Councils for Environmental Protection have been established in Paracin and Trstenik

Councils for environmental protection have become part of environmental management system in Paracin and Trstenik municipality. As consultative bodies, councils are going to contribute to better communication between citizens and public management, as well as to the efficient problem solving on local level.

These municipal councils have recognized the significance of cooperation with civil society and other stakeholders in local community. By adopting decision of establishing Council for environmental protection, foundations of local democracy in Paracin and Trstenik have been strengthened.

Council for environmental protection is an institutional mechanism for improving environment on local level. In such way local self-government unit is establishing long-term cooperation between civil society and citizens interested in solving issues and successful applying of European standards in environmental area. Problems local communities are dealing with overcome administrative capacities of local self-government units and therefore it is necessary to include other relevant stakeholders in process of creation and implementation of environmental policy. Council working mechanism is giving long-term and practical solutions. The mechanism is based on the principles of transparency of local self-government units’ activities, shared responsibilities and civic participation in creation and implementation of environmental policy.

Councils established in Paracin and Trstenik have been established as a result of campaign conducted by Belgrade Open School, UNECOOP from Paracin, Aarhus centre from Kragujevac and Centre for Energy Effciency from Vrsac.

The efforts of local associations and good communication with institutions on local level represent added value of this campaign.