Serbia continues to prioritize the profits of polluting industries over public health, as evidenced by the country’s failure to issue 166 essential integrated permits for major polluters. These permits were due by December 31, 2024, but have not been provided to companies in the energy, meat processing, construction, chemical and waste management sectors.
This marks the second missed deadline, with the first one being at the end of 2020. At the current pace, experts predict it could take decades to issue the necessary permits for existing polluters, assuming no new companies are added to the list.
According to data from the draft Environmental Protection Strategy, just 54 integrated permits have been issued for 220 plants. In the past three years, only eight permits were granted, indicating a glacial pace of progress. Given this rate, it is estimated that it could take up to 70 years for the authorities to issue permits for all current plants.
This delay is in stark contrast to the law’s requirement that new companies should receive permits within 240 days. However, only 34 permits have been issued since 2014. The root cause of this ongoing failure is a weak implementation of the Law on Integrated Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution, which has led to the state turning a blind eye to air pollution despite its devastating effects. Serbia is one of Europe’s most polluted countries, with air pollution causing the premature death of approximately 15,000 people each year.
As the Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment (RERI) points out, the failure to issue permits reflects the government’s leniency towards big capital and its disregard for the law and the health of citizens. Some of the highest-earning companies in Serbia, including energy giants like Zijin, parts of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), and others in industries like petrochemicals and meat processing, have failed to submit requests for the necessary permits.
Despite these violations, there have been no significant penalties for these companies. In one example, Zijin received a mere 250,000 dinar fine for operating without a permit, while other major polluters were not fined at all.
RERI has highlighted the need for the government to abandon the paradigm that prioritizes business interests over public health. The lack of enforcement of environmental laws and penalties only serves to encourage pollution, and experts are now questioning whether these companies even have the capacity to comply with regulations, given their profitability.
Further complicating the situation, the Serbian Ministry of Environmental Protection has yet to provide a clear answer on why deadlines for issuing permits have not been met or what steps are being taken to address the issue. Instead, the government has repeatedly delayed changes to the law, despite clear evidence of its inadequacy in protecting public health and the environment.
As Serbia moves into 2025, the failure to implement meaningful environmental reforms continues to place the health and well-being of its citizens at risk.
