Environment law amendments in Skopje spark protests from NGOs and opposition
NGOs and opposition MPs say deletions of safeguards for contaminated areas and eased rules for heavy industry risk citizens’ health; committees voted 8–in favor on 7 October 2026.
Proposed amendments to the Environment Law debated in the Assembly on 7 October 2026 have drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups and opposition MPs, who warn the changes weaken pollution safeguards and open the door for heavy industry to operate closer to residential areas.
Key provisions under attack
Members of the NGO "Zelen human grad" say the draft changes would remove articles of the law dealing with "identification, management and remediation of contaminated areas" and argue that such deletions would erode mechanisms to prevent pollution and carry serious consequences for public health and the environment.
Jovana Mojsoska, a Member of Parliament from Levica, asked during the Assembly session on 7 October 2026 that the controversial amendments be taken off the agenda, saying they would reopen the possibility for polluting heavy industry to restart operations inside or near towns.
The proposed amendments received eight votes in favor in both the Committee on European Affairs and the Legislative-Legal Committee. Deputies from those committees described the bill as "acceptable from the point of view of its alignment with EU law" and recommended "that it be given further reading."
Critics say the combination of deleted environmental safeguards and eased conditions for industrial activity risks prioritizing profit for large companies over citizens' health. Environmental groups warned that loosening rules on contaminated sites and proximity of heavy industry to settlements effectively legalizes ongoing pollution.
Photo: press material from the event
