March 18, 2026
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Environmental monitoring in 2026 put to the test: Albania has 59 stations on paper, only 9 operational

The government-approved National Environmental Monitoring Program for 2026 promises a nationwide network of measurement stations for air, water, soil and biodiversity but the gap between design and reality is stark. On paper the plan foresees 59 urban air-quality monitoring stations; in practice only nine are currently functioning, concentrated mainly in Tirana and a handful of other major cities. That shortfall makes 2026 a decisive year for whether the monitoring system will deliver real, transparent environmental data to the public and policy-makers.

Map of the distribution of monitoring stations for environmental indicators in the territory of Albania

Under the Program, urban air monitoring is to cover the principal pollutants: PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matter), benzene, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide, along with priority heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. Noise monitoring is also a component: a planned national network of 67 noise-monitoring stations contrasts with current coverage of 43 stations across 11 urban centers; noise measurements will follow 14-day and continuous 24-hour cycles to assess daytime and nighttime population exposure.

Surface-water monitoring (rivers, lakes, lagoons, coastal waters) and groundwater are included in the Program with standard indicators — total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus, heavy metals and other priority substances and a monitoring frequency calibrated to basin and water-type characteristics. The Program also calls for an annual emissions inventory by economic sector (industry, energy, transport, services) following international methodologies under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, plus greenhouse-gas emission tracking for 2020–2030. Biodiversity and forest monitoring components list systematic sampling plots for threatened species, migration monitoring for key bird species, wildlife surveillance in protected areas and targeted monitoring where chemical or heavy-metal concentrations are high.

Crucially, the Program states that collected data will be processed and incorporated into an annual State of the Environment Report to serve both national policy formulation and reporting obligations to the European Environment Agency. Whether the monitoring network can be brought up to its planned capacity and whether the resulting data will be published with full transparency and timely accessibility remains the central test for 2026

January 22, 2026
by in News

Serbia to put mining strategy to parliament vote

The government passed the draft Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections until 2050, so the National Assembly is required to put it to vote. With full appreciation of economic, environmental and social aspects, the implementation needs to contribute to improving the legal framework, establishing a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, remediation of abandoned mining facilities and securing a stable supply of critical and strategic raw materials, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović stressed.

After a turbulent public discussion process, the Government of Serbia adopted the draft Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections until 2050. Several dozen objections and suggestions were accepted or partly accepted. However, the text of the strategy that will be passed on to the National Assembly for a vote hasn’t been published yet.

A special emphasis is on the development of risk management mechanisms, climate neutrality and the application of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, the government pointed out.

The strategy is based on the principles of sustainable utilization of natural wealth, biodiversity protection, climate resilience and the reduction of negative effects of mining activities, the announcement reads.

According to the report on the environmental impact of the strategy’s implementation, Serbia hosts many deposits of metallic, non-metallic and energy raw materials, groundwaters and geothermal energy. The authors of the accompanying document acknowledged that the exploitation of mineral raw materials in Serbia caused air, water and land pollution. Metals mining hub of Bor and Majdanpek and the Kolubara and Kostolac lignite basins are the most affected.

Another challenge highlighted in the environmental impact report are the abandoned mines, tailings dumps and mining facilities that require remediation and rehabilitation.

Strengthening state’s role in planning, oversight

The document sets a long-term framework for the responsible management of mineral resources and the strengthening the role of the state in planning, oversight and the improvement of the sector of mining and geology, in the interest of citizens and a sustainable development of local communities, the Ministry of Mining and Energy said.

A special emphasis is on critical and strategic raw materials, geothermal energy and rational utilization of natural resources

Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović said the strategy defines programs and measures directed toward a secure supply of domestic companies and the energy system with mineral raw materials, job creation and a greater participation of the domestic industry in the value chain, as well as for reducing import dependency and strengthening the country’s economic stability.

