May 13, 2018 - The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism hosted a conference on “Promoting regional cooperation in the field of the environment, through strengthening cooperation and knowledge transfer in South Eastern European (SEE) countries and Moldova” (Themis III) earlier this week.
The Themis organization represents a regional network of authorities whose primary field of operations is focused on natural resources management and protection. Its goals include adequate and responsible implementation of environmental laws in regional EU candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Serbia. The Themis organization was established in 2010, and they have had significant accomplishments in drawing attention to enforcement of nature conservation laws and fighting environmental crimes ever since. The Themis network was founded with the overall goal of facilitating the process of joining the European Union under Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change.
During the first two Themis projects, Themis I (2012-2014) and Themis II (2014-2017) this organization has completed numerous successful projects related to their cause. In fact, the first two stages included regional, subregional and national training, annual meetings, established statements of commitment, assessments, numerous institutional reports, environmental performance reviews, enforcement and inspection techniques practices, environmental studies, memorandums of understanding, contributions to regional cooperation, workshops, exercises, etc. Their constant effort has contributed to the occurrence of stage three: Themis III project.
The Themis III project is part of the Themis Multi-Annual Work Programme for 2018-2020. All future actions, according to the Programme, will be consistent with the priorities that each member country has. This was achieved by including each country’s representatives in the planning process of the Programme. Also, the organization has held kick-off meetings in each beneficiary country to discuss country’s specific needs in the coming years, including Montenegro.
During the conference, the Themis representatives were proud to announce the accomplishments in the first two phases of the project. Also, they have introduced their updated network of operational focal points for the future period. The representatives have emphasized Montenegrin priorities according to the goals of Themis III phase. Montenegrin authorities responsible for the implementation of the Themis III project will be the Regional Environmental Center in cooperation with the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism. The Themis III project will be fully funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
