Skopje, 30.01.2026 – The Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Muamet Hoxha, at today’s briefing announced that the fight against air pollution will be conducted through a comprehensive approach that will include control of pollution from industry, institutions and households, as well as through inter-institutional cooperation regarding traffic, with zero tolerance towards polluters.
He informed that the Ministry has a short-term action plan and a long-term program adopted by the Government, as well as the new Law on Emissions Control, adopted in September 2025, which will enter into force in September 2027.
“The Law provides for significantly stricter rules for the issuance and supervision of environmental permits of categories A and B, obliges the industry to use the best available technology, and establishes financial liability in case of violations. The Law is fully harmonized with the directives of the European Union and was adopted through a comprehensive process with public debate, involving civil society, the Chamber of Commerce, faculties, and other relevant parties,” Minister Hoxha told journalists.
Hoxha announced that meetings with representatives of industries holding category A environmental permits will begin next week, in order to use the adaptation period in the most effective way. All new environmental permits will be issued in accordance with the new, stricter standards, with more rigorous conditions and lower emission thresholds, particularly for industrial facilities located in urban areas.
Within the framework of the new measures, it is planned to strengthen the laboratory capacities of the Ministry through the accreditation of new methods for independent controls towards the industry, the installation of public display screens showing the average emissions released by facilities, as well as the application of the “POLLUTER PAYS” principle, under which the industry will cover the costs of risk removal, remediation, and fair compensation for damage caused to the environment.
Minister Hoxha emphasized that these measures systematically change the Ministry’s approach to the control of industrial capacities related to air pollution, by introducing strong control and accountability mechanisms.