The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP), with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), within the framework of the GEF-6 project “Promoting Sustainable Land Management through Strengthening the Legal and Institutional Framework, Capacity Building and Restoration of the Most Vulnerable Mountain Landscapes”, and in cooperation with the Institute for Good Governance and Policies in Environment and Climate Change (IPECC) as the implementing partner, organized a workshop entitled “Strategic and Legal Framework for Soil Management”, held on 15 June 2026 in Skopje.
The workshop represented an important step in the process of advancing the national legal framework for the protection and sustainable management of soil resources. During the event, the Draft Soil Management Strategy and the Draft Law on Soil Protection were presented and discussed, with the aim of encouraging constructive debate and exchange of views among representatives of competent institutions, the academic and expert community, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
Throughout the discussions, the participants emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive and integrated approach to soil protection, recognizing soil as one of the key natural resources for ensuring sustainable development, food security, biodiversity conservation, and addressing the impacts of climate change.
The proposed law will establish a modern legal framework for the protection, monitoring, sustainable use, and restoration of soil resources in the Republic of North Macedonia. The proposed legal solutions aim to contribute to more effective soil management, prevention of soil degradation, and improved coordination among the institutions responsible for this area.
Furthermore, the new legal framework will facilitate alignment with European legislation and support the fulfilment of the country’s international obligations in the field of soil protection. It will also contribute to achieving the objective of land degradation neutrality by 2030.
Participants at the workshop provided valuable proposals and recommendations, which will be taken into consideration during the further finalization of the strategic and legislative documents, with the objective of establishing an effective system for soil protection and sustainable soil management in the country.
