2021 - Nine Western Balkan mayors have signed a declaration to undertake voluntary measures aimed at reducing air pollution in their cities and municipalities.
Amnesty condemns defamation lawsuits against environmentalists in Kosovo*
29 June 2021 - Small hydropower plant owner KelKos launched defamation lawsuits against Shpresa Loshaj and Adriatik Gacaferi to intimidate and silence them, Amnesty International claims