PM10 levels exceed limits again in Skopje, Kichevo, Tetovo, Strumica and Kavadarci
Monitoring stations issued alarms in mid‑November; experts and civic groups demand deadlines, inspectors and by‑laws.
Mid‑November monitoring shows PM10 concentrations already above legal limits in several urban centres: Skopje, Kichevo, Tetovo, Strumica and Kavadarci. Sensors around the country have started issuing alarms even before the core of winter arrives, reviving concerns after a previous season that recorded over a hundred polluted days in multiple cities.
Experts, activists and institutions respond
The City of Skopje presented a new Air Quality Improvement Plan at a public debate but did not attach concrete deadlines for when air quality will meet European standards. Environmental experts caution that some measures require time to implement and to produce measurable effects.
Civic initiatives point to important gaps in the proposed approach: an insufficient network of monitoring stations across municipalities and contradictory technical recommendations for major industrial operators such as "Usje", where attention appears to focus on emissions other than the problematic nitrogen oxides.
The European Commission has also flagged a regulatory shortfall: existing laws are not yet supported by the necessary secondary legislation and by‑laws needed for enforcement. Activists warn that without those implementing acts, inspections and penalties will remain limited.
As authorities draft strategies stretching out to 2030, citizens and community groups ask a more immediate question: what will we be breathing today and tomorrow? There are renewed demands to know whether recent inspections have fully addressed the problems and whether the largest polluters are prepared to comply, or if public health this winter will depend largely on the wind.
Poll: Will institutions stop the biggest polluters this winter? Yes / No
Photo: press material from the event
