The deadline for adopting local plans for the management of municipal and non-hazardous construction waste is 27 November 2026. Ensuring the timely completion of public consultations and adoption procedures by municipal assemblies has been identified as one of the key challenges facing Montenegrin municipalities.
Progress in preparing these documents, the challenges encountered, and potential solutions were discussed at a meeting of the Thematic Network for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, held on 28 October in Podgorica as part of the project “Municipalities4EU – Empowering Local Communities in Montenegro’s EU Integration Process.”
The meeting was organised in cooperation with the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, with the aim of reviewing the current status of local plan preparation, facilitating the exchange of experiences, and providing additional technical assistance to municipalities to help them meet their obligations within the prescribed deadline.
Opening remarks were delivered by Goran Đurović, Capacity Building Expert for the Municipalities4EU project; Aleksandar Perović, an expert engaged to support local self-governments in preparing the plans; and Sanja Živković, Secretary of the Committee for Communal Services and Environmental Protection of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro. Representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development also attended the meeting, emphasising the importance of adopting local plans by the established deadline of 27 November 2026.
During the discussion, participants highlighted that, beyond drafting the planning documents, a particular challenge lies in identifying sustainable and practical waste management solutions tailored to the needs and capacities of each local community.
The importance of launching public consultations as soon as possible was emphasised to ensure sufficient time for reviewing feedback, obtaining the necessary opinions, and completing the adoption procedures in municipal assemblies. Participants also stressed the need to ensure that municipal leadership is informed in a timely manner about the importance of these plans and the obligations arising from their implementation.
Representatives of local self-governments provided updates on the different stages of plan preparation. While some municipalities have already completed their draft plans and conducted public consultations, others are still drafting the documents or preparing to submit them for public review.
The meeting also addressed the next steps towards improving waste management systems, including the need to collect more accurate data on waste quantities and composition, exchange examples of good practice, and plan public information and awareness-raising activities.
Participants concluded that continuous communication, the exchange of experiences, and technical assistance are essential to successfully completing the preparation and adoption of local waste management plans.
Through its thematic network activities, the Municipalities4EU project continues to support local self-governments in strengthening their administrative capacities, improving local policies, and fulfilling obligations related to Montenegro’s European integration process.
