The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning makes efforts towards creating conditions where municipalities can continually improve environment standards through investments and upgrading of their capacities for enforcement of laws, as well as help them in using European funds for infrastructure projects, said Minister Abdilaqim Ademi on Wednesday.

Ademi told conference "Environment Policy in Macedonia: EU Recommendations in Cooperation with Municipalities", including mayors and representatives of local authorities, ways would be sought to associate municipalities into joint efforts over waste issues, but they would also be briefed on the required administrative capacities for implementation of laws and use of EU funds.

"Local self-government can independently create its policy in this field, providing proper environment protection in local terms. However, local environment management is a challenge for municipalities, especially in the section of waste and water treatment. The laws including EU directives have set high standards that require significant investments, but also appropriate administrative capacities for their implementation", said Ademi.

He stressed that local self-government development is a significant factor in the EU accession process, whereas the environment decentralization process is one of the most advanced.

"In the last progress report, the European Commission noted Macedonia has made progress in the environment field with regards to harmonization of legislation with the EU law. However, central and local capacities need to be upgraded, accompanied by increase in investments", said Ademi.

Former Lithuanian environment minister Arunas Kundrotas, who headed the country's EU accession negotiations in the environment chapter, and Sweden's former negotiator Ulf Sviden will transfer their countries' experiences at the conference.

Swedish Ambassador to Macedonia Lars Wahlund said experts would assist mayors and present specific study in order to see how certain problems and issues are resolved.