Capacity Building for Local Self-Governments in Environmental Governance

The role of local self-governments in implementing the Law on Nature Protection and reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency were some of the topics discussed at the first workshop aimed at improving environmental governance at the local level. This workshop was organised by the PRO Programme - Local Governance for People and Nature, with the support of the Swiss Government, from 16th to 17th May 2024, in Belgrade.

One of the key activities of the Programme in the improvement of environmental protection is supporting local self-governments in enhancing their internal processes and capacities for environmental governance. The entire support process gathers representatives of 21 local governments participating in this programme activity, as well as relevant national institutions in order to achieve synergy and coordination.

As the cooperation of local self-governments and the Environmental Protection Agency is of great importance for the effective environmental governance, this was an opportunity for local self-governments to learn in detail about their reporting obligations to the National Register of Pollution Sources, as well as the state of their local self-governments in this regard.

Additionally, the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia gave a special review of the Register of Protected Natural Assets, the categorization of protected areas and the role of local self-governments in the process of declaring protected areas.

“This workshop enabled national institutions, in direct dialogue with local representatives, to discuss the immediate obligations of local self-governments and mutual exchange of experience and good practices related to environmental protection”, highlighted Maida Jusufović, Officer for Good Governance at the PRO Programme.

With the support of the Programme, the capacities for implementing environmental governance processes in practice will be strengthened in the following local self-governments: Bela Palanka, Brus, Valjevo, Varvarin, Vrnjacka Banja, Zagubica, Knic, Knjazevac, Koceljeva, Lapovo, Majdanpek, Mali Zvornik, Malo Crnice, Medvedja, Prijepolje, Razanj, Sjenica, Svilajnac, Tutin, Cuprija and Sabac.

This workshop is part of the activities implemented in the Joint UN programme 'PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature' in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with financial support from the Government of Switzerland.