Measure 1.1: Improving the productivity and competitiveness of the area’s economic, rural, cultural and environmental resources.

Project Title: Together for nature

Project Budget:

  Project Value EU Contribution
Republic of Serbia € 124,280.00 € 105,464.00
Montenegro € 148,720.00 € 125,720.00
TOTAL € 273,000.00 € 231,184.00

Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: JKP “Čistoća” Kraljevo

Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: NGO FORS Montenegro, Nikšić
Partners: Communal Police Nikšić, Agency for Environment Protection Nikšić

Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Municipalities of Berane, Nikšić and Pljevlja
• Serbia: Municipality of Kraljevo

The target groups of the project: Citizens of the municipalities of Kraljevo, Niksic, Berane and Pljevlja, who live near illegal garbage dumps that will be cleaned during project implementation. Around 10.000 people from these municipalities covered by project activities as a target group.

Project duration: 16/11/2010 – 16/02/2012

Project objectives: The overall objective: To contribute to the protection of life environment by removing illegal garbage dumps, establishing of monitoring system and raising the awareness of people about correct waste disposal;.
The specific objectives of the project are:
1) To establish sustainable model of environment protection by removing 12 illegal garbage dumps (at least 50 tons of garbage), and establishing of 6 monitoring systems for protection of areas for the period of 12 months;
2) To provide conditions for change in habits of local populations in the 4 target municipalities through raising their awareness about correct disposal of waste within the period of 12 months.

Activities and results of the project:

By completion of project activities, the project contributed to the protection of environmental protection, based on its overall objective. The project achieved envisaged results by implementing activities within two pillars: first pillar included activities related establishing sustainable model of environment protection by removing 12 illegal garbage dumps and establishing of 6 monitoring systems for protection of areas worth 24.996 EUR, and the second pillar included activities related changing habits of local population in 4 target municipalities through raising their awareness about proper waste disposal.

Within the project, 12 illegal garbage dumps were removed, and at 6 locations in Montenegro, video surveillance equipment was procured and installed in order to provide sustainable protection of these most endangered sites. At the 12 illegal dump sites, in both countries, totally 241.398 tons of garbage was collected and removed. Within the Activity “Land Afforestation and Establishment of Green Areas for Rest” the grant beneficiaries installed fences at the 6 locations of illegal garbage dumps; procured park furniture for 6 locations in Montenegro; procured 30 waste containers in Serbia and 46 waste containers for the locations in Montenegro. In the Republic of Serbia two vehicles, worth 16.148 EUR, for improvement and development of the monitoring of environment were procured.
The campaign “Together for Nature” raised the awareness of the population of both countries on importance of the environmental protection. It consisted of 4 press conferences, creation and broadcasting of a TV spot, creation and broadcasting of two radio spots, creation and distribution of 7000 flyers/brochures with general information about environment protection and separate waste collection, informational leaflets about penal policy in environmental sector in Serbia and Montenegro, 3.000 promotional posters and 1.000 T-shirts, renting of 29 billboards, TV and radio shows. During the campaign, apart from disseminating general information about environment protection, phone numbers of municipal departments in charge of environment protection were also promoted. Additionally the project supported establishment of three environmental SOS hotlines through which citizens were encouraged to report illegal waste disposal and all endangering of the environment.

The survey which was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the project (1.216 citizens were interviewed in Montenegro and Serbia) showed the increase in the level of awareness regarding proper waste disposal, penal policy, institutions in charge and environment protection in general, but it also showed that there is still room for improvements in this sector.