Members present:

Acad. Vlado Kambovski – Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Elena Mujoska Trpevska – Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Hristina Odzaklieska – Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning

Anya Jovanova – Front 21/42

Marjan Mihajlov – Expert

Marija Milkova – Crisis Management Center

Baze Dimitriovski – Ministry of Interior

Darko Blinkov – State Environmental Inspectorate

Jasna Orovcanec Arangjelovic – Macedonian Association of Young Lawyers

Zharko Hadzi-Zafirov – Center for Legal Research and Analysis

Ana Vasileva – Center for Legal Research and Analysis

On June 10, 2021 (Thursday) in the premises of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts was held a working meeting of the Platform for Environmental Justice. The working meeting was chaired by the President of the Platform for Environmental Justice, Academician Vlado Kambovski, focusing on three points: presentation of the Roadmap for implementation of environmental policies and discussion of current developments in our country about the Draft Law on Amending the Law on urban planning, by summary procedure and Draft-law on Determining the Legal Status of Illegally Constructed Buildings.

Academician Kambovski, as one of the authors of the Roadmap, presented the key findings from it. He pointed out that it is a happy circumstance that the awareness for acting and making changes towards the improvement of the environment is growing. In order to achieve the goals of the Platform for Environmental Justice, the Roadmap is a rough plan for directing the work of the Platform and is also part of the overall preparations to be made by RNM before and after the start of negotiations for its membership in the European Union, regarding the harmonization of the legal system of RNM with EU law in the priority areas of rule of law and human rights (Chapters 23 and 24) and environmental protection (Chapter 27).

The concept of public policymaking in environmental protection integrates three basic components: public policy, environment, and environmental justice. When talking about environmental policy as a public policy, Academician Kambovski stressed that we do not mean only the guarantee of transparency and accountability, but also the creation and implementation of policy in the protection and improvement of the environment to be by all segments of society. (citizens, civic associations, legal entities, and public institutions). Environmental justice is a modern concept that has risen from the framework of environmental protection and reaches the postulate of justice, and as the weakest element of environmental rights, he emphasized judicial protection of the environment.

The project manager at the CLRA, Zharko Hadzi-Zafirov, also had his speech, emphasizing that the impact on the environment is a long and slow process and it is crucial for the citizens to recognize the interest in the process of environmental protection. Therefore, the Platform in which people from different profiles are members should provide an analytical approach, ie multidisciplinary approach and in creating legal solutions to assist state authorities in perceiving all implications (financial, criminal, misdemeanor, administrative, technical …) what would that law have in society.

The Deputy Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Hristina Odzaklieska, expressed great pleasure that the professional fella is also interested in the protection and promotion of the environment. She listed impunity and non-compliance with violations of the right to a healthy environment as the biggest problem in environmental protection. Ms. Odzaklieska informed the participants that a series of laws have been drafted that regulate issues of interest for environmental protection that are in the parliamentary procedure and she hopes that there will be support from all political entities, especially stressed the need for joint efforts and an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving.

The second part of the meeting was dedicated to the discussion of the two draft laws: Draft Law on Amending the Law on Urban Planning, summary procedure, and Draft Law on Determining the Legal Status of Illegally Constructed Buildings. The fruitful discussion on these two draft laws resulted in recommendations that will be submitted to the Parliament in the hope that during their next consideration these recommendations of the Platform for Environmental Justice will be taken into account.

All those present at the working meeting agreed that at their next meeting it is necessary to invite members of the Ministry of Transport and Communications as the main proponents of these two laws, the public prosecutor’s office, and constitutional judges as direct stakeholders in this process.

At the end of the working meeting, the members of the Platform were informed that the part of the criminal code dedicated to criminal acts for environmental protection will be submitted in order to be reviewed and the members to give their suggestions for timely response of the Platform for Environmental Justice.