Approximately 150 major industrial facilities in Serbia continue to operate without the integrated environmental permits required for businesses with a high pollution potential, despite the original compliance deadline having passed more than a decade ago.
The obligation was introduced in 2004, with existing operators initially given until 2015 to obtain their permits. The deadline was subsequently extended to the end of 2020 and then again to December 2024.
Only 67 integrated permits have been issued over the past two decades, although around 220 operators are required to hold one, according to data cited by Vreme. A new law adopted in July 2026 allows six months for the authorities to identify again all facilities subject to the permitting system.
One permit covering the entire environmental impact
An integrated permit consolidates requirements covering air and water pollution, soil contamination, waste management, noise, energy and resource use, and accident prevention.
The permitting procedure assesses the complete production process, from the raw materials and energy used by a facility to its emissions and waste. Operators must apply the best available techniques for their industry, remain within prescribed emission limits, monitor their environmental impact, and regularly report the results to the authorities.
These permits are required for major facilities in sectors including energy, metallurgy, chemicals, mineral processing, wood production, waste management, and agriculture.
Existing facilities receive more lenient treatment
Hristina Vojvodić, a legal adviser at the Platform for Social Development and Innovation, identifies weak penalties, insufficient regulatory pressure, and the absence of basic documents such as water and occupancy permits as key reasons for the prolonged non-compliance.
She also points to unequal treatment of new and existing facilities. Inspectors may prevent a new plant from starting operations without an integrated permit, while older facilities are generally allowed to continue working as long as they have submitted an application—even if that application remains incomplete or is eventually rejected.
Some proceedings have remained unresolved for years. The Nikola Tesla thermal power plant, for example, was instructed to supplement its documentation following meetings held in 2014, but the permitting process has still not produced a final outcome.
Authorities should impose clear deadlines for submitting missing documents and reject applications when operators fail to comply, Vojvodić argues. Keeping cases open indefinitely shifts responsibility away from both regulators and polluting companies.
Compliance costs are part of doing business
One explanation offered for the delays is that roughly half of the listed operators are small or medium-sized businesses with limited administrative and financial capacity.
However, the remaining facilities include some of Serbia’s largest and most profitable companies. Environmental experts argue that the cost of introducing cleaner technologies cannot be treated as an optional expense: companies whose operations generate pollution must include compliance in their regular business costs.
Critics have also questioned whether the new legislation adequately reflects conditions in Serbia. European Union rules assume that industrial facilities already possess essential construction, water, and occupancy permits. Applying those rules without addressing Serbia’s unresolved permitting problems could leave important environmental checks outside the planning and construction process.
The new law introduces electronic permit applications, more precise requirements for the use of best available technologies, and stricter inspection provisions. Environment Minister Sara Pavkov has said that most relevant facilities are expected to be covered by integrated permits after 2030.
Environmental experts nevertheless warn that faster procedures alone will not solve the problem. Meaningful progress will depend on consistent inspections, equal treatment of new and existing operators, reliable monitoring, and an end to the repeated tolerance of prolonged non-compliance.
