At the conference “Regional Action for the Fight against Crime and Corruption in Forestry” held in Podgorica on November 26, 2021, organized by the NGO Green Home and the CNVP Office, it was concluded:
∙ That there is an urgent need to change the strategic approach to forest management in Montenegro. Although this sector has been recognized for years as a sector rich in problems that lead to the collapse of forest ecosystems, there has been no change in the approach to forest management. As the concession agreements in force are in their final phase of implementation, it is necessary to define functional strategic solutions as soon as possible that will enable sustainable forest management and conservation of these resources in the future. In this regard, fundamental changes in the laws governing this area are needed in order to provide legal preconditions for a different strategic approach.
∙ That the state must recognize the importance of natural resources and nature conservation, including forests in Montenegro and to adequately ensure sufficient functioning through sufficient budget allocations in this area in which the focus should be on conservation and protection. Nature protection must not be seen as an area that requires the allocation of large financial resources for its conservation, but in making decisions must take into account the overall benefits that we as a state achieve through preserved natural resources.
∙ That the issue of overlapping competencies in management and administration between the Forest Administration and managers of protected areas, as well as hunting grounds in cases of territorial overlap must be resolved as soon as possible. This is the case with nature parks that have been declared in previous years and in which, at the same time, in the same territory, the managers of protected areas and the Forest Administration and hunting ground managers have competencies.
∙ It is necessary to adopt and implement the Action Plan for the Prevention of Illegal Activities in the Field of Forestry, which we have prepared. In order to prepare an action plan for the period 2022-2023, Green Home has formed a working group that has prepared a proposal for an action plan that will be submitted to the Government for adoption as an integral part of the ongoing Forestry Strategy. The action plan contains activities that are specified in three groups. The first group of activities consists of preventive measures, the aim of which is to prevent phenomena that belong to illegal activities. The second group of activities consists of monitoring and detection, with the aim of actively monitoring and detecting illegal activities, while the third group of activities consists of repressive measures, with the aim of ensuring that perpetrators of illegal activities are prosecuted and punished adequately.
The conclusions were the result of a discussion between representatives of relevant ministries, the Forest Administration and its regional units, agencies, the civil sector, as well as representatives of local communities who attended the conference.
The conference was held within the regional project “Regional Action against Crime and Corruption in Forestry” which Green Home is implementing in cooperation with the CNVP and FEA and is supported by the Norwegian Embassy.