She explained that the focus is particularly on critical and strategic raw materials, geothermal energy and rational utilization of natural resources, alongside the implementation of high environmental and security standards. This is the way, in her words, to protect the environment, improve work safeety and lower the risks for people’s health and the quality of life in local communities.

Treating protected areas responsibly

Dubravka Đedović Handanović added that the strategy clearly defines a responsible treatment of protected areas and the spaces of special natural value, through a principle of prevention and respect toward the protection regime, as well as the transparency in the processes of planning and decision making, so that the citizens would be informed timely and included in dialogue.

With full appreciation of economic, environmental and social aspects, the implementation needs to contribute to improving the legal framework, establishing a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, remediation of abandoned mining facilities and securing a stable supply of critical and strategic raw materials, the minister underscored. She said that in the long term it meant greater safety, a better quality of life and responsible development.

Post Views:232
January 16, 2026
by in News

Serbia to put mining strategy to parliament vote

The government passed the draft Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections until 2050, so the National Assembly is required to put it to vote. With full appreciation of economic, environmental and social aspects, the implementation needs to contribute to improving the legal framework, establishing a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, remediation of abandoned mining facilities and securing a stable supply of critical and strategic raw materials, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović stressed.

After a turbulent public discussion process, the Government of Serbia adopted the draft Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections until 2050. Several dozen objections and suggestions were accepted or partly accepted. However, the text of the strategy that will be passed on to the National Assembly for a vote hasn’t been published yet.

A special emphasis is on the development of risk management mechanisms, climate neutrality and the application of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies, the government pointed out.

The strategy is based on the principles of sustainable utilization of natural wealth, biodiversity protection, climate resilience and the reduction of negative effects of mining activities, the announcement reads.

According to the report on the environmental impact of the strategy’s implementation, Serbia hosts many deposits of metallic, non-metallic and energy raw materials, groundwaters and geothermal energy. The authors of the accompanying document acknowledged that the exploitation of mineral raw materials in Serbia caused air, water and land pollution. Metals mining hub of Bor and Majdanpek and the Kolubara and Kostolac lignite basins are the most affected.

Another challenge highlighted in the environmental impact report are the abandoned mines, tailings dumps and mining facilities that require remediation and rehabilitation.

Strengthening state’s role in planning, oversight

The document sets a long-term framework for the responsible management of mineral resources and the strengthening the role of the state in planning, oversight and the improvement of the sector of mining and geology, in the interest of citizens and a sustainable development of local communities, the Ministry of Mining and Energy said.

A special emphasis is on critical and strategic raw materials, geothermal energy and rational utilization of natural resources

Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović said the strategy defines programs and measures directed toward a secure supply of domestic companies and the energy system with mineral raw materials, job creation and a greater participation of the domestic industry in the value chain, as well as for reducing import dependency and strengthening the country’s economic stability.

She explained that the focus is particularly on critical and strategic raw materials, geothermal energy and rational utilization of natural resources, alongside the implementation of high environmental and security standards. This is the way, in her words, to protect the environment, improve work safeety and lower the risks for people’s health and the quality of life in local communities.

Treating protected areas responsibly

Dubravka Đedović Handanović added that the strategy clearly defines a responsible treatment of protected areas and the spaces of special natural value, through a principle of prevention and respect toward the protection regime, as well as the transparency in the processes of planning and decision making, so that the citizens would be informed timely and included in dialogue.

With full appreciation of economic, environmental and social aspects, the implementation needs to contribute to improving the legal framework, establishing a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, remediation of abandoned mining facilities and securing a stable supply of critical and strategic raw materials, the minister underscored. She said that in the long term it meant greater safety, a better quality of life and responsible development.

Post Views:177
January 5, 2026
by in News

Major industrial polluters in Serbia continue to pollute air, soil, water without control

Around 150 companies in Serbia, potentially major polluters of water, air, and soil, have not obtained their integrated pollution prevention and control permits by December 31, 2024. It means they are violating the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control and, more importantly, that no one controls how much they pollute the environment, according to the analysis of the basic premises of the Draft Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, produced by the Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI).

