Tijana Lekić
Ćemovsko Field, the Mrtvica Canyon, Lake Šas, Ada Bojana, Rumija, the Lim and Ćehotina Valleys, Ljubišnja, Golija, and Ledenica, Visitor with Zeletin, Sinjajevina, and Hajla have no form of protection…
None of the 32 areas of special global importance that Montenegro nominated for the Emerald Network 12 years ago have yet become part of the largest ecological network, as the state has failed to meet the necessary conditions.
Montenegro committed to protecting areas of special biodiversity importance by ratifying the Bern Convention in 2009, thereby agreeing that its most valuable natural habitats would become part of the international Emerald Network.
The Montenegrin government designated Emerald sites back in 2011, and those areas underwent a preliminary assessment, according to the Bern Convention Committee, as reported to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).
At that time, the following areas were proposed for the Emerald Network: the Kotor-Risan Bay, Platamuni, Katič Island with Donkova and Velja Seka, the Tivat Salina, Buljarica, Spas Hill, Perčin Beach, Orjen, Lovćen, Rumija, the Long Beach and the Ulcinj Salina, Lake Šas, the Bojana River, Knete, Ada Bojana, Lake Skadar, Ćemovsko Field, the Đalovića Gorge Cave, the Cijevna River and Canyon, the Male Rijeka Canyon, the Mrtvica Canyon, Komarnica, the remaining part of the Piva Canyon, Golija and Ledenica, Komovi, Durmitor, Bjelasica, Visitor with Zeletin, Prokletije, Hajla, Sinjajevina, Bioč, Maglić and Volujak, Ljubišnja, and the Lim and Ćehotina Valleys.
Of these, most have some form of protection; however, Ćemovsko Field, the Mrtvica Canyon, Lake Šas, Ada Bojana, Rumija, the Lim and Ćehotina Valleys, Ljubišnja, Golija and Ledenica, Visitor with Zeletin, Sinjajevina, and Hajla have no protection status whatsoever.
Joining European ecological networks requires harmonizing regulations at the local, national, and international levels. Montenegro is seriously behind. Even after 12 years, its most valuable natural areas remain mere Emerald candidates.
Biologist Jelena Popović from the Montenegrin Ecologists’ Society (MES) emphasises that Europe did not initiate ecological network development solely to protect plant habitats or species, but placed great importance on improving the quality of life for local populations living near the most valuable natural areas.
“In recent decades, a massive number of people have abandoned rural life. The intensity of grazing and mowing of pastures has drastically declined. As a result, invasive species have appeared, the number of fires has increased, and nutrient concentration has dropped — all of which leads to the disappearance of various plant and animal species,” says Popović.
The 2021 report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) notes that plant and animal extinction has accelerated by 100 to 1,000 times. The causes include population growth, destruction of natural habitats, deforestation, fires, poaching, wildlife trade, intensive agriculture, overuse of pesticides, and various forms of pollution. Climate change is also a factor — the period from 2015 to 2022 was the hottest on record — along with overexploitation of animal populations and soil erosion. All of these factors are interconnected and lead to biodiversity loss. WWF warns that this is not a passing crisis but an intense and ongoing extinction event.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that many species in Europe are at risk of extinction: 15% of mammals, 13% of birds, 37% of freshwater fish, and 23% of amphibians. According to IUCN analyses, about 42% of Europe’s tree species and 57% of its plants are threatened.
What Are the Emerald and Natura 2000 Ecological Networks
The Emerald Network spans from Turkey to Lapland, as well as from the Canary Islands to the Caucasus. The goal of the network is to preserve wild plant and animal species and their natural habitats, with special emphasis on protecting endangered areas and sensitive species, including migratory species.
In addition to the Emerald Network, the European Union (EU) has defined an even greater level of responsibility by creating a network within the network – Natura 2000. Both networks share similar goals and rules, but EU membership is a prerequisite for establishing Natura 2000. At the same time, the preparation of member states for Natura 2000 is one of the most important criteria within Chapter 27, which deals with environmental protection.
EU member states are held accountable before the European Court of Justice for any violations of regulations within these ecological areas. A body of case law has been established regarding the management of Natura 2000 sites. The standards and practices of the European Court of Justice are also binding on the national judiciaries of EU countries.
The legal foundations for the creation of the Natura 2000 network are the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. These two directives represent a significant milestone in the evolution of European nature conservation policies. For the first time, they clearly defined rules for the protection of animal and plant biodiversity, as well as the conservation of natural habitats.
Where things stand
The Montenegrin Ecologists’ Society (MES) reminds that in recent years, many valuable natural resources have been lost, and many others face the real threat of disappearance. “The mismatch between spatial planning and environmental protection principles, along with decades of prioritising short-term financial gains over long-term sustainable principles — for which we have all the necessary preconditions — has seemingly brought us to this situation,” they say.
Many candidate sites for Emerald designation are under serious pressure from poor management and complete degradation, as their candidate status currently means nothing in the context of spatial planning. Some of these sites include: Komarnica, Komovi, and Sinjajevina.
Popović warns that Montenegro’s long wait to join the EU and thus the Natura 2000 network could cost the country the loss of its most valuable natural areas: “For this reason, it is essential to establish the Emerald Network so that these areas are protected at the international level until EU accession, when they would then become part of the Natura 2000 network.”
“Montenegro has committed to establishing an ecological network throughout the country. We consider all legal frameworks that enable better and, above all, more adequate protection of our nature to be useful and necessary. Protecting valuable areas, and nature in general, is a new opportunity for development,” the former Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning, and Urbanism (MEPPU) previously stated for CIN-CG. However, they did not clarify why no sites were added to the network during their mandate.
The Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro (EPA) told CIN-CG that the identification of sites was based on expert assessments available at the time. These assessments largely relied on literature data and very little on field research. The EPA confirmed that intensive field studies are needed to collect data on habitat and species distribution, which would complete the databases for Emerald and Natura 2000 areas. The results of these analyses should then be included in the shared database of the European Environment Agency, as is standard practice in EU member states.
Croatia Finished the Job in a Few Years
Croatia officially nominated its ecological sites for the Emerald Network in 2011. Within just a few years, the country successfully gathered data and conducted analyses for its nominated areas, so that when Croatia joined the EU in 2014, those sites were immediately included in the Natura 2000 network. Today, over 29% of Croatia’s total territory is part of protected zones.
To fulfill the required tasks and conduct all the necessary research on the nominated areas, Montenegro would have needed to allocate significant financial resources, EPA notes. “In 2016, an IPA project was launched – Establishment of Natura 2000 in Montenegro. Since then, intensive fieldwork has been conducted, in accordance with the methodologies of the Habitats and Birds Directives, to identify potential Natura 2000 areas. Until Montenegro joins the EU, this data will also serve to update the Emerald Network database,” EPA says.
Everything Flows Slowly
They also specified that fieldwork for data collection is progressing and that it is expected that 60 percent of Montenegro’s land territory will be analysed by the end of this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also emphasised that, based on research conducted so far, around 90 habitat types listed in the Habitats Directive and about 95 species of wild flora and fauna have been identified in Montenegro, along with about 87 bird species from the Birds Directive.
The Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism (MEPPU) previously told CIN-CG that significant progress has been made in the past six years in mapping habitats, species, and birds listed in the relevant annexes of the EU directives. “The plan is to decisively initiate the complex process of establishing the Emerald Network, preceded by active communication with the public to better understand the importance of this ecological network,” said the Ministry when it was under their administration.
Despite all the guidelines and obligations it has undertaken, Montenegro still faces many environmental problems, and the process of closing Chapter 27 is moving slowly. In almost every annual European Commission (EC) report, this chapter is most often described as having “limited progress.” To close Chapter 27, a total of 251 obligations have been defined, with nature protection accounting for the largest share – as many as 71.
In its 2022 report, the European Commission again stated that progress is insufficient. It urged Montenegro to pay particular attention to accelerating the fulfilment of obligations related to water, finalising the waste management law and national plan, adopting and implementing the National Energy and Climate Plan in a transparent manner and in line with the EU green transition, as well as to focus on nature protection and the climate change sector.
Coalition 27 believes that challenges remain, such as inadequate administrative capacities at both national and local levels, within inspection bodies, and a lack of inter-institutional coordination. They emphasize the importance of promptly adopting amendments to the Nature Protection Law.
They also warn that most of the protected areas designated in the past five years exist only on paper.
What Kind of Future Awaits Us
The Ministry told CIN-CG that the Directorate for Nature Protection within the Ministry has proposed that officially nominated Emerald site candidates be included in the Spatial Plan of Montenegro (PPMCG) until 2040, which is currently being drafted.
The Ministry emphasised that in drafting this spatial plan, they are giving special consideration to nominated Emerald areas, as well as all other areas of natural value. “Aware of the great pressure on the status and conservation of biodiversity and valuable habitats, and through other legal mechanisms in the field of nature and environmental protection (such as environmental impact assessments), special emphasis is placed on the obligation to protect these areas,” the Ministry stated.
However, the draft of the PPMCG does not support these claims, as it foresees the possibility of constructing the Komarnica hydropower plant — a strong candidate for Emerald site status. That is why accelerating the establishment of the Emerald Network in Montenegro is of great importance. CIN-CG has previously reported on this issue.
The European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 envisions that areas protected under the Natura 2000 network will cover at least 30 percent of both land and sea territory of the EU. To implement this strategy, a fund of 20 billion euros per year has been earmarked for biodiversity protection and promotion through national and private funding.
However, in recent years, instead of progressing and fulfilling its obligations, Montenegro has been hit by devastating wildfires, forest destruction, wildlife trafficking, gravel extraction from the Morača riverbed, poaching, and a huge number of illegal landfills…
The principle of Montenegro’s development as an ecological state is a great and emancipatory idea that should remain one of the fundamental guiding principles of the country’s further progress — but state institutions, as well as the rest of society, must become more actively involved in this process, of which the Emerald and Natura 2000 networks are a vital part.
Ecological Networks as an Opportunity for Development
The Montenegrin Ecologists’ Society (MES) warns that ecological networks cannot exist or be maintained without the inclusion of local communities. “This is precisely why some habitats that are under constant (traditional) human influence should be included in ecological networks. One such habitat is the hay meadow, which provides a home for various plant species that have adapted to and thrive under conditions of frequent mowing. Pastures function similarly – grazing is essential to maintain their biodiversity.
These are some examples showing that ecological networks both require and depend on strong human involvement in monitoring and maintaining these protected areas. In return, they support the development of the local economy based on preserved nature.
Today, we are witnessing, MES points out, that nature is best preserved within ecological networks, but also that local economies and rural tourism are most developed in villages that have become part of ecological networks.
“Such examples demonstrate how effective it is when local products carry a label indicating their origin from a protected area. The essence of ecological networks is the creation of a new economic environment that benefits both people and nature, maintaining a balance between nature and its inseparable part – humans,” concludes MES.
This text was created within the project “Ecological Networks – A Key to Development Based on Preserved Nature”, implemented by the NGO Montenegrin Ecologists’ Society. The project is supported by the Centre for Civic Education (CGO), within the program “CSOs in Montenegro – from Basic Services to Policy Shaping – M’BASE”, financed by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration. The content of this text is the sole responsibility of the NGO Montenegrin Ecologists’ Society and does not necessarily reflect the views of the CGO, the European Union, or the Ministry of Public Administration.
