Press Releases

After a two-year presiding over the Managing Council of the UNEP Global Ministeral Forum, the Republic of Serbia has handed over this function to the Kingdom of Spain at the 26^th regular session of that body held from 20^th to 25^th February, 2011 in Nairobi (Kenya). Ms Rosa Aguilar Rivero, the current Spanish Minister of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, will preside over the Managing Council of the UNEP Global Ministeral Forum on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain.

Serbian Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr Oliver Dulic met with his colleague Mr Predrag Sekulic, the Minister for sustainable development and tourism of the Republic of Montenegro in Belgrade today.

The ministers expressed their expectation that both countries should intensify their cooperation on environmental protection, especially concerning the issues of waste management, climate change and conservation of nature in order to expedite the processes of joining to the EU.

The Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr Oliver Dulić and the Director of Nature Park "Mokra Gora" Emir Kusturica, opened a two day meeting "Nature Conservation and Natura 2000 in Serbia" today. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning is organizing this meeting in order to present to all interested parties (managers of the protected areas, scientific and technical institutions, as well as the representatives of NGOs) a new legislative framework in the field of nature conservation and biodiversity, as well as the process of establishing a network of protected areas "Natura 2000" in Serbia. One of Serbia's obligations in the process of accession to EU is to become a member of the network of protected areas "Natura 2000".

The Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulić and the Minister of Defence Dragan Šutanovac visited today "Stepa Stepanović " barracks in Voždovac, Belgrade, where the building of the residential complex has been planned. The residential building project on the site of the former barracks forms part of a government's programme aimed at boosting the construction industry and is its largest construction project thus far. The residential complex will consist of more than 4578 apartments constructed on the building land of 42 ha. The complex will also include other accompanying facilities: a school, a healthcare center, kindergartens, sports fields, a mall, parks, pedestrian zones, garages and a parking lot.

Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulić said that the foreign investors show great interest in investing in infrastructure and environmental protection in Serbia. Dulić, while attending the Euromoney economic forum in Vienna, presented to potential investors the opportunities for investment in road and railway infrastructure along Corridor 10, the River Danube and also in environmental infrastructure.

Following a recommendation of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at their tenth conference from 18^th - 20^th  October 2010 in Nagoya, the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011 - 2020 as the UN Decade of Biodiversity (Resolution 65/161). The United Nations General Assembly invited the Member States to participate in this process, as well as to support the full implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 i.e. Aichi biodiversity targets.

Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Mr Oliver Dulić participated today in the work of the 4^th Summer University for Democracy organized by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where he gave a lecture titled ''Political Priorities, Natural and Technological Challenges Caused by the Lack of Natural and Energy Resources.''

According to the latest Report on the implementation of the National Program of Serbian Integration into the European Union (NPI), for the period January-March, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning fulfilled 140 percent of its obligations. Namely, with the 7 regulations planned and adopted prior to the deadline, the Ministry found itself among the most successful according to the above mentioned Report.

Today, in more than 150 countries around the world, people celebrate April 22 - Earth Day. This year's Earth Day marks the launching of the Global Green Generation campaign.  The two-year initiative will culminate on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2010.

The delegation, which included the representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, represented the Republic of Serbia before the European Commission on a Special Meeting on Environment, held in Brussels from 25th to 27th March.

The delegates of the Ministry presented to the European Commission the environmental laws which would soon be passed on to the Serbian Parliament, as well as the data on quality of air and water, waste management, nature protection, industrial pollution and risk management, chemicals, environmental funding, regional and international cooperation.