About 220 operators are required to own an integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit for their industrial and intensive agricultural facilities, such as power plants, oil refineries, large chemical and metal facilities, as well as farms.

Ones that haven’t fulfilled their legal obligation include large and profitable companies such as power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Serbia Zijin Copper.

The Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control has been in force since 2004. Its aim was to introduce integrated pollution prevention and control, as well as to transpose the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

The draft of the new law was recently published

The deadline for obtaining IPPC permits was initially the end of 2020, but it was then postponed to the end of 2024. The basic premises for the new law were published in February. The draft law, recently published as well, is in the public consultation phase.

Programme Director of RERI Mirko Popović stressed that citizens should be aware that there are major polluters and that they are the most profitable and wealthiest companies in Serbia. In his view, they are exempted from the application of the law, to the detriment of the citizens, because they pollute the environment – air, water, soil.

Popović: We want to protect people’s health, property, and rights

Citizens should be aware that when EPS emits 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), it goes into the atmosphere and partially turns into fine particulate matter that pollutes the air and enters the lungs, Popović noted. Some of it becomes acid rain that falls on the soil, making agricultural land less fertile, he added.

“Citizens are obliged to pay taxes, to obey the law, but these polluters aren’t,” Popović pointed out.

According to RERI’s programme director, citizens should know that RERI, an NGO dealing with these problems, doesn’t want to eliminate jobs, close factories, or hinder development.

“We want to protect the health, property, and rights of people,” Popović underscored.

Minić: Pollution reduces economic growth in the long term

serbia ippc permits reri report law
Photo: RERI

When a company has an IPPC permit, it means that it is obliged to implement best available techniques (BAT) while its operations are monitored for comprehensive reduction of air, water, and soil pollution and for compliance with strict emission limit values.

When a company doesn’t have one, the environment is exposed to greater, uncontrolled pollution, since the law doesn’t apply to it.
The legislation stipulates strict emission limit values, defined maximum levels of pollutants, including heavy metals, SO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that a facility is allowed to emit into the air, water, or soil.

Pollution has a negative impact on GDP

According to Slobodan Minić, Senior Economist at Fiscal Council, everything regarding the IPPC law is based on the paradigm that investing in BAT, or technologies that minimize harm to the environment and human health, increases costs and slows growth.

“However, it has been overcome in the world at least a decade ago, because as data on air and environmental pollution became available, more and more research has been conducted on how it affects health. The public in Serbia now knows well what the impact is, between 10,000 and 15,000 premature deaths annually. According to economic literature, pollution also adversely affects GDP,” he stated.

We must think of this not as a cost, but as an investment

He recalled that an OECD study showed that an increase in the average concentration of PM2.5 by one microgram reduces GDP by 0.98%.

“If we want to break out of this vicious circle, we must think of this not as a cost, but as an investment. Not just in the production facility, but in human capital, because it contributes to economic growth, instead of hindering it. Otherwise, in the long term, society and the economy will suffer,” Minić concluded.

Vojvodić: The initial principles do not promise changes in the new law

serbia ippc permits reri report law popovic vojvodic minic
Slobodan Minić, Mirko Popović and Hristina Vojvodić (photo: RERI)

Public consultations on the draft law, which began on November 27, last until December 15.

Hristina Vojvodić, legal advisor in RERI, pointed out that core problems aren’t addressed.

The basic premises of the draft law should have identified the shortcomings of the existing law, based on the 20 years of its implementation, in her view. It isn’t good that these premises were defined without the participation of the members of the working group for the draft law, she explained.

This is a signal to the public, experts, members of the working group that the problems that have been identified were sidelined, Vojvodić asserted.

Of note, RERI produces reports on the implementation of IPPC law to help reduce pollution originating from industry. The organization also defines recommendations for improving the enforcement of regulations and sanctions for polluters.

