An EU Flag on an Environment Law: Alignment or a Legal Gap
The ministry says the amendments to the Law on Environment follow EU law, but Eko-svest warns that key provisions are being removed and a legal gap is opening in pollution control.
Proposed amendments to the Law on Environment are on the agenda of Parliament's 125th session. The Environment Ministry cites Directive 2011/92/EU on environmental impact assessment, that is, the need to align with European law, which is also an obligation in the accession process.
The organization Eko-svest says the text contains only partial solutions and does not bring the law closer to European standards. According to it, the mechanisms for managing historically contaminated sites ("eco hot spots"), the meaning of key terms and the rules for environmental impact assessment are being removed or changed, and clear deadlines for submitting protective studies are lost, which, Eko-svest says, could let investors and industrial operators drag out procedures.
An additional risk, the organization warns, is that a new Law on Nature Protection is being drafted, so passing the amendments quickly could create contradictions between the two laws and confusion in courts and inspections. The organization asked lawmakers to consider the submitted comments before backing the amendments in first reading. How much of this is alignment and how much is weakening will depend on the final text.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 8, 2026
