ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - The ministry of environmental protection and zoning succeeded in adjusting a large part of the legislature covering the sectors of construction and protection of the environment in 2003, but the results were not
so good in the implementation of the new laws.
ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - The ministry of environmental protection and
zoning succeeded in adjusting a large part of the legislature covering
the sectors of construction and protection of the environment in 2003,
but the results were not so good in the implementation of the new
laws.#L#
Concerning the adjustment of Croatian laws to the European Union's
standards, the Croatian parliament adopted a law on construction, a
law on the protection of nature which regulates the restricted use of
genetically modified organisms and products and a waste law.
However, the ban on the import of all kinds of GMOs was not accepted
although green societies insisted on it. Therefore the Green Action
called on consumers and farmers to boycott genetically modified
organisms and seeds.
The Sabor also passed a law on the fund for environmental protection
and energy efficiency. The state-run institute and agency for
environmental protection were set up with the purpose to give expert
assistance to the relevant ministry.
Much more needs to be done in the sector of the waste management. This
was very conspicuous in the example of the southern coastal town of
Makarska in which the problem of waste management came to a head in
December.
Under the new law on waste, which took effect on 1 January 2004,
municipalities, cities and counties should prepare adequate measures
for industrial waste management by 1 January 2005, and for domestic
waste by June 2005. If local authorities fail to take adequate moves
by te set deadlines, namely if they do not choose adequate sites for
waste dumps, the Croatian government will do this in six months' time.
2003 was marked also by an ecological disaster, i.e. a fire which
struck the Vransko Jezero Nature Park. Over 90 percent of the
reed-covered reserve was consumed in the conflagration in early
December. The 57 square kilometre park, situated inland from the
central Adriatic resort town of Biograd, was Europe's largest winter
ground for birds. It was home to at least 226 out of 375 registered
bird species in Croatia.
Last year was also marked by a long summer drought which caused the
large-scale dying of freshwater fish in fish farms.
Plans for the pan-European oil pipeline called 'Druzba Adria were also
in the focus of the attention of the Croatian public. Green societies
are against this project which may bring Russian tankers off the
Croatian shore. Green activists and citizens in Croatian coastal towns
and on islands fear that this project could lead to pollution of the
Adriatic to a great extent.
(Hina) ms