MIHAJLOVIC: EUR 10 billion for environmental projects

(Zorana Mihajlovic)

Serbia will invest about EUR 10 billion in environmental projects over the next 10 years, and the screening for Chapter 27, which focuses on ecology, is set to start as early as September, Serbian Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said at the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Ecology Fair, ECO EXPO 2014, in Belgrade on Thursday.

Mihajlovic said that the Serbian government was fully committed to protecting the environment and determined to go towards sustainable development and “green economy.”

Investments in this area, she said, will not be solely expenditures, but also an opportunity to create new jobs and make profit through various projects.

The energy minister explained that the goal for Serbia was to open the negotiating chapter dealing with environment after the completion of the screening at end of 2015.

According to her, the next government will set up a special team to deal with opening and closing Chapter 27.

Mihajlovic believes that the new Government of Serbia should include a single ministry for environmental protection in order to meet all the demands arising from the talks with the EU that lie ahead in this area which is currently dealt with by three different ministries.