A series of trainings were successfully concluded with municipalities on environmental inspection and control organized by the OSCE with funding from Norway, France and Italy.
These trainings aimed to address the challenges and opportunities for improving environmental management at the local level and to increase cooperation between institutions to combat environmental crime.
Environmental experts presented the legal and institutional framework, as well as the challenges faced by municipalities in managing forests, water, waste and pollution, emphasizing the importance of creating appropriate structures to address these issues. Focus was also placed on improving the environmental inspection process and the use of modern technologies, such as the “e-Inspection” portal to more effectively monitor and control activities that affect the environment. A factor that would also facilitate control by the Central Government is the unification of the structures of the forest and pasture directorates in municipalities, structures also suggested by the MSHPV.
The need for legal changes to the competencies of municipalities over protected areas, the difficulties in managing forests and pastures due to a lack of staff, and the lack of environmental management structures in some municipalities were also highlighted. The lack of noise measurement equipment was also discussed, an issue that particularly concerns residents of municipalities.
These activities mark an important step in the efforts to create a more sustainable and effective environmental management at the local level by strengthening cooperation between institutions and LGUs.