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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

All environmental pollutants to be penalised

Belgrade, 5 September 2007

Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection Sasa Dragin said today that all environmental pollutants will be penalised, and their companies and production will be closed down, while individuals who violate the law will be tried.

Sasa Dragin

Presenting the work of his ministry during the first 100 days of the government’s work, Dragin stressed that a company, regardless of its importance or whether it is private, socially owned, foreign or domestic, will not be allowed to pollute the environment and pose a risk to public health.

Pollutants must know that it is cheaper to build facilities for cleaning toxic materials than to pay penalties, of which the maximum now stands at RSD 3 million, said the Minister and added that very soon new legal regulations will be enforced which will allow effective penalties.

He stressed that his ministry has sent a strong message to pollutants that they cannot continue activities as in the previous period, and specified that during 100 days of the government’s work 1,773 examinations of industrial pollutants were conducted, 320 decisions were passed, and 12 reports were registered.

The Minister pointed to the fact that in 32 companies temporary production bans were imposed, and explained that these are major pollutants, such as the Azatora and Pancevo refinery, a few companies in Knjazevac responsible for massive destruction of fish in Timok River, such as the company SIK Kopaonik in Kursumlija which has polluted the Banjska and Timok rivers several times.

According to Dragin, for the first time the department for integral prevention of environmental protection has been formed, which will be responsible for monitoring the work of 240 biggest companies.

That implies that these companies must obtain integral ecological licenses by 2015, said Dragin and added that those companies which do not have this license will not be able to continue working in Serbia, while new companies must have this license at beginning of work.

He stressed that for the first time clear conditions in environmental protection are also defined which the future buyer of RTB Bor must fulfill.

Dragin said that the ministry will work on four levels, control of environmental pollutants, adopting legal regulations which are harmonised with those of the EU, solving biggest environmental problems in Serbia such as Bor, Pancevo, Veliki Backi canal, and raising public awareness.

The minister announced that from October 10 a three day ministerial conference titled “Environment for Europe” will be held in Belgrade, where important decisions for improving the environment will be brought, and it is expected that 1500 delegations from all around the world will attend it.