Skopje, July 24 - A phase-out of leaded petrol in Macedonia will begin in
September with a promotion of unleaded fuel and a simultaneous reduction in the
lead content of the leaded variety. The plan complies with a pan-European
strategy adopted in 1998.
The plan will be realised in two stages, according to a decision in July that
the Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning made on the advice of
the German consulting firm GOPA. The company is helping to strengthen the
ministry's capacity.
The first stage of the phase-out begins in September when the lead content in
leaded petrol will be cut back from 0.6 grams per litre to 0.15 grams per litre,
in line with EU standards.
The emissions of lead from exhaust fumes are expected to decline by 50 tons per
year. The second stage in the phase-out will begin in 2006 when leaded petrol
will be banned outright.
Once leaded petrol is banned, cars that run on leaded petrol would be able to
operate with certain engine adjustments or with the help of a special additive
for unleaded petrol. According to the plan, emissions of lead should be reduced
by 85 percent next year.
Environment Minister Ljubomir Janev said in a speech about the phase-out that
the plan includes an aggressive public awareness campaign.
The main message is that lead is harmful to the environment and causes health
problems, especially to children. Macedonia is one of the last countries in the
world where leaded petrol has not yet been phased-out. Leaded petrol on the
world market is 7 percent higher more expensive than unleaded petrol.
The plan was developed by a working group of representatives from the ministries
of environment, health, economy, finance and interior. Other participants came
from the Institute for Standardization, the OKTA refinery and oil company
Makpetrol. The group is also pushing for the implementation in September of new
standards on liquid propellants.
EU/NATO An agreement has been reached within the North Atlantic Council on the
renewal of NATO's force in Macedonia that is due to expire on 15th December
2002. France would like the EU to be able to take over from NATO at the end of
January. Paris is counting on the fact that by then Turkey will have lifted its
veto on the EU's use of NATO facilities and that "permanent arrangements"
between the Atlantic Alliance and the Fifteen will have been finalised. The
agreement plans to keep a reduced NATO force in Macedonia for a further six
months. But the situation will be examined again at the end of February.
FYR MACEDONIA OPENS USD 12.5M PROJECT TO PUMP NEW LIFE INTO LAKE SKOPJE, Oct. 7 - The FYR Macedonian government announced that it has begun a USD
12.5 million project to save one of the most beautiful and oldest lakes in FYR
Macedonia, Lake Djoran, which has slowly been disappearing due to pumping from
neighbouring Greece.
The project, entitled "Salvation of Dojran Lake" began on Sept. 8 and will be
implemented with funds from the sale of FYR Macedonia's telecom company as well
as from international funds, according to government sources. The project
involves transporting water from 15 wells in the area of Gjavato Pole via a
hydro-system that uses 20 kilometres of pipeline and three water basins. Another
component of the project will also provide drinking water for nearby residents.
Experts say this system will add water to the lake at a rate of approximately
1,000 litres per second, which is 10 times more than the current intake. At this
rate, the lake is expected to be fully replenished in eight years. Without this
intervention, the lake was expected to go dry within 15 years.
Marjan Dodovski, the FYR Macedonian minister of environment and urban planning,
said that Greece, which borders on Lake Dojran, shares FYR Macedonia's interest
in preservation of the lake, and that that country had set aside EUR 4 million
for that purpose. But pumping to remove water from the lake is apparently
continuing on the Greek side, and, according to Dodovski, FYR Macedonia and
Greece still need to sign an official agreement on protection of the lake.
Dodovski said that a study has shown that construction of the pipeline has no
effect on the Vardar River. He added that the same water pipeline system will be
used for watering farmland in the Bogdansko Pole, Nikolic and Crnicko Pole
regions.
The system is not currently functioning, but officials said that, once release
valves, shafts and a command centre have been installed, the pipeline from
Gavato Pole to Lake Dojran will be opened.
Architects from the Engineering Institute of FYR Macedonia have also completed
work necessary to provide drinking water for the municipality of Star Dojran.
According to Filip Doncevski, director of the Dojran Lake Hydro-system public
enterprise, the well is ready to be connected to the water pipeline network.
The project involved the four largest construction companies in FYR Macedonia,
Beton, Pelagonija, Granit and Mavrovo, as well as the October 11 factory in
Kumanovo, which produces pipes.
--Environmental press center, <ecopress@ecopresscenter.org>
The centre left coalition "Together for Macedonia" , led
by the Social Democrat Alliance (SDSM) has won the elections in the Macedonian
parliament. The real novelty of this election is the success of Ali Ahmeti’s
party, the former Albanian rebel leader.
More
NATO has extended its peace mission in Macedonia for a
further four months. The mandate for the 700 troops who are stationed there will
continue until 26th October 2002.
http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2002/p02-067f.htm
