Environmental Clean-up Action Along the Podgorica–Nikšić Road
Following the clean-up action at Ćemovsko Polje in Podgorica and the action in Ulcinj on Friday, marking European Beach Clean-up Day, we continued with the clean-up action on the Podgorica-Nikšić road. This was the third major initiative within the National Environmental Campaign Čuvaj da te čuva.
The action, organised by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development marked the 20 September, the Ecological State Day, brought together the Armed Forces of Montenegro, the Ministry of Defence, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Eco Fund, National Parks of Montenegro, the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology, the Parliament of Montenegro, the Ministry of the Interior, the Police Directorate, the Podgorica Landfill, Nikšić Public Utility, and Danilovgrad Public Utility.
Bernard Brunet, Head of the Cooperation Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, reflected on the anniversary of the Ecological State Declaration and the need for this vision to become a reality. He stated that this clean-up action did much more than collect waste.
“This is about responsibility: ensuring that the rehabilitated area remains clean. With the recent establishment of a multidisciplinary team to combat environmental crime, a clear signal has been sent about the importance of protecting the environment and that those who endanger it will be held accountable,” Brunet said.
Copyright: Evropska kuća
The Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, Damjan Ćulafić, emphasised that the environment is an increasingly important topic in Montenegro, and that the country is firmly committed to safeguarding its constitutional order.
He expressed his satisfaction with the recent formation of a special operational team to combat environmental crime, an initiative which came from the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office.
“I believe Montenegro is moving forward with great strides, at least in this area. This shows that environmental protection is a theme capable of uniting all segments of society,” Ćulafić stated.
He added that it was a particular honour to have so many important participants from Montenegro’s social and political life involved in the action. These included local administrations from Nikšić, Podgorica, and Danilovgrad, as well as the Parliament, various institutions, directorates, and companies working in the field of ecology.
“This is a broad coalition of willing, which is sending a message that the environment is at the forefront in Montenegro,” Ćulafić declared.
Copyright: Evropska kuća
The Secretary-General of the Parliament of Montenegro, Boban Stanišić, emphasised that environmental protection is not the responsibility of a single institution, but a shared one. He added that the Parliament will continue supporting such initiatives and provide concrete contributions.
He recalled that the State Parliament had symbolically marked 34 years since Montenegro was proclaimed an ecological state. This anniversary was marked in cooperation with the municipalities of Kotor, Danilovgrad, and Mojkovac, as well as other partners. The concluding event will take place on 25 September.
“I consider it extremely important that the Parliament, as the most significant institution in the country, takes an active role in such actions, to prove that Montenegro’s path to the European Union is not only about adopting laws and meeting standards, but about concrete efforts to raise citizens’ awareness of the most vital issues — foremost, environmental protection,” Stanišić conveyed.
At three sites, signs with the message “Cleaned – let it stay that way” were installed to prevent renewed dumping and to raise public awareness of environmental protection.
