Ecological uprising: To make water a constitutional category

The ecological uprising presented the "Serbian Environmental Protection Plan - The Day After", in which the key point is the declaration of water constitutional category, on the basis of which the state, as stated, would no longer be able to concede on its own water resources foreign companies to exploit indefinitely, and that by secret contracts.

"Actually, we don't even know for how long and for what period these permits are obtained," said MP Danijela Nestorović at the presentation of the "Environmental Protection Plan".

"The law states that 15 years is a deadline that is constantly being extended, and practically there is unofficial information that 80 percent of water resources are in the hands of foreign companies that freely dispose of them, without any possibility for citizens to influence it," said Danijela Nestorović.

According to her, the amendments to the Constitution would make it impossible for the state to provide water resources for use by foreign companies without public control and in non-transparent procedures.

"We propose to add Article 74a to the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, which would make water a constitutional category," she said, adding that it is an issue that could be the subject of a popular initiative and referendum.

The question of Serbia's future

She added that such measures have already been taken by neighboring countries, such as Slovenia.

She stated that citizens often have no insight into the way water resources are managed and warned that water protection is one of the most important issues for the future of Serbia.

Danijela Nestorović pointed out that the "Day after" plan is not directed against development, but against the model of exploitation of natural resources without sufficient public control and citizen participation.

According to her, among the measures planned for the first hundred days after the change of government are the temporary suspension of the construction of mini-hydroelectric power plants in protected areas, the review of certain mining projects, the halting of forest cutting in protected zones and the suspension of issuing permits without full publicity of the procedure.

The plan foresees the formation of an independent national commission composed of experts in the fields of biology, hydrogeology, urbanism, law and economics, as well as representatives of local communities.

Source: FoNet

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