Brussels, 17 March 2023 (MIA) – The explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 4 resumed on Friday with Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change. European Commission representatives presented the ambitious goals of the Green Agenda, including a complete ban on harmful chemicals in products by 2029, MIA reports from Brussels. 

At the opening of the meeting, Davor Percan of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment highlighted the goals and priorities of the EU Green Agenda to be achieved by 2030. 

He mentioned as high priorities the tackling of global biodiversity challenges, as well as the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, pointing out that the EU has ambitious targets for tackling toxins, with plans to ban the most harmful chemicals in products, encouraging investment in chemicals which are not harmful.

Percan also stressed the importance of circular economy, noting that the EU will work on the sustainability and circularity of textiles, while proposing activities on how to produce and use textiles.

He said today's meeting will focus on the acts that have been passed since 2019 – including the new water use regulation and the single-use plastics directive.

"We will present the Commission's ambitious proposals as part of the Green Deal, afforestation, air quality directives, water treatment, which will soon come into force and will be relevant," Percan said, pointing to the complexity of complying with the environmental acts, and noting that they are extensive and expensive to implement.

He said the country needs a strong structured administration, including at the local level, in order to implement and enforce the provisions of this Chapter. 

"Complying with the acts requires large investments and strong cooperation between all stakeholders - authorities, the industry and civil society. Continue the commitment to aligning environmental acts and aim for an approach where the whole Government works in this area, not just individual ministries," said Percan, adding that the EC will continue to encourage the country in implementing high standards.

State Secretary at the Secretariat for European Affairs Drita Abdiu Halili, who is also Deputy Chief Negotiator, told participants in the meeting that this chapter is expensive and full of challenges, but it is one of the drivers for economic growth and competitiveness.

"We have adopted a long-term climate change strategy setting out our vision for a low-carbon economy by 2030. We follow the paths of sustainability, promote social cohesion through climate activities, we work on eco systems, and we also drafted a law on climate action," said Abdiu Halili. 

She noted that since recently work is also underway on establishing a regional integrated system for waste management, whereby funding has been provided to five regions in the country. 

"We face many challenges in the area of air pollution and it is a national priority. Eventually we plan to draft a law on ambient air quality. In the area of water quality, we focus on the development of national legislation aligned with the European legislation, and a law on river basin management," Abdiu Halili said. 

Cluster 4 is on the top of European Union's priorities, including a frequently updated vast legislation, especially in the field of environment protection and investments.

The explanatory screening meeting on this Cluster began on Wednesday with Chapter 21 - Trans-European Networks and Chapter 14 - Transport Policy, and the creening meeting on Chapter 21 together with Chapter 15 - Energy resumed on Thursday.  

A group of journalists from North Macedonia is following the meeting for the first time since the start of the screening process, a joint project of the Secretariat for European Affairs and Nordic Support for Progress of North Macedonia.