Tara River must be protected from the possible negative effects of the construction of the Bar-Boljare highway, it is one of the strongest messages sent to Montenegro’s Government by the European Commission (EC) in the last Progress Report on Montenegro’s accession to the European Union (EU).
EC points to the need to increase transparency during construction of infrastructure facilities, but also the need for concrete results of the implementation of anti-corruption measures in this area, which we recognize as particularly important when taken into account the amount of documents on the state of the environment and financing of this project declared secret by the Government.
Such assessment by the EC comes after the European Parliament in November last year recommended in the text of the Resolution on Montenegro that the Government take concrete steps to stop the devastation of the Tara, which is a consequence of carrying out works on the highway.
Tara River is a water resource protected in many ways by domestic legislation and international conventions, and it was expected that this problem would be internationalized, despite the efforts of the Government of Montenegro to diminish its significance, as well as its responsibility for everything that happens on the construction sites of the highway near the river.
Although the Government is more than aware of the size of the problems and consequences that the construction of the highway has on Tara, we believe that the assessments of the key European institutions will nevertheless have an obligatory impact and put an additional pressure to begin the process of remedying of damage done to Tara.
Failure to comply with such formulated and concrete recommendations of European institutions would have an undeniable influence on Montenegro’s negotiating position with regard to Chapter 27, and would constitute a definite drift from the officially declared political willingness that state institutions in this field adopt the EU standards when it comes to environmental protection.
NGOs once again strongly urge all competent state institutions to take steps without delay to identify the scale of devastation of the Tara River caused by the construction of the highway, and implement recommendations of the European Commission and the European Parliament. We also once again urge to publish relevant documents and information on the state of the environment, the implementation of the Contract on the design and construction of the highway, as well as financing of the very project.
Center for Protection and Research of Birds (CZIP)
Green Home
Environmental movement OZON
Montenegrin Ecologists Society (CDE)
Network for Affirmation of NGO Sector (MANS)
