Western Balkans must step up environmental protection

Brussels, Radolfzell. In a series of EU Parliament reports on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, MEPs call for urgent action to transpose and implement key EU nature legislation. EuroNatur welcomes the Parliament’s focus, noting it echoes long-standing concerns raised by conservationists about the region’s faltering green track record. In a top-line-review of the parliament’s resolutions, EuroNatur shines a light on the shortcomings of all six Western Balkan states when it comes to properly protecting their country’s rich biodiversity. 

Viktor Berishaj, EuroNatur Senior Policy Officer: “The European Parliament has made it plain that meeting the EU’s environmental acquis is not just a box-ticking exercise, but a foundational requirement for EU entry. Governments in the Western Balkans need to dramatically improve implementation of environmental laws. A country that fails to protect its rivers, forests and wildlife cannot credibly claim readiness to join the EU.”

Across the Western Balkans, the Parliament’s resolutions highlight common environmental shortcomings, and the need for collective improvement. The European Parliament for example expressed serious concern over recent amendments to the Law on Protected Areas in Albania, that allows infrastructure projects and favours five-star tourism in protected areas. The resolution also stresses the Parliament’s concern over the construction of the Vlora airport in the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area, in violation of national and international biodiversity norm.

Gabriel Schwaderer, Executive Director of EuroNatur: “We strongly support the European Parliament’s clear message to Albania. The government must show it is serious about EU membership by halting projects that violate conservation laws and by repealing recent legal amendments that weaken protected area safeguards. The EU should set firm benchmarks: accession progress is only possible with concrete progress on nature protection.”

EuroNatur calls on the Western Balkan leaders and EU institutions to act on these resolutions’ recommendations. As accession negotiations intensify, environmental progress must take centre stage in the reforms. Whether it’s cancelling destructive airport and hydropower projects, bolstering national park protections or empowering civil society in decision-making, the steps taken in the next months will prove these countries’ commitment to Europe’s nature. “If the Western Balkans truly want to join the EU, they must show it by protecting nature and upholding the rule of law in environmental matters, starting today,” Berishaj said. “The EU shall and will not accept any less.”
 

Background information:

• Read EuroNatur’s top-line review on EU Parliament resolutions on each of the countries in the Western Balkanshere.
• The European Parliament regularly adopts resolutions on Western Balkan countries as part of its scrutiny over the EU enlargement process. These resolutions are politically significant. They evaluate each country's progress toward EU accession and include recommendations to the European Commission, EU member states, and the countries themselves.
• Read more about the state of biodiversity in the Western Balkan countries in our recent Biodiversity Report.

Press contact:

Anja Arning, Mail: anja.arning(at)euronatur.org, Tel.: 0049/7732 9272 13