Environmental Law, Politics, and Ecological Awareness in Southeast Europe with a Significant Focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina

Year 2021, Volume: 16 Issue: 4, 176 - 191, 31.12.2021

Faruk Hadžić

Abstract

The research determines the hypothesis: Bosnia and Herzegovina has not effectively adjusted the environmental protection policy and has insufficient ecological awareness. The study presents theoretical determinants and ecological legislative policies of former Yugoslavia (focusing on B&H) associated with the EU, analysing strategies and environmental awareness within the "green" political ideology. The ineffectively developed environmental normative and institutional framework and the complex architecture of the Dayton Constitution complicate ecological policies. In addition, institutional ethnopolitical fragmentation and frequent disputes over the division of competencies between levels of government have contributed to the gravity of the position. A prerequisite for responsible behaviour towards the environment is to acquire knowledge about the interdependence of development and the current environmental policies in more environmentally advanced nations, not exclusively within the EU. The weak general environmental culture, traditional Yugoslavia socialism industrialization, labour heritage, and war region legacy (hazardous substances, depleted uranium, genetically modified, bacteriologically, chemically defective food, expired medications) have degraded environmentalism. B&H necessitates civic awareness of the convention, environmental rights, civic participation, and public responsibilities concerning environmental and well-being decision-making. Besides institutions, the ecological transition should start among individuals and communities. It is delinquent when action policies have been adopted, financial resources consumed - environmental consequences affect citizens' health. The development of green politics will largely depend on the social, political, and legislative development of the EU.

Keywords

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Environmental law, Ecological policies, Environmental awareness

