Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...

velopment, Forestry and Water Management (MoRDFWM) issues concessions
for water extraction. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development
is responsible for monitoring the quality of drinking water.
The administrative structures for the environment in Kosovo (as defined
under UNSCR 1244) suffer from a lack of resources. By way of illustration, the
budget of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning is the lowest of any
ministry in Kosovo (as defined under UNSCR 1244), and there is a shortage of
staff. Some responsibilities have been transferred to the municipal level, although
municipalities often lack environmental officers and inspectors. Efforts have been
made to improve coordination between bodies, in particular relating to the position
of the Environmental Protection Agency (EC SEC [2009] 1333).
The Water and Waste Regulatory Office (WWRO) was established in 2007
and is the independent economic regulator for water and solid waste services. Its
responsibilities include licensing public enterprises; setting and approving service
tariffs for regulated services; monitoring and enforcing compliance with service
standards for licensed service providers; supervising and enforcing the disconnection
regime and unlawful connections; and establishing and supporting customers
in each service area (a total of seven regions). The activities of the WWRO are financed
through licence fees payable by licensed service providers.
The Association of Water and Waste Companies of Kosovo (SHUKOS) promotes
the joint interests of regional companies responsible for water supply and
sewerage services and provides operational assistance.
The Ministry of Health, through the National Institute of Public Health, is responsible
for reporting on drinking water quality. The Ministry of the Economy and
Finance, through the Policy and Monitoring Unit, monitors publicly owned enterprises
in order to ensure the accountability and transparency of their operations. It is
responsible for monitoring and enforcing drinking water quality standards.
Administrative capacity in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the
implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation remains far from sufficient
at both central and local levels. The situation is particularly critical for the inspectorates.
Coordination among administrative bodies responsible for environmental
issues is inefficient. The government adopted a plan to strengthen environmental management
capacity at central and local levels for the period 2009 to 2014. However, the
lack of financial assessment and the absence of systems for monitoring and evaluating
implementation are a continuing challenge (EC SEC [2009] 1335).
The overall process of environmental approximation is embedded in the Ministry
of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP). Various departments within
the ministry have competency in policy making; information systems; regulation
and standardisation; and inspection and supervision of the enforcement of laws
and regulations in the area of environment.
To implement environmental investments, continuous consultations and integrated
actions must be carried out within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Water Economy, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of
Health, the Ministry of the Economy, and the Ministry of Finance. There is a lack
of coordination among these institutions. As a result, there are overlapping invest-
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N AT I O N A L S T R AT E G I C A N D I N S T I T U T I O N A L F R A M E W O R K
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