North Macedonia – Support to EU-accession within the environmental field
The Swedish EPA collaborates with the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) in North Macedonia since 2019. The purpose of the project is to support the country’s EU approximation process within the environmental field – chapter 27 of the EU acquis.
Phase two
The current collaboration between the Swedish EPA and MoEPP, ”Supporting North Macedonia’s EU accession within the environmental field – phase two”, is carried out from 2024 to 2027.
The project is divided into two main areas. The first area aims to strengthen the capacity of MoEPP for EU approximation. The second area promotes resilient management of biodiversity and nature protection in the country.
EU approximation
The collaboration within this part of the project aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of MoEPP for EU approximation. The activities will improve the ability of the ministry to manage the negotiation process of chapter 27 and support harmonization of national legislation with the EU acquis.
The project will strengthen internal and external coordination of EU approximation at MoEPP, contribute with technical assistance, and investigate the opportunities for the country to create an environmental protection agency in the future.
The Swedish EPA will also support MoEPP in the implementation of the ABS regulation in accordance with the Nagoya protocol. The ABS regulation governs measures for user compliance in research and product development of genetic resources and traditional knowledge related to genetic resources, which are obtained externally from a country that is a party to the Nagoya Protocol and has access legislation. These can be plants, animals, fungi, viruses, and bacteria – or parts of them, such as seeds, spores, plant parts, or sperm. Users must exercise due diligence and make agreements with the provider country for fair benefit-sharing in their use.
Finally, the project will strengthen the internal and external communication capacity of MoEPP regarding EU approximaton, biodiversity, and ecosystem services at different levels in the country and contribute to raising awareness about these issues among the public.
Chapter 27: The environment and climate chapter of the EU acquis
The negotiations to become a member of the EU are divided into 35 chapters of the EU acquis. Chapter 27, regarding the environment and climate, is one of the most technically challenging and resource intensive chapters for candidate countries to fulfill. At the same time, investments are expected to generate substantial benefits in the long run in terms of environmental sustainability, human health, and economic growth.
North Macedonia went through the screening process for chapter 27 in 2023 and is preparing for the negotiations. MoEPP has a key role in these processes.
Biodiversity
The second main area of the collaboration aims to foster resilient management of biodiversity and nature protection through improved cooperation between stakeholders and authorities at different levels in the country.
The project will strengthen the cooperation regarding the preservation of the traditional farming landscape and its high nature values. Activities include raising awareness and spreading knowledge among the public about how the traditional farming landscape benefits biodiversity and how it can be preserved in a profitable manner, inventing and mapping areas with potential for high nature values, and organizing workshops between authorities and local stakeholders to foster a common understanding of challenges and opportunities.
Furthermore, the project will contribute to MoEPP’s work towards protecting the Monospitovsko Blato wetland. The project will produce a valorization study – a legally binding document which is required to designate an area as protected. Activities also include spreading awareness among local stakeholders about the current state of the wetland and the benefits of protecting it.
Within the area of biodiversity, SwEPA is collaborating with the Swedish County administrative boards of Östergötland and Skåne, The Swedish university of agricultural sciences, and the Swedish board of agriculture.
Sustainable land use practices
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two interlinked challenges that need to be managed together. The changing climate can affect how people use the land – to adapt to the climate or to reduce their emissions. Changed land use practices might in turn affect biodiversity. For this reason, the project focuses on how to use the land in a sustainable and profitable way that also preserves high nature values.
The project makes use of nature-based solutions to approach these challenges, which means that one makes use of nature’s own ability to solve problems, by protecting and strengthening ecosystems. The focus of the work is directed by the nature types and species that are listed in the EU directives for habitats and birds.
Phase one: Results
The first phase of the collaboration between SwEPA and MoEPP in North Macedonia focused on nature protection, air quality, and EU approximation. The project started in 2019 and ended in 2024.
|
Results highlights
|
Nature protection
SwEPA supported MoEPP with knowledge, technical support and practical capabilities within several areas of nature protection which are important to fulfill EU environmental standards.
Regarding biodiversity and protected nature, MoEPP’s capacity for independent work with the process of designating Natura 2000-areas was strengthened. The collaboration also contributed to more efficient prioritization of wetlands and strengthened regional cooperation regarding national parks. The project also improved MoEPP’s capacity to formulate a national policy for managing polluted areas.
Air quality
SwEPA equipped MoEPP with improved air quality monitoring stations, a more efficient data management system, and increased knowledge and strengthened capacity to report important air quality data to the European Environment Agency.
A communications campaign raised public awareness about air quality- and health implications of wood-fueled heating. The process of developing the campaign strengthened the capacity of MoEPP to independently communicate about the topic in the future.
EU approximation
The EU Environment Academy course gathers participants from six countries in the Western Balkans. Through this course, SwEPA contributed to preparing public employees at MoEPP and other authorities in North Macedonia for EU approximation. The participants gained a better understanding of the environmental policies of the EU, the negotiation process within the environmental field, and how relevant directives are managed in EU member states’ national legislations. This knowledge was utilized in practice during the screening process of North Macedonia in Brussles 2023.
The course has also generated results at the regional level. It has contributed to an increased capacity for EU approximation among various authorities in Western Balkan countries. The regional cooperation has been strengthened through the network of participants being able to share experiences and information across country borders at digital and physical meetings.
Funding
The project is funded by Sida.