According to RERI, the research for the latest analysis went beyond the scope of the basic premises. It decided to expand the report to include the issues in the implementation of the law and offer fact-based solutions.

Post Views:294
December 27, 2025
by in News

Major industrial polluters in Serbia continue to pollute air, soil, water without control

Around 150 companies in Serbia, potentially major polluters of water, air, and soil, have not obtained their integrated pollution prevention and control permits by December 31, 2024. It means they are violating the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control and, more importantly, that no one controls how much they pollute the environment, according to the analysis of the basic premises of the Draft Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, produced by the Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI).

About 220 operators are required to own an integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit for their industrial and intensive agricultural facilities, such as power plants, oil refineries, large chemical and metal facilities, as well as farms.

Ones that haven’t fulfilled their legal obligation include large and profitable companies such as power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Serbia Zijin Copper.

The Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control has been in force since 2004. Its aim was to introduce integrated pollution prevention and control, as well as to transpose the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

The draft of the new law was recently published

The deadline for obtaining IPPC permits was initially the end of 2020, but it was then postponed to the end of 2024. The basic premises for the new law were published in February. The draft law, recently published as well, is in the public consultation phase.

Programme Director of RERI Mirko Popović stressed that citizens should be aware that there are major polluters and that they are the most profitable and wealthiest companies in Serbia. In his view, they are exempted from the application of the law, to the detriment of the citizens, because they pollute the environment – air, water, soil.

Popović: We want to protect people’s health, property, and rights

Citizens should be aware that when EPS emits 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), it goes into the atmosphere and partially turns into fine particulate matter that pollutes the air and enters the lungs, Popović noted. Some of it becomes acid rain that falls on the soil, making agricultural land less fertile, he added.

“Citizens are obliged to pay taxes, to obey the law, but these polluters aren’t,” Popović pointed out.

According to RERI’s programme director, citizens should know that RERI, an NGO dealing with these problems, doesn’t want to eliminate jobs, close factories, or hinder development.

“We want to protect the health, property, and rights of people,” Popović underscored.

Minić: Pollution reduces economic growth in the long term

serbia ippc permits reri report law
Photo: RERI

When a company has an IPPC permit, it means that it is obliged to implement best available techniques (BAT) while its operations are monitored for comprehensive reduction of air, water, and soil pollution and for compliance with strict emission limit values.

When a company doesn’t have one, the environment is exposed to greater, uncontrolled pollution, since the law doesn’t apply to it.
The legislation stipulates strict emission limit values, defined maximum levels of pollutants, including heavy metals, SO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that a facility is allowed to emit into the air, water, or soil.

Pollution has a negative impact on GDP

According to Slobodan Minić, Senior Economist at Fiscal Council, everything regarding the IPPC law is based on the paradigm that investing in BAT, or technologies that minimize harm to the environment and human health, increases costs and slows growth.

“However, it has been overcome in the world at least a decade ago, because as data on air and environmental pollution became available, more and more research has been conducted on how it affects health. The public in Serbia now knows well what the impact is, between 10,000 and 15,000 premature deaths annually. According to economic literature, pollution also adversely affects GDP,” he stated.

We must think of this not as a cost, but as an investment

He recalled that an OECD study showed that an increase in the average concentration of PM2.5 by one microgram reduces GDP by 0.98%.

“If we want to break out of this vicious circle, we must think of this not as a cost, but as an investment. Not just in the production facility, but in human capital, because it contributes to economic growth, instead of hindering it. Otherwise, in the long term, society and the economy will suffer,” Minić concluded.

Vojvodić: The initial principles do not promise changes in the new law

serbia ippc permits reri report law popovic vojvodic minic
Slobodan Minić, Mirko Popović and Hristina Vojvodić (photo: RERI)

Public consultations on the draft law, which began on November 27, last until December 15.

