Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and the EU Ambassador to Montenegro Johann Sattler officially inaugurated the national environmental protection campaign under the motto Čuvaj da te čuva (Preserve It, So It Preserves You) during a conference in Podgorica.

From the historic Skaline steps, a powerful message was conveyed, reaffirming Montenegro’s constitutional pledge—outlined in Article 1—to being an ecological state.

Regrettably, there remains a significant disparity between the designation of an ecological state and the current reality. Decades have elapsed since the adoption of the Žabljak Declaration, and it appears we’ve managed to prioritize everything—except safeguarding what is perhaps our most valuable resource and potential, Prime Minister Spajić remarked.

He stressed that the time has come to honor commitments, embrace European standards, implement modern legislation, and transform ingrained practices.

Now is the pivotal moment to achieve two crucial goals—creating a truly ecological Montenegro and attaining full European Union membership by 2028. This is our generational aspiration, Spajić noted.

The campaign, featuring well-known national figures such as footballers Stevan Jovetić and Vasilije Adžić, student Itana Zvizdojević, and actor Milivoje Obradović, will encompass a variety of targeted measures and tangible actions dedicated to environmental protection.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government will heighten efforts to address environmental crime, ensuring that polluters and illegal operations face consequences. Additionally, regulations will be reinforced to further minimize plastic bag usage and advocate for sustainable alternatives.

We will eliminate illegal dumping sites and ensure their non-recurrence—through consistent monitoring, warning signs, and strict penalties. We are dedicated to cleaning our nature of used car tires. A specialized machine is on its way to Montenegro that will recycle these hazardous materials into raw materials ready for export—providing an additional economic benefit, Spajić announced.

This is merely the beginning. The era of symbolism has concluded. The time for concrete action is upon us, he asserted.

As part of the conference, three panel discussions were organized to further promote the campaign and underscore the significance of environmental protection.