A Green Future Doesn’t Build Itself - It’s Everyone’s Responsibility

As we mark World Environment Day, it's important to emphasize that sustainability is not just an ideal—it is a tangible result of joint effort. Through the EU PRO Plus programme, the European Union has so far supported more than 50 development projects directly or indirectly aimed at improving the environment—from enhancing recycling systems and wastewater treatment, to greening urban areas and educating the youngest citizens about primary waste separation, as well as supporting small and medium enterprises that contribute to a healthier living environment through their work.

The total value of these projects exceeds 13 million Euros and includes territorial initiatives that bring together local governments, educational institutions, civil society, and the business sector in a shared mission—a cleaner and more resilient Serbia.

Through programmes like EU PRO Plus, EU investments in local infrastructure simultaneously contribute to improving the quality of life for citizens and preserving natural resources. Dragana Novaković, EU PRO Plus Infrastructure Sector Manager, highlights that sustainable development at the local level means that every piece of infrastructure, whether newly built or reconstructed, must, in addition to safety, also prioritise environmental standards. In this interview, she shares the Programme’s experience and achievements in this area.

1. Why is environmental protection important for local development and what role does infrastructure play in it?

Environmental protection is a prerequisite for any sustainable local development. A municipality may build roads and factories, but if its rivers are polluted or its air quality is poor, this directly affects the quality of life and health of its residents and slows development. A cleaner environment means better public health, lower healthcare costs, and greater potential to attract investors and tourists—as well as retain young people. Economic development and ecology go hand in hand at the local level—communities that take care of nature usually record longer-term and more stable progress.

Infrastructure plays a key role in all this—it ensures that environmental standards are not just declarative. Wastewater treatment plants, recycling centres, green spaces, and energy-efficient buildings allow local authorities to actively protect the environment. Through improvements in energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources for heating and cooling, the establishment of recycling and wastewater treatment systems, the replacement of outdated asbestos pipelines to ensure safer water supply, and through urban greening and environmental education for children—infrastructure becomes the backbone of sustainable change. In this way, by building and upgrading infrastructure, the European Union, through the EU PRO Plus programme, helps municipalities turn measures like cleaner water, improved waste management, and reduced energy consumption into a part of everyday life for citizens.

2. What concrete infrastructure interventions were implemented through EU PRO Plus, and how do they contribute to environmental protection?

In Novi Pazar, for example, we supported the expansion of the recycling centre and the purchase of a vehicle for collecting textile waste. This enables the city to more efficiently separate and process waste that previously ended up in landfills or was used as fuel in boilers—which marks significant progress toward a cleaner environment.

Substantial funds were also invested in improving the energy efficiency of public buildings—primarily educational and healthcare institutions. Replacing windows, insulating facades, and upgrading heating and lighting systems led to significant reductions in energy use and harmful gas emissions, resulting in savings for municipal budgets.

In municipalities such as Merošina, Golubac, Užice, Čajetina, Bajina Bašta, and Sjenica, solar panels were installed on public buildings, allowing part of the energy to come from renewable sources—with potential long-term financial savings.

The EU has also funded the improvement of sustainable public spaces—green areas, parks, and walking paths. Although simple, these interventions deliver visible results—cleaner, safer, and more attractive spaces for everyday life. For example, in Prijepolje, Ćićevac, Paraćin, Knjaževac, and Varvarin, support was given for the renovation of parks, playgrounds, and sports fields actively used by local communities.

3. How important is involving local communities and citizens in green projects, and how does the Programme encourage this?

No infrastructure project can truly be sustainable without community support. That’s why, for us, it is just as important to invest in knowledge alongside construction—through citizen education, workshops, public campaigns, and the involvement of schools and civil society organisations.

For instance, in Novi Pazar, the recycling centre modernisation project included equipping the School of Textile and Leather Design to actively involve students in recycling processes. In Lapovo, solar benches were installed along with digital info screens so that citizens could use green energy while receiving updates about local events.

These examples show that environmental protection isn’t someone else’s job—it belongs to all of us. Long-term, only communities that understand and embrace their role in protecting nature can sustain the results achieved.

4. What are the biggest challenges in implementing infrastructure projects focused on environmental protection?

The biggest challenge is always achieving balance—between needs, capacity, and timing. Local governments often lack the technical and administrative capacity to prepare and implement complex projects. With green investments, the challenges are even greater—from selecting appropriate technologies to complying with regulations and standards.

This is where the EU—or we, as the Programme—step in as a partner: providing support in planning, preparing documentation, and monitoring implementation. It’s important to understand that such projects require long-term planning and persistence, but the outcomes—clean water, healthier surroundings, and more efficient energy use—bring benefits that last for decades.

5. What do you see as the next step? What would you recommend for further progress in this area – is it systematic investment, better planning, education, or something else?

We expect concrete, measurable, and long-term impact. Better wastewater management, more recycling, and more energy-efficient buildings—these are the kinds of changes that endure. Equally important, however, is that we are building awareness and capacity: local governments that successfully implement one infrastructure project today are more prepared to initiate new ones tomorrow. This way, the impact of the Programme extends beyond its lifespan. Strengthened institutions, higher standards, and visible results—that is what remains in communities and what constitutes the essence of sustainable development.

The next steps in advancing environmental protection at the local level must be comprehensive and systemic. Our experience through EU PRO Plus has shown that individual projects achieve results, but for lasting impact, broader and longer-term planning is needed. That’s why we introduced the development of territorial strategies for sustainable development—plans that unite the needs of multiple municipalities and define joint-interest projects.

This approach should become the norm—each region in Serbia should have a plan for simultaneously advancing the economy, society, and environmental protection. Systemic investment is key for major infrastructure ventures such as regional sanitary landfills, recycling plants, or central wastewater treatment plants—which individual municipalities can rarely implement on their own.

I believe the European Union will continue supporting such initiatives, but it is equally important that this becomes a national priority, with appropriate financial structures in place. Also, in every future investment, whether in roads, buildings, or industrial zones, environmental protection components should be systematically included. This is an investment that pays off many times over—now and in the future.