South Eastern Europe intensifies cooperation to beat pollution in the region

South Eastern European countries share many environmental resources. The Western Balkan region for instance boasts some of Europe’s richest areas with regards to natural habitats, biodiversity, rivers and lakes. The region however also shares problems related to environmental pollution that threaten the health of their population. Air pollution is responsible for up to one in five premature deaths in 19 Western Balkan cities.

With support amongst others from UN Environment, the countries in the region are developing stronger cooperation to beat their pollution problems. On 4-5 December 2018, sixteen countries from South East and Southern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey) gathered at the Ministerial Conference “Innovative Solutions to Pollution in South East and Southern Europe” to discuss how pollution can be curbed to the benefit of environment, health and economies. The Conference was organised by UN Environment and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, with the support from the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea.

The Belgrade Conference resulted in the adoption of a Joint Ministerial Vision on Innovative Solutions to Pollution, whereby countries of the region highlighted the importance of cooperation to address pollution-related challenges and made specific commitments and recommendations. The Belgrade Conference outcome results were presented at the Fourth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya during a side event. The discussion on the state of pollution in South East Europe was followed by a presentation on the development of a dedicated Sub-Regional Platform to Beat Pollution in South East Europe.

In this context, UN Environment convened in Vienna the first technical Sub-Regional Consultation Meeting on the establishment of the South East European Platform to Beat Pollution. The meeting took place from 24-25 June 2019 and was organised by UN Environment – Vienna Programme Office in the framework of the project “Regional Cooperation in South East Europe to Beat Pollution”. The project is supported by the Directorate for Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, European Union and International Affairs of the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea. It was the first of a series, expected to bring forward concrete pollution-related and environmental cooperation initiatives in South East Europe in the near future. The Platform intends to provide added value to the South East Europe in effectively combating and controlling pollution by supporting regional dialogue and cooperation through a participatory multi-approach.   

A dedicated Ministerial Conference is expected to take place in 2020 to officially launch the initiative.

More information will be posted here soon.