Hristina Vojvodić, legal advisor in RERI, pointed out that core problems aren’t addressed.

The basic premises of the draft law should have identified the shortcomings of the existing law, based on the 20 years of its implementation, in her view. It isn’t good that these premises were defined without the participation of the members of the working group for the draft law, she explained.

This is a signal to the public, experts, members of the working group that the problems that have been identified were sidelined, Vojvodić asserted.

Of note, RERI produces reports on the implementation of IPPC law to help reduce pollution originating from industry. The organization also defines recommendations for improving the enforcement of regulations and sanctions for polluters.

According to RERI, the research for the latest analysis went beyond the scope of the basic premises. It decided to expand the report to include the issues in the implementation of the law and offer fact-based solutions.

Post Views:209
December 10, 2025
by in News

North Macedonia plans energy renovation of 14 major public buildings

North Macedonia’s Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources has finalized a plan for the reconstruction of 14 public buildings, describing it as the most extensive energy renovation of the country’s institutions to date.

The plan for the reconstruction of buildings used by the state administration for the period 2025–2028 establishes a clear, three-year framework for the most extensive energy renovation of institutions in the country to date, the Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources said.

The program covers 14 public buildings with a total usable area of nearly 103,000 square meters. They host 33 institutions with 5,000 employees.

The estimated value of the program is about EUR 11.11 million, including technical inspections, projects, supervision, and implementation, according to the ministry.

The plan aims to ensure less pollution, better air quality, and more efficient spending of public funds

The ministry pointed out that the goal of the energy renovation is to reduce energy costs, improve working conditions, reduce emissions, and modernize the public sector in line with European standards.

Less pollution, better air quality, and more efficient use of public money are the benefits that will be felt by both institutions and citizens, the ministry stressed.

This strategic document is envisaged by the reform agenda and represents a legal obligation to renovate at least 3% of the total usable area of public buildings each year.

The ministry recalled that the plan marks an important step in the transposition of European Union legislation on energy efficiency – Directive 2018/2002/EU and Regulation 2018/1999/EU – and that it is aligned with the country’s obligations towards the Energy Community.

The plan covers three groups of buildings

The plan groups buildings into three categories according to their condition and the urgency of renovation.

The first group includes the buildings used by the Ministry of Health (along with the Institute for Public Health and the state sanitary and health inspectorate), the State Statistical Office, the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre, and the hydrometeorological administration.

The second group includes part of the Ministry of Economy, the building housing the administration agency, the state inspectorate for energy, mining and mineral resources, as well as a broad administrative bloc — including the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Local Self‑Government, the State Election Commission, the Agency for Medicines, and the secretariat for legislation.

The third group includes eight buildings that were previously renovated but require energy upgrades and modern systems.

Each building will undergo an energy audit, after which specific measures will be defined – ranging from thermal insulation of façades and window replacement to the installation of solar thermal systems, PV panels on roof structures, and modern heating, lighting, and automated consumption-control systems, the ministry explained.

Post Views:102
December 2, 2025
by in News

Air pollution spikes throughout Croatia

The Croatian Ministry of the Environment and Green Transition has warned of air pollution across most of the country in previous days. It expects improvement over the weekend.

“In recent days, with the arrival of colder weather and the start of the heating season, a significant increase in the concentrations of air pollutants has been recorded, especially particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) across most of Croatia,” the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition said.

Measuring stations of the State Network for Continuous Monitoring of Air Quality, as well as local stations in most of Croatia’s mainland, are recording a significant increase in the concentrations of air pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5 particles.

Especially in Zagreb, Sisak, Kutina, Koprivnica, Bjelovar, and Slavonski Brod, monitoring stations registered levels as high as 100 micrograms per cubic meter at times. It is several times above the limit defined by the regulations, the update reads.

