The Montenegrin Ministry of Environment, together with EuroNatur and its Montenegrin partner organisations CZIP and CDE-MES, has signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the protection of the Morača.
The River Morača still flows largely unspoiled through Montenegro. It is one of the river gems of the Balkans, where “The Blue Heart of Europe” beats.
© Sergey LyashenkoAt the heart of the agreement lies the project “Protection of the Morača River”, which aims to develop and implement measures to preserve biodiversity and the sustainable management of this important natural area. In addition to practical activities such as trainings, seminars, and public discussions, a feasibility study for the effective protection of the river will also be prepared.
EuroNatur takes on a central role as the international partner, ensuring that the protection of the Morača is understood not only as a national responsibility, but as part of Europe’s shared commitment to biodiversity and sustainable development. Politically, the agreement also sends a signal towards EU integration: Montenegro demonstrates its readiness to integrate environmental and biodiversity standards more strongly into sectoral policies thereby underscoring the project's importance on a crucial European scale.
“We are very pleased that the signing of the memorandum of understanding marks the official start of our cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment,” says Annette Spangenberg, Head of Programme Freshwater at EuroNatur. “We look forward to the next steps in our collaboration, which we hope will lead to comprehensive protection for the Morača and its tributaries in the medium term.”