Newsroom
OSCE Mission welcomes draft environment legislation in Serbia
BELGRADE 17 May 2002
BELGRADE, 17 May 2002 - Ambassador Stefano Sannino, Head of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), expressed today his satisfaction about the fact that the Serbian Government has adopted the draft Environmental law and passed it on to Parliament for deliberation and adoption.
"The OSCE welcomes this development because the draft legislation is the product of the OSCE Mission's support to and cooperation with the Serbian Government in the field of environment", he said.
Important aspects of this programme of support have been: increasing the public awareness of environmental problems (through a media campaign called "Pollution demands a solution") and ensuring nation-wide public participation in the drafting process, meaning the involvement of not only Serbian Government officials but also of local authorities, national and international NGOs and experts as well as other groups and individuals concerned.
In addition to its role in the drafting process, the OSCE Mission to the FRY has also committed itself to the building of the institutions required to implement the new legislation, that is to say the establishment of a Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment.
"For this reason the OSCE Mission encourages the Parliament to adopt the draft Law on amending the Serbian Law on Ministries at its next session," said Ambassador Sannino.
"The OSCE Mission in the FRY is convinced that the coming into being of a new Environment Ministry and the adoption of the required legislation not only correspond to local needs, but will also contribute to increased regional cooperation and present another step in the process of bringing the FRY closer to European and other international structures", he added.
"The OSCE welcomes this development because the draft legislation is the product of the OSCE Mission's support to and cooperation with the Serbian Government in the field of environment", he said.
Important aspects of this programme of support have been: increasing the public awareness of environmental problems (through a media campaign called "Pollution demands a solution") and ensuring nation-wide public participation in the drafting process, meaning the involvement of not only Serbian Government officials but also of local authorities, national and international NGOs and experts as well as other groups and individuals concerned.
In addition to its role in the drafting process, the OSCE Mission to the FRY has also committed itself to the building of the institutions required to implement the new legislation, that is to say the establishment of a Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment.
"For this reason the OSCE Mission encourages the Parliament to adopt the draft Law on amending the Serbian Law on Ministries at its next session," said Ambassador Sannino.
"The OSCE Mission in the FRY is convinced that the coming into being of a new Environment Ministry and the adoption of the required legislation not only correspond to local needs, but will also contribute to increased regional cooperation and present another step in the process of bringing the FRY closer to European and other international structures", he added.