Government approves the Draft law on Waters of the Republic of Kosovo

In its 128^th meeting with the decision no 7/128, the Kosovo Government approved the Draft law on Waters of the Republic of Kosovo. This law aims to ensure development and sustainable usage of water resources, which are necessary for public health, environmental protection and the development of socio-economy of the Republic of Kosovo; to establish guiding procedures and principles, for optimal distribution of water resources; to ensure protection of the water from pollutants, over-usage, and miss-usage of the water; to define institutional framework for administrating water resources. This law regulates all issues regarding ground waters, lakes, accumulations, tanks, natural resources, underground water, sour-lands, the land near river banks, issues that deal with their management; distribution and usage of water; water protection; protection from available water damages, including flooding, overflow, erosion, objects and water infrastructure; water financing, as well as conditions, methods and action by which can water can be used or deployed. 

Based on the article 2 of this draft law, which is conform aims for water protection, saving, and sustainable and long-term usage, the water administration is based on: ecologic, social and economic concepts; care principle, prevention principle; principle for minimal usage of the water resources; integration principle; the principle of the 'pollutant pays principle”; the principle of preventing pollution;  time-perspective principle; the principle of public participation and information accessibility; the principle for participation of the  interested-parties; and universal participation of water services.

The article 12, presents Responsibilities and Competencies which applies to the Ministry which draft laws and sub-legal acts about all issues regarding water in the Republic of Kosovo, and are responsible for their implementation; develops water policies; as well as sets all water and environmental objectives based on the Program of the Kosovo Government. In the mean time the Municipality has its responsibilities too, mainly for releasing water licenses defined in the sub-legal act for water licenses.

Meanwhile, an Inter-ministerial Committee is established with the aim of analyzing issues of administrating water resources; harmonizing and coordinating safety needs and different safety interests, saving and improving permanently the water status in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. This Committee is composed from 7 members that are selected from the line ministries – The Kosovo Government. The president and other members of the Water Inter-ministerial Committee are selected for the 3 years time-period, with the possibility to be reselected for another mandate.

According to the law, the allocation of financial resources for administration, management, and development of water resources is composed from: the payments for the water usage, water deployment, extraction of the inert materials; Kosovo budget; municipalities; donations and grants; and other financial means. With regards to the budget, based on article 92 of this draftlaw, means for adminsitration, menagmenet and development of water resources are foreseen in the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo and those of municipalities. These means are used for financing activities and measurements forecasted with the planning and programin documents, released in compliance with this law.