The Parliament of Montenegro has adopted the Law on Ensuring Safe Water for Human Consumption, which incorporates two significant proposals put forward by the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro.
The Ministry of Health accepted the proposals of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UoM), which clarified the division of responsibilities regarding the monitoring of water abstraction catchment areas, risk assessment and the implementation of risk management measures. As a result, the initially proposed obligation for legal entities registered for water supply, i.e. water utility companies, to monitor water abstraction catchment areas and manage risks within those areas was removed.
In order to ensure alignment with the Law on Waters, it was stipulated that the monitoring of water abstraction catchment areas of national importance and risk management within those areas would fall under the responsibility of the administrative authority responsible for hydrometeorological affairs and the administrative authority responsible for water management. Where a water abstraction site has the status of a water resource of local importance, the implementation of risk management measures will be ensured by the competent local government authority.
The adopted solutions provide for a clear and workable division of responsibilities among the competent state authorities, local government authorities and water utility companies, in accordance with Montenegro’s existing legal framework.
The justification for the proposal of the Union of Municipalities stated that the European Union Directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption, while providing for a significant role for water utility companies in monitoring the situation in this area, also allows Member States to assign responsibilities in the risk assessment process in accordance with their respective legal frameworks.
Recognizing the importance of this law for meeting the benchmarks for closing Negotiating Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change, the Union of Municipalities conducted consultations with its member municipalities and water utility companies within a very short timeframe, prepared its proposals and submitted them to the Ministry of Health.
The accepted proposals do not affect compliance with the requirements set out in the EU Directive, but rather ensure a clearer division of responsibilities and create conditions for more effective implementation of the Law, while safeguarding the quality of water intended for human consumption.