The increase in concentrations is primarily driven by emissions from household heating

Two to three times higher values than usual were also recorded at the station in the village of Desinić, on the border with Slovenia. It demonstrates that PM particulate air pollution in Croatia is not exclusively a local or urban issue, but a regional challenge, the ministry stressed.

The cause of the increase in concentrations are primarily emissions from household heating, particularly fueled by solid fuels: wood and coal, the update underlines. The situation is further aggravated by stable weather conditions, the lack of wind, and the occurrence of a temperature inversion.

An additional contribution to air pollution comes from traffic

In urban areas, especially in Zagreb, transportation enhances air pollution. Its impact has intensified in recent years due to the constant growth in the number of vehicles, according to the ministry.

Although wood heating remains the most significant source of PM, all emission sources, including traffic and industry, are amplified in such stable meteorological conditions, the ministry added.

Wind and warmer weather are expected to improve air quality

The ministry claims that current concentrations aren’t causing acute health problems. However, long-term exposure to excessive concentrations of PM increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and shortens life expectancy.

Particularly vulnerable are sensitive population groups such as the elderly, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The ministry advised citizens to monitor the air quality forecasts of the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) and the information on the Air Quality Portal. The portal offers an overview of the current air quality situation in the country with real-time data.

The ministry also recommended that citizens, particularly people with chronic illnesses, the elderly, and children, reduce outdoor activities during periods of such excessive concentrations.

In cooperation with the state institutions and local authorities, the ministry is implementing measures defined in air quality action plans to reduce emissions. DHMZ is currently implementing several projects on air protection and is preparing new ones.

An improvement in air quality is expected over the weekend, when temperatures will rise and the southwesterly wind will strengthen, the ministry said.

Post Views:26
December 2, 2025
by in News

Nearly 9 in 10 citizens in Serbia call for deposit return system – survey

Almost 90% of citizens in Serbia support the introduction of a deposit return scheme, according to a survey conducted by Every Can Counts. It is also the highest level of support among all 16 countries where the poll was conducted.

The report titled Global Recycling Habits and Attitudes 2025, based on the survey’s results, represents another confirmation that citizens in Serbia support the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS). Similar survey results were published in 2021 and 2022.

Despite officially planning it for many years, the authorities in Serbia haven’t rolled out such a deposit mechanism yet. According to one of the latest announcements, from October 2023, the introduction is set for 2027.

The benefits of a deposit system are well known. Romania is among the countries that introduced it relatively recently.

Following its 2020 and 2022 campaigns, Every Can Counts (ECC) commissioned another global research in 2025 into people’s recycling behaviours and attitudes. The study was designed and analysed by Made with Insight.

It covered 16 countries: Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Plastic pollution tops global concerns

world Every Can Counts report 2025 serbia drs plastic pollution

Plastic pollution tops global concerns, matching climate change, deforestation, and air pollution in public priority. Nearly 9 in 10 people worldwide see plastic waste as an important issue and 72% say it is very/extremely important.

The strong consensus highlights growing public demand for action to reduce plastic waste alongside broader climate and environmental goals, according to ECC.

Perceptions of drink cans vary notably by market but remain relatively low across all measures. For recyclability, the highest scores come from the USA (25%), Serbia (24%), and Greece (23%). Sustainability perceptions peak in the UAE (22%) while circularity scores are highest in Greece (23%) and Serbia (22%).

While there is no silver bullet, the strongest motivators for recycling are financial rewards such as deposit refunds (41%) and better convenience (39%), the report reads.

world Every Can Counts report 2025 serbia drs recyclng motivation

Financial incentives resonate most in Romania (53%), and convenience is the strongest in Greece. Brazil is exceptional for environmental impact (55%), followed by Romania, Serbia and the UAE – all with 46%.

Attitudes towards recycling show two clear patterns, according to the report. First, making recycling more engaging through rewards, games or interactive apps could boost participation, particularly in Brazil (83%), Greece (81%) and Serbia (88%), while interest is lower in markets such as the Netherlands (53%) and Belgium (60%).

