OSCE Mission supports Serbia in ensuring a greener future

While Serbia is making considerable efforts to bring its environmental legislation into line with EU and international standards, problems persist.

A waste pipe from Serbia's Pancevo industrial complex is flowing into the water of the Danube, pollution from the Novi Sad oil refinery is contaminating the groundwater, while in Kragujevac there are large quantities of inadequately stored hazardous waste. These are just some examples of where the law is not being adequately enforced.

Since the responsibility for the enforcement of environmental laws lies with various ministries as well as the judiciary and specialized environmental inspectorates, good co-operation between these actors is a prerequisite for effective implementation.

The OSCE Mission to Serbia is assisting the Government of Serbia by reinforcing those institutional links and building the capacities of relevant local and state institutions.

Training judges, prosecutors and environmental inspectors

The OSCE Mission has been providing assistance for the implementation of a set of laws on environment protection passed in 2004 and in 2009 for the past two years. An agreement was made with the Serbian Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning and the Association of Misdemeanor Judges for the OSCE to hold specialized training courses for judges, prosecutors and environmental inspectors.

"These seminars are designed to support the efforts of the competent authorities in enforcing environmental legislation through strengthening the capacities of the judiciary and inspectorate and fostering dialogue between them," explains Daina Falloni, Head of the OSCE Mission's Democratization Department.

Mirjana Nikolic, the Secretary of the Misdemeanor Judges Association of Serbia, participated in a training course on proceedings in cases of environmental violations at the beginning of April in Belgrade. "The professional development of judges in the area of environmental violations is an important part in fostering democratic governance and efficient judiciary in the first place," she says.

OSCE assistance in capacity building of relevant institutions

"The trainings have visibly improved the work of inspectors who benefited from the exchange of experience," says Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of Serbia Oliver Dulic. "Environmental inspectors have learnt how to file a valid request for initiation of a misdemeanour case, which has resulted in shorter processing time and increased number of cases."

The growing numbers of filed cases indicates greater public awareness and willingness on the part of the authorities to resolve issues relating to environment violations, which together should contribute to an eventual reduction in the number of violations.

The Mission has also produced manuals on environmental violations proceedings and filing for judges, prosecutors and environmental inspectors, which it promoted in February at a gathering high-level representatives of Serbia's Justice and Environment and Spatial Planning Ministries.

Ways forward

The Mission is planning more trainings courses for judges, prosecutors and environmental inspectors this year.

In addition, in April the Mission supported the opening of the first Aarhus centre in Serbia. The Centre aims to guarantee citizens' rights to be informed of environmental violations and on the various legal procedures on how to deal with them. Introductory workshops on the Aarhus Convention will be held throughout Serbia. The OSCE Mission to Serbia is also working on activities to promote the wider regional co-operation necessary to effectively tackle environmental issues.

Written by Selbi Hanova