North Macedonia – Support for air quality and EU accession

North Macedonia has major problems with air pollution, especially in larger cities. The capital, Skopje, is one of the most polluted cities in Europe. During wintertime, levels of harmful particles in the air often significantly exceed the safety levels specified in the WHO’s air quality guidelines, which means a health hazard for both residents and visitors. The Swedish EPA has been requested by the Embassy of Sweden in Skopje to assist North Macedonia with experience and technical solutions.  

With broad knowledge of this area, we have upgraded eight of North Macedonia’s air quality monitoring stations with new instruments. Having a comprehensive and well-functioning monitoring system is essential for knowing which areas are most polluted, how the pollution changes over time, and for enabling decision-makers to develop policy instruments aimed at reducing the pollution. A focus has been on installing instruments measuring PM2.5 – small particles which are especially harmful to lungs and inner organs.   

As of the winter 2022-2024, an information campaign has also been initiated to raise awareness on the health effects of air pollution, its connection to small-scale household heating, measures for energy efficiency, and how to reduce pollution when using wood in stoves.  

The joint work has also involved air quality data. The Swedish EPA has supported the Macedonian ministry with upgrades of the data management system, and the reporting of air quality data to the European Environmental Agency (EEA).  

The cooperation has addressed several important topics within nature protection and biodiversity. Workshops on species protection have been organised on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for local and regional institutions and authorities. Here the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Police Authority have assisted as experts.  

North Macedonia also has a problem with contaminated sites – that is, the lack of information, available legislation, and planned measures regarding such sites. Together with local consultants we have produced a study identifying where the knowledge gaps in this area are as of now, paving the way for more concrete actions during the continued implementation of this project in 2023 and beyond.  

The cooperation has also addressed the Natura 2000 process as well as wetlands management. This has been done in cooperation with the Swedish County Administrative Boards in Skåne and Östergötland, including both field visits in North Macedonia and study visits in Sweden. The process of designating Natura 2000 areas is important for North Macedonia’s EU accession, and a correct management of wetlands is significant both for preserving biodiversity and as a climate change mitigator. Sweden’s ambitious work on wetlands has been a good base for knowledge transfer to North Macedonia in this cooperation. The support in these areas will continue also during 2024.   

North Macedonia strives to become an EU member state and has a candidate status since 2005. The EU approximation process involves extensive negotiations with the EU Commission and other EU agencies. Chapter 27 of the EU legislation, comprising environment and climate, is one of many areas subject to considerable negotiations. Due to the substantial amount of related legislation, it is considered one of the most challenging chapters to meet the EU standards for.  

Having contributed to the EU approximation process in several other countries in the Western Balkans, such as Albania and Serbia, the Swedish EPA has wide experience in this area. In the cooperation with North Macedonia, we have provided support through the development of a comprehensive EU approximation course, labelled the EU Environment Academy. This includes extensive education modules on the EU Directives within Chapter 27, what they mean in a Western Balkans context, and what the EU accession process looks like in practice. The course is being performed by the European Institute for Public Administration, EIPA, in Luxembourg, and participation has been open for public officials in North Macedonia as well as other countries in the Western Balkan region. The EU Environment Academy will also be given during 2023.  

Through the Swedish Embassy in Skopje, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has granted a total of 14.2 million SEK for us at the Swedish EPA to implement and continue the cooperation until March 2024. 

Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia (moepp.org)  

Strategy for Sweden’s reform cooperation with the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2021–2027 (government.se)  

Do you want to know more about the cooperation with North Macedonia? Send an email to Kristian Silver, kristian.silver@naturvardsverket.se