The Environmental Protection Committee held its twenty-first sitting on 22 November. The sitting was chaired by Cedomir Jovanovic, Committee Chairman. The sitting was attended by Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Dr Oliver Dulic and associates, Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic, Commissioner for Information of Public Importance Rodoljub Sabic, as well as representatives of the OSCE Mission to Belgrade, Serbian Chamber of Commerce, local self-government and non-governmental organisations.

By a majority of votes, the Committee adopted the amendment to the amendment to article 32 of the Bill amending and modifying the Law on Environmental Protection submitted on 11 November 2010.

The Committee went on to consider the 2009 Report on the State of the Environment in the Republic of Serbia, submitted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

Minister Dulic presented the Report. He noted that the state of the environment in Serbia in 2009 was better than in the previous 2008, to a great extent thanks to the drop in industrial production due to the economic crisis, but added that the state was also the result of specific actions undertaken in the field. The Minister pointed out that air pollution in 2009 was mostly caused by fossil fuel combustion, primarily in Kostolac and Obrenovac, as well as industrial production in Bor, Smederevo and Pancevo. Bor was the most frequently polluted town in Serbia experiencing 83 days of elevated pollutant levels in 2009. In the part of the Report dedicated to the state of waters in Serbia, Dulic stressed that the situation was worst in Vojvodina, in its rivers and canals, and that the River Topcider, River Bor and Pek were the most polluted. Neglected sewer infrastructure and wastewater treatment plants are a primary and big problem as only 35% of households possess properly constructed sewage systems which will be one of the main concerns of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in 2011, stressed Minister Dulic. A total of 24 chemical accidents occurred in 2009, and 2009 was noticeably warmer than previous years with a higher than average precipitation.

The Committee members debated the Report. In the discussion, some Committee members drew the Minister’s attention to the environmental problems in the area of Fruska Gora and forest clearing around Bor. The Committee members also declared this year’s budgetary allocations for the environment insufficient and asked that the 2011 budget funds match the needs. They also commended the quality of the Report.

The Committee members were also addressed by the Belgrade Secretary for Environmental Protection Goran Trivan who briefed them on the quality of the environment in the City of Belgrade in 2009. He noted that the air quality in 2009 was similar to the previous year, that the noise in the capital is still an big and pronounced problem, and that some parts of the city are noticeably more polluted than other municipalities. Trivan also drew attention to the insufficient forestation of both Serbia and Belgrade and informed the Committee that the City Secretariat has drafted a strategy of afforestation of Belgrade that might be adopted by the end of this year.

The Committee Chairman thanked the Committee members and guests for a comprehensive discussion stressing that the National Assembly adopted a number of environmental laws in 2009 and 2010.

The Committee adopted the 2009 Report on the State of the Environment in the Republic of Serbia, by a majority of votes.