МOEPP: The recommendations and measures for exceeding the alarm threshold of suspended particles PM 10 in Skopje enter into force

Pursuant to the Decree amending and supplementing the Decree on limit values for levels and types of polluting substances in ambient air and alarm thresholds, deadlines for achieving limit values, tolerance margins for limit values, target values and long-term goals (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 183 of 14.12.2017) which defines the alarm threshold for suspended particles a size of up to 10 micrometers (exceeding the value of 150 mg/m³ during two consecutive days) and the received weather forecast from the Hydrometeorological Service, we inform you that it has been exceeded at the measuring point in Skopje- Lisice and Rektorat.

The table shows the average daily concentrations of PM10 at the measuring point where the alarm threshold has been exceeded.

Lisice Rektorat
24/12/2023
 175.409
 155.912
25/12/2023
 211.229
26/12/2023
 229.347
 169.922

* concentrations are expressed in mg/m³

According to the conclusions of the minutes of the 40th Session of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia held on 28.11.2017, the following recommendations and measures enter into force for the city of Strumica:

The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning in cooperation with the Ministry of Health are obliged to:

  • Recommend to all legal entities (employers) to release pregnant women, people over 60 years of age, as well as people with chronic asthma, previous myocardial infarction or stroke, regardless of age, with the recommendation of a family doctor.
  • They recommend to all legal entities (employers) to reorganize the working hours and the persons working outdoors to work from 11:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.
  • They recommend not to organize sports competitions and other cultural events outdoors.
  • They provide conditions for increased activities of emergency medical services, home visits and patronage services.

The Government of the Republic of Macedonia:

  • То oblige all state administration bodies, agencies, funds, bureaus, institutes, public enterprises and AD in state ownership, as well as local self-government units to reduce (up to 50%) the use of official vehicles.
  • To ensure limitation of construction works.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in cooperation with the Red Cross, the Health Center and the Local Self-Government Units:

  • To provide shelters for housing the homeless.
  • To provide support to elderly lonely persons through organized visits.

The Ministry of Health:

  • To oblige the Emergency Medical Service to submit information to the IPH on the number of calls (according to diagnosis/code of ICD 19, gender, age, place of residence/municipality), for the duration of the episode of alarming air pollution on a daily basis up to completion of the episode and one week after completion.

State Environmental Inspectorate:

  • To start performing frequent control of the Installations that have an A-IPPC permit, to carry out control measurements of the emissions of polluting substances in the ambient air with an accredited laboratory in order to determine whether the prescribed conditions/measures in the Permit are applied in terms of emissions in the air.

The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning will prepare and submit:

  • Recommendations to the Installations that have an A-IPPC permit, to reduce the production capacity (up to 50%), which means that the installations that produce heat or electricity will be excluded from this measure.

LGUs are obliged to implement the measures prescribed in the short-term plans or short-term measures adopted by the Councils of the municipalities.