Organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia and the IPA project “EU for Improving the Planning and Implementation of Chapter 27 in Serbia,” a workshop titled “Environmental Noise Assessment and Management – Legislative Framework” was held on May 28, 2025, in Niš.
The event brought together a large number of representatives from national institutions and local governments, as well as environmental protection experts and noise monitoring operators. A total of 45 participants attended – 37 in person and 8 online.
The workshop was opened by Aleksandra Imsiragic Djuric, Assistant Minister of Environmental Protection, who emphasized the importance of noise management for improving citizens’ quality of life and protecting public health. Svetlana Zhekova, representative of the IPA project, highlighted the European Union’s commitment to supporting Serbia in aligning its legislation with EU standards.
Legislative Framework and Strategic Documents
The first part of the workshop focused on presenting the legal framework for environmental noise management, which was thoroughly explained by Professor Momir Prascevic, a consultant and expert in the field. He emphasized that the legal foundation is the Law on Environmental Noise Protection, adopted in 2021, which provides the basis for further development of regulations and practices in line with European standards.
In his presentation, Professor Prascevic outlined the fundamental principles of noise management – precaution, the “polluter pays” principle, and prevention, as well as the obligation to reduce noise to the lowest possible level in order to protect human health.
He presented the main objectives: maintaining low noise exposure and developing criteria for maximum safe noise levels, in line with healthy environment programs.
Bylaws in Preparation
In the second part of the workshop, participants were introduced to current bylaws under development, which will further improve the noise management system in Serbia. Professor Prascevic presented the draft rulebook on noise indicators, limit values, and methods for assessing annoyance and harmful effects of noise. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of acoustic zoning as a tool for sustainable urban planning.
Also presented was a draft rulebook on the methodology for developing and managing the noise information system, which will enable more efficient collection, processing, and presentation of data on noise levels at the national level. These documents are aligned with EU Directive 2002/49/EC (END) and the implementation of common noise assessment methods (CNOSSOS-EU), marking an important step toward further alignment with EU standards.
Discussion and Exchange of Experiences
The workshop concluded with an open discussion, during which participants asked questions and shared experiences regarding the challenges of implementing regulations and the technical aspects of noise monitoring. Topics included the role of local governments, authorized professional organizations, and municipal inspectors, as well as the need for education and raising awareness about the importance of noise protection.
Conclusions and Next Steps
It was concluded that continuous improvement of the legal and institutional framework is crucial for the effective protection of the environment and human health. The importance of engaging all relevant stakeholders was particularly emphasized, along with continued cooperation with the project and other international partners.
After the official part of the workshop, a refreshment and informal networking session was organized, allowing for further exchange of ideas among participants.
This was the first in a series of workshops on the same topic, which will also be held in Kragujevac, Novi Sad, and Belgrade during June 2025.