North Macedonia environmental law amendments spark pollution protection debate

Proposed amendments to the Law on Environment in North Macedonia have sparked significant debate between government officials and environmental advocates. While the Ministry presents the changes as necessary for alignment with European Union legislation, critics argue the revisions could weaken existing protections against pollution and impact public health.

A primary point of contention is the modification of Article 20. A 2022 amendment prohibited the construction or reconstruction of heavy, polluting industrial facilities within five kilometers of residential areas or protected natural sites. The new proposal seeks to remove the prohibition on reconstruction, which the civic initiative ‘Green Human City’ claims is a regressive step that allows existing industrial capacities to expand near populated zones.

Furthermore, environmental organizations and legal experts have raised concerns regarding the deletion of articles related to the identification, management, and remediation of contaminated sites. Critics also point to changes that would reduce transparency, such as removing requirements for stenographic and audio-visual records of public hearings and decreasing electronic accessibility to documentation regarding polluting projects. Additionally, the proposal suggests replacing multi-institutional safety opinions with a four-member commission appointed by the Minister.