The KLGI Institute brought stakeholders together to discuss environmental policies at the local level

The Kosovo Local Government Institute (KLGI) organised a public discussion on “Environmental Policies at the Local Level”. The discussion, which coincided with ‘International Earth Day’, brought together stakeholders from the central and local levels and local and international organisations to discuss opportunities for cooperation to advance environmental policies in line with the objectives and responsibilities arising from the environmental protection strategy.

Participants in the meeting were representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, the Directorates of Public Services at the local level, and international and local partner organisations.

Coordination between local and central government is important for improving the state of the environment in the country. Above all, institutions must have priorities and delegate clear competences, tasks and responsibilities for environmental protection. At the same time, they must act in a coordinated manner to fulfil their obligations.

In the environmental sphere too — in the management of waste, forests and other key problem areas — there turn out to be two addresses of accountability. In most issues, despite progress, changes and the advancement of laws, there still continues to be more than one address of accountability, which often makes service management inefficient and ineffective. Legal provisions should therefore clearly define who is accountable, and the resources should lie there too.

Kosovo has a Strategy for Environmental Protection, which should be considered a long-term part of the country's development; above all, social and economic development can go hand in hand with a healthy environment. At the same time, this Strategy represents an important step, through which environmental issues can be developed, planned and managed as a long-term concept.

Advancing the objectives of the Strategy and implementing them is possible only through partnership involving citizens, interest groups, the business community, local and central government institutions and the international community.

Moreover, in order to reduce negative impacts on the environment and, in some cases, to reduce costs, two or more municipalities may jointly develop and adopt their plans and programmes.

This activity was carried out within the project ‘Support for Stronger and More Sustainable Municipalities (SSSM)’, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kosovo.