Halamová, P. (2019). Chapter 27 (environment and climate change) of the Serbian accession process to the European Union: Challenges and the way forward [Master Thesis, Technische Universität Wien]. reposiTUm. https://doi.org/10.34726/hss.2019.66867
Serbia; EU accession; environmental policy; EU acquis; climate change
de
Serbia; EU accession; environmental policy; EU acquis; climate change
en
Abstract:
The multifaceted character of the environment is undoubtable. Its ongoing exploitation and degradation account for an ecological imbalance and puts the lives of humans at risk. The European Union has reflected this axiom in its environmental policy, to which any aspiring member state must adhere to. Bequeathed with the environmental ghosts of the past, Serbia is faced with a difficult task of meeting the environmental standards prescribed by the European Union. Analysis shows that air pollution, sometimes referred to as a silent killer, presents a large risk to public health in Serbia. Water quality is affected by the sector fragmentation and waste management lacks systematisation and strategy, just like Serbian international environmental obligations. To improve the organisation of the environmental sector, environmental protection must be prioritized, technical and administrative capacities strengthen, effective financing imposed, governance harmonised, and the awareness of the public raised. These points will not just lead to a better state of the environmental protection, but also raise overall preparedness of Serbia to join the European Union. Strong environmental protection is crucial to strengthen citizen participation, safeguard their rights, enhance international cooperation, and offer economic benefits and those are values that any candidate country to the European Union must subscribe to.