Second, there is near universal agreement that manufacturers and brands should be required to use fully recyclable or recycled materials, the report underlines.

DRS is less supported in the USA

world Every Can Counts report 2025 serbia drs support

A majority supports DRS in all markets, but the intensity of support varies considerably. Net support ranges from 58% in the USA to 86% in Serbia.

Levels of strong, “very supportive” sentiment show sharper contrasts. Brazil (66%), Serbia (65%), Romania (56%), Ireland (55%) and the Netherlands (51%) stand out as markets with a majority of strong supporters.

At the other end of the spectrum, Greece (21%), Belgium (28%), the USA (31%), the Czech Republic (32%) and the UK (34%) record the lowest intensity.

Convenience and incentives are the top drivers overall while information is generally a weaker motivator, but the mix differs by market, the report reads.

 

world Every Can Counts 2025 report serbia drs recyclng motivation

Higher deposit refunds are most influential in the Czech Republic and Spain, while Serbia and Greece balance convenience and refunds more evenly.

When looking only at those who “strongly agree,” support levels show sharper contrasts.

Romania and Serbia stand out with strong calls for all one-way packaging to be included (67%). Brazil scores high across most categories but is weaker on personal responsibility for returning cans.

Hungary, Ireland, Romania and Serbia show high trust that returned containers are recycled, while trust is lower in the Czech Republic, Belgium, France or Greece, ECC concluded.

Post Views:40
December 2, 2025
by in News

Tens of thousands of tons of waste motor oil unaccounted for in Serbia

Waste motor oil is classified as hazardous waste as it can contaminate soil, water, and air. Although Serbian regulations for its management are clear, tens of thousands of tons are unaccounted for every year. Auto repair shops, obliged to dispose of it, often sell the material to individuals who use it for heating. Burning used motor oil is extremely dangerous because of the release of substances similar to chemical warfare agents into the air, warns Dejan Lekić from the National Ecological Association.

Just one liter of used motor oil can pollute up to one million liters of drinking water, making it one of the most harmful pollutants.

UAS, a Serbian association of auto repair shops, pointed out after the public debate on the draft Law on Waste Management that Serbia does not need cosmetic legal changes, but solutions to prevent the country from being buried under all types of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

According to the latest report by the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), about 40,311 tons of oil were placed on the Serbian market in 2023. Of the 40,311 tons, only 440 tons of waste motor oil were processed in Serbia, and 1,660 tons were exported. It means 38,000 tons likely ended up in soil, sewage systems, waterways, or household furnaces.

Burning waste motor oil releases toxic substances

Dejan Lekić from the National Ecological Association, the creator of the xEco app for real-time air pollution monitoring, warned that waste motor oil must never be used as fuel in household stoves, nor discharged into soil or sewage.

“The only correct approach is to collect it and hand it over to licensed operators. Once the operator takes it, the oil can follow two paths: regeneration or destruction. Ideally, it is regenerated – technologically purified to produce base oil for reuse,” he explained.

Waste oil can be regenerated or destroyed

Regenerating waste oil is an example of the circular economy. From one ton of crude oil, only 2% can be turned into base oil, while 65% of collected waste oil can be processed into base oil.

“The second option is using it as a fuel, but only in specialized industrial facilities such as cement plants, which have furnaces operating above 1,200 degrees Celsius and appropriate filtration systems. Such facilities are the only ones that can safely destroy hazardous substances and prevent their release into the atmosphere,” Lekić asserted.

Using waste oil as fuel in household stoves is extremely dangerous to health

As it is cheap and easily available, waste motor oil is often used for heating in Serbia. But when burned in ordinary stoves, it releases large amounts of carcinogenic gases and heavy metals. According to Dejan Lekić, using waste oil for heating poses a serious threat to human health.

He explained that waste motor oil contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, along with various additives. Regular stoves cannot reach temperatures high enough to burn these substances safely, so they are released directly into the air.

