The non-governmental organization “Syri i Vizioni”, within the project “Implementation of the Law on Nature Protection”, held a public debate in which the implementation of this law in practice was discussed.
Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Shpëtim Rudi, Deputy Minister, Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission of the BPMPH, Mr. Nait Hasani, representatives of municipalities, the Agency and Institute for Environmental Protection in Kosovo, civil society and the media.
MPH Deputy Minister Shpëtim Rudi said that “the Ministry is issuing by-laws such as administrative instructions, and we have also made the national action strategy 2011-2020, but the lack of budget remains a challenge for its implementation.”
While the chairman of the parliamentary committee Mr. Nait Hasani said that “this year, the parliamentary commission also has on its work agenda the monitoring of the Nature Protection Law, for which civil society will help, and we will welcome the reports that come out regarding the monitoring of laws, especially this law”.
Shefqet Uka, the deputy mayor of the municipality of Peja, said that “The municipalities are not at all aware of the instructions and other by-laws that come from this law, and that are issued by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, because there is a lack of proper communication between the level central and municipal”.
This debate is part of the activities that the NGO “Syri i Vizioni” from Peja, supported by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), is doing in monitoring the implementation of the Nature Protection Law throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.
At the end of the debate, some recommendations came out:
• The government allocates a larger budget for the Ministry of MESP in environmental protection
• To increase the cooperation of institutions from the central level to the local level
• To include municipalities and the community as well as various interest groups during the drafting of laws, by-laws and administrative instructions
• Citizens should be informed more about the law, either through television spots or debates
• Find opportunities to compensate property owners whose properties are in the protected area according to this law
• To carry out professional analysis before initiating the change or amendment of laws or other by-laws
Pristina, March 2, 2012
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