Training on obtaining integrated permits for large farms held

Novi Sad, 5-6 October 2023 - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held, in cooperation with the Provincial Secretariat for Urban Planning and Environmental Protection, a training on the process of obtaining integrated permits for large poultry and pig producers (IPPC farms), in which over 80 representatives of farms, municipalities, cities, the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management participated. This is one of the activities carried out within the project "EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia" in order to accelerate the decarbonization of the economy and improve the green industry.

Integrated permits for IPPC farms are issued by local authorities to prevent and control water, air and soil pollution, as well as noise and odors. In Serbia, there are currently 88 farms for which it is necessary to issue an integrated permit, and only 11 of them have this permit. The conditions and procedure for issuing integrated permits for facilities whose activities may have negative impacts on human health and the environment are regulated by the Law on Integrated Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution. In accordance with this Law, the deadline for obtaining integrated licenses for all operators, including farms, is the end of 2024. During the training, it was pointed out that obtaining an integrated permit is a demanding and complex procedure. The biggest obstacle is often the lack of other permits, such as use and water permits, but also the lack of funds for investments to prevent pollution.

The participants were informed how they can secure additional funds needed for investments in decarbonization and green industry. One of them is co-financing, which can be applied for through the Challenge for Innovative Solutions for the Green Transition, which is constantly open as part of the "EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia" project. Also, financing possibilities through IPARD 3 were presented.

The two-day training was organized in cooperation with the IED Serbia project "Green Transition – Implementing Industrial Emissions Directive in Serbia 2021-2025" which is implemented by the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy of the University of Belgrade.

The project "EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia", with the technical and financial support of the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding from the Governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.