Lekić warned that incomplete combustion also produces extremely toxic compounds, including dioxins and furans – substances known to cause cancer and linked to severe neurological damage, hormonal disorders, and fertility problems. “People who burn this oil are literally releasing chemical warfare agents into their surroundings,” he said.

Serbia is among the top European countries in premature deaths caused by air pollution

Serbia is among the top European countries in premature deaths caused by air pollution, and it ranks first in Europe for lung cancer mortality linked to pollution, according to the World Health Organization. UAS, the Serbian group of car repair shops, described the situation as a “silent ecological catastrophe” that has been ongoing for decades and added that the system remains unable to stop it.

During the recent public debate on the new Law on Waste Management, the relevant ministry rejected most of the association’s proposals for managing waste oils. UAS emphasized that these suggestions were based on the best practices for reducing hazardous waste in the European Union and the region.

Post Views:35
October 2, 2025
by in News

EU reaches water pollution prevention deal but with deadlines of up to 20 years

The European Parliament and Council of the European Union agreed, after almost three years of negotiations, on updated rules regarding the pollution of surface and groundwater. However, the co-legislators left a timeline of up to two decades for member states to comply with some of the obligations.

The Danish presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament’s representatives have reached a provisional political agreement on a directive to review and update the lists of pollutants affecting surface waters and groundwater and corresponding regulatory standards. Standards would be changed for several pollutants, and new substances added, aligning EU water policy with the latest scientific evidence.

Denmark’s Minister for Environment and Gender Equality Magnus Heunicke called the deal “a careful balance between ambition and flexibility for member states.” It safeguards the health of citizens and future generations by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals, he added.

It’s been almost three years since the European Commission proposed an update to the lists of pollutants.

Bisphenol A flagged as priority hazardous substance

New substances in priority lists would include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, bisphenols and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Member states would be required to improve the monitoring and transparency of water quality.

Bisphenol A or BPA was found in urine of 92% of urine samples in one study

Bisphenol A (BPA) is designated as a priority hazardous substance. A study published a few years ago showed that the chemical was found in urine samples of 92% of participants from 11 European countries.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) already requires member states to prevent deterioration of the status of water bodies, but it was framed generally.

The deal envisages an exemption for short-term temporary deterioration, and another for cases where pollution is relocated, by moving water or sediment. There are safeguards, particularly in relation to drinking water, the council said.

Rules for some of more harmful substances to come into force by 2033

Member states will have until 2039 to achieve compliance with the new standards, but a “strictly conditioned extension” is also possible, until 2045. In the case of substances with revised and more stringent environmental quality standards in surface water, the deadline for compliance is 2033.

Member states will be required to transpose the directive by late December 2027.

The co-legislators outlined a 20-year deadline for phasing out priority hazardous substances. When the Council of the EU and European Parliament officially adopt the directive, it will enter into force. Member states would need to transpose it into national law by late December 2027.

In the EU, 46% of surface waters and 24% of groundwater don’t qualify for a good chemical status, and differences between member states are extreme, the announcement notes.

EEB: Member states managed to delay, weaken obligations

Commenting on the water pollution prevention deal, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) said member states have managed to delay and weaken obligations.

The lists of priority pollutants for surface and groundwater should be updated every six years, but the last updates were done in 2013 and 2014, respectively, it noted. In addition, EU-wide groundwater standards for pesticides and nitrates have not been revised since the adoption of the Groundwater Directive in 2006, the network of environmental groups pointed out.

“All over Europe, our waters are polluted with TFA, a small PFAS pesticide residue that can be toxic to reproduction. By not monitoring these substances immediately in all types of water bodies, the EU misses a significant opportunity to take water and health protection with the importance and urgency it requires,” said Manon Rouby from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe.

The Council of the EU said that TFA, trifluoroacetic acid, would be added to the initially proposed sum of 24 PFAS for surface water.

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