References

• Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations, (2015). Analiza sektora šumarstva u Bosni i Hercegovini, Priprema analiza sektora šumarstva i ribarstva u Bosni i Hercegovini u svrhu IPARD-a [Forestry sector analysis in Bosnia and Herzegovina Preparation of analyzes of the forestry and fisheries sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina for IPARD], New York: Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations http://www.fao.org/3/au015o/au015o.pdf
• Afric, K. (2002). Ekološka svijest - pretpostavka rješavanja ekoloških problema„ [Ecological awareness - a precondition for solving ecological problems], Ekološka svijest - pretpostavka rješavanja ekoloških problema„ [Ecological awareness - a precondition for solving ecological problems], Ekonomski pregled, Vol 53, Issue 5-6 : 578-594 https://www.bib.irb.hr/909837
• European Comission, (2019). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the council Commission Opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for membership of the European Union, Brussesls: European Comission. https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/default/files/20190529-bosnia-and-herzegovina-opinion.pdf
• European Comission, (2020). Commission staff working document, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020 Report, European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Communication on EU Enlargement Policy, Brussels: European Comission https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood- https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-
• Goldammer, J., Byambasuren, O. & Sheldon, Pete, (2013). Defense of Villages, Farms and Other Rural Assets against Wildfires, Council of Europe: Global Fire Monitoring Center https://www.civilprotection.gr/sites/default/gscp_uploads/defense_villag_farm_guidelines.pdf
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, (2017). Procjena početnog stanja u oblasti upravljanja informacijama o biodiverzitetu i izvještavanju u Bosni i Hercegovini [Assessment of the initial situation in the field of biodiversity information management and reporting in Bosnia and Herzegovina], Sarajevo: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit http://e-priroda.rs.ba/static/portal/pdf/BiH_Assessment_BHS.pdf
• Dizdar, A. (2021). Slobodna Europa. “Smeće kao politički i ekološki problem u Bosni I Hercegovini” [Garbage as a political and environmental problem in BiH]. June 18, 2012. Accessed June 5 2021. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/smece-kao-ekoloski-i-politicki-problem-/24616850.html
• Eko Forum, (2021). „Nevolja ne dolazi nikad sama, aerozagađenje i Covid-19.“ [Trouble never comes alone; air pollution and Covid-19]. February 4, 2021. Accessed June 2021. https://www.ekoforumzenica.ba/2021/02/04/nevolja-nikada-ne-dolazi-sama-aerozagadjenje-i-covid-19/
• EAS-BiH, (2017). Environmental approximation strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina EAS – BiH, Sarajevo: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations http://www.mvteo.gov.ba/data/Home/Dokumenti/Vodni%20resursi/Environmetal.pdf
• European Commission, (2013). Commission staff working document Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013 progress report accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the council enlargement strategy and main challenges 2013-2014, https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/pdf/key_documents/2013/package/ba_rapport_2013.pd
• European Stability Initiative, (2007). Prosperity of Doboj, the energy of the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Berlin/Brussels/Istanbul: European Stability Initiative www.esiweb.org https://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_document_id_100.pdf
• European Union Special Representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, (2014). „EU project contributes to strengthening environmental institutions in Bosni and Herzegovina“ http://europa.ba/?p=11491
• Central Office for Development Strategy and Coordination of EU Funds, (2009). European funds for Croatian projects. A Handbook on Financial Cooperation and European Union Supported Programmes in Croatia, Zagreb: Central Office for Development Strategy and Coordination of EU Funds https://www.safu.hr/datastore/filestore/10/European_Funds_for_Croatian_Projects.pdf
• Glavač, V, (2001). Uvod u globalnu ekologiju [Introduction to global ecology], Zagreb, Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, Ministarstvo zaštite okoliša i prostornog uređenja i Pučko otvoreno učilište https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/430798.CRNJAR-Menadzment_OR_knjiga.pdf
• Harris, N. & Gibbs, D., (2021). World Resource Institute. “Forests Absorb Twice As Much Carbon As They Emit Each Year”. Accessed June 5, 2021. https://www.wri.org/insights/forests-absorb-twice-much-carbon-they-emit-each-year
• Human Rights Watch, (2019). „Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ethnic Discrimination a Key Barrier Put Constitutional Reform Back on the Agenda“. Accessed June 20, 2021. https://www.hrw.org/node/336681/printable/print
• Hadžić, F. (2021). Agnosticism and Atheism as Amoralism and Anti-Ideological Sociopolitical Paradigm in the Balkans, Specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, (OPREE), Vol 41, Issue 2: 80 https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol41/iss2/6
• Hadžić, F. (2021). The ethnic-confessional mobilization politics as the stability and progression's stalemate in the Western Balkans“, Euro Politika 9, Issue 5:1-17 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351051612_The_ethnic-confessional_mobilization_politics_as_the_stability_and_progression's_stalemate_in_the_Western_Balkans?
• Iordanidi, D. (2021). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE -OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo: OSCE B&H https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/7/477373.pdf
• Pejicic, Z. (2014). Ekološke politike u Bosni i Hercegovini limitirajući faktor tranzicionog i podijeljenog društva [Environmental policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina are a limiting factor of a transitional and divided society],, Naučno-stručni časopis Svarog, Vol 9 : 122-138 http://svarog.nubl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dr-sci-Zoran-T.-Peji%C4%8Di%C4%87-EKOLO%C5%A0KE-POLITIKE-U-BOSNI-I-HERCEGOVINI-LIMITIRAJU%C4%86I-FAKTOR-TRANZICIONOG-I-PODIJELJENOG-DRU%C5%A0TVA.pdf
• Ministarstvo vanjske trgovine i ekonomskih odnosa Bosne i Hercegovine, (2016). Program prilagođavanja zakonodavstva Republike Srpske sa pravnom tekovinom EU u oblasti zaštite životne sredine [Program for harmonization of the legislation of the Republic of Srpska with the acquis communautaire in the field of environmental protection], Sarajevo: Ministarstvo vanjske trgovine i ekonomskih odnosa Bosne i Hercegovine http://www.mvteo.gov.ba/data/
• Skupština Brčko Distrikta, (2016). Strategija zaštite životne sredine Brčko Distrikta bih za period 2016-2026 [Environmental Protection Strategy of Brčko District B&H for the period 2016-2026]. Brčko: Skupština Brčko Distrikta https://skupstinabd.ba/2-registar/ba/Odluke/2017/58.%204.%20Strategija%20zas+tite%20z-ivotne%20%20sredine%20Bos.pdf
• Salaj, B. (2009). Socijalno povjetenje u Bosni i Herzegovini [Social trust in Bosnia and Herzegovina], Sarajevo: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/sarajevo/06159.pdf
• Vijeće Ministara BiH, (2017). Strategy for harmonization of the regulations in environmental protection in the field of environmental protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Strategy for harmonization of the regulations in environmental protection in the field of environmental protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina], Sarajevo: Vijeće Ministara BiH http://www.vijeceministara.gov.ba/akti/prijedlozi_zakona/default.aspx?id=27619&langTag=bs-BA
• Federalni Hidrometeorološki Zavod, (2008). Strategija zaštite okoliša Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine 2008-2018 [Environmental Protection Strategy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2008-2018], Sarajevo: Federalni Hidrometeorološki Zavod - Hidrometreo https://www.hidrometeo.ba/regulations/bih/federalna-strategija-zastite-okolisa.pdf
• World Health Organization WHO, (2011). Technical guidance on water-related disease surveillance, Ed. E. Funari, T. Kistemann, S. Herbst and A. Rechenburg, Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/149184/e95620.pdf
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, (2021). „Water Scarcity – One of the most significant challenges of our time.” Accessed June 5, 2021. http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1185405/
• UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme, (2009). World Water Development Report, n.3, World Water Assessment Program Unesco www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/pdf/ WWDR3_Water_in_a_Changing_World.pdf
• United Nations, (2011). Ekonomska komisija ujedinjenih Naroda za Evropu pregled stanja okoliša, Bosna i Hercegovina drugi pregled [United Nations Commission for Europe environmental review, Bosnia and Herzegovina Second overview], New York: United Nations https://unece.org/DAM/env/epr/epr_studies/native/EPR_2_BiH__Nezvanican_prevod.pdf
• United Nations economic commission for Europe, (2011). Overview of the environment, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Second Review, New York-Geneva: United Nations https://unece.org/DAM/env/epr/epr_studies/Synopsis/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_ECE.CEP.162.synopsis_english.pdf
• World Bank - WB, (2003). IDF Grant National Environmental Plan BIH – NEAP, Sarajevo/Banja Luka: World Bank World Bank/WB www.gov.ba http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website01013/WEB/IMAGES/BOSNIA_P.PDF
• WHO World Health Organization, (2021). ”The cost of a polluted environment: 1.7 million child deaths a year. Accessed June 5 2021. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-03-2017-the-cost-of-a-polluted-environment-1-7-million-child-deaths-a-year-says-who