President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova received representatives of the civil initiative “Stop for Usje”, who explained their positions related to the impact of the Usje cement plant on air quality and human health.
Highlighting their demands, they pointed to the need to establish measuring stations with 24/7 measurement of polluting substances, full transparency of the data obtained, as well as compliance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization for the limit values of PM10 particles.
The representatives of the civic initiative “Stop for Usje” shared comparative examples from other countries where the prescribed parameters are lower than the Macedonian ones.
According to them, instead of engaging private accredited laboratories for independent measurements, the accreditation process of the state laboratory should be accelerated as soon as possible.
For them, greater institutional support is necessary and they expect the authorities to consistently, transparently and urgently fulfill their legal obligations in the interest of environmental protection and for the sake of the health of citizens.
The President, first and foremost as a citizen, shared the concern about air, soil and water pollution, as one of the most pressing issues.
Siljanovska-Davkova listened to the arguments and said that she is closely following their activities aimed at a healthier and safer environment, as a top national priority.
She reminded of the appointment of Dr. Spiridonov, a professor and scientist in the field of meteorology and climate change, as a member of the Security Council.
The interlocutors agreed that the environment is a shared responsibility and strategic commitment, that continuous dialogue between civil society organizations, institutions and business entities is necessary in order to create sustainable and long-term solutions, and that the Parliament should, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, open the doors for them in the debate on environmental laws and let them do their supervisory role.
