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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

International Earth Day observed

Belgrade, 23 April 2007

The Serbian Minister of Science and Environmental Protection and the society for supporting people with developmental disabilities “Stari Grad” organised yesterday, in the Trg Republike Square in Belgrade, an activity titled “Earth Day – live together” which aims to protect, safeguard and improve the environment, and also bring about changes in society leading to active participation by people in resolving the problem.

Author: Fonet

Director of the Environmental Protection Directorate Miroslav Nikcevic said that the ecological situation in Serbia, according to all indications, is much better today than it was three years ago.

According to all indications, such as the number of laws in the area of environmental protection, inspection methods, ban on work and regulation of major polluters, a lot more has been done than ever before in this area, said Nikcevic.

He said that regardless of the results achieved so far there is a lot of work for the Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection to do since a large number of laws drafted are still to be adopted by Serbian parliament.

The law on waste disposal has been prepared, and drafting of the law on packaging and packaging waste is underway, then there are the laws on nature protection, protection and control of fish population and air protection, said Nikcevic and added that there is a possibility that the legal framework may be completed during a period of six months to a year.

He stressed that most work was done on air protection, owing to the Law on assessment and analysis of influences on environment which all production facilities in Serbia were obliged to implement.

Nikcevic pointed to the fact that the only problem is water protection which is currently outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection.

We proposed that water protection which is outside the jurisdiction of this Ministry is returned to its proper place, to institutions which are responsible for water monitoring, said Nikcevic.

The central event on the Earth Day in Serbia was held in the Special Nature Reserve Zasavica, on the Valjevac pasture.

The event was also attended by Serbian Minister of Science and Environmental Protection Aleksandar Popovic.

The Zasavica reserve, which is managed by the ecological organisation Pokret Gorana from Sremska Mitrovica, was given the 2006 Olive Branch Award for safeguarding, protecting and improving environmental protection.

The award was presented by the ecological magazine of Radio Belgrade’s channel two, edited by Branislav Marinkovic, who said that the award is being given to the Zasavica reserve because it took timely and expert action to safeguard this natural jewel of Serbia.

According to Marinkovic, it is not a coincident that the award has gone to the reserve and the Pokret Gorana organisation, which was entrusted with the management of the reserve by the state ten years ago.

Their achievements speak best for them, and can be observed by anyone who visits the reserve. Not only were endangered species safeguarded, but some were even returned to their natural habitat, said Marinkov.