1st Environmental Charter Meeting

In the primary focus of this first work meeting were the EU directives on air quality and their implementation in our country, as a reminder to all of the actors that we breathe this air 365 days per year, and not only during the winter period when the air pollution topic popular at most.

The Deputy Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Jani Makraduli, took part in the meeting, addressing the connection of the activities of the Clean Air Plan with the EU Directives. "Pollution is a problem that affects almost all countries in Europe and the world, and events and conferences of this type allow us to test and upgrade the directives, tasks and laws that cover this area", said Makraduli stressing that regardless of which country in the world, the activities for reducing air pollution are the same: stimulating energy efficiency, connecting central heating, cleaner industries, stimulating cleaner public transport, replacing old stoves with new ones. According to him, the Clean Air Plan which is aligned with the best solutions designed and already implemented in other countries is the best example of consistent implementation of the EU directives.

The goal of the working group is to hold regular meetings between representatives of the institutions at central and local level, civil society organizations, trade unions, academic representatives and representatives of international organizations focusing on their work based on environmental issues in order to provide a platform for proper communication and cooperation between them, as well as creating a plan for joint action. The ultimate goal is to identify the steps towards the "Environmental Charter", which will define the role, but also the responsibility of all stakeholders in achieving sustainable development with minimum impact on the environment.