Environment management capacities should be enhanced, especially in local terms, along with increase of investments for environmental projects, read recommendations within UN's second review of the environmental performance of the Republic of Macedonia.

Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Abdilaqim Ademi said the report was important for the country, ministries and municipalities.

"The report shows the current state of environment and future activities. There is still a lack of environmental capacities in Macedonia", said Ademi, adding the report could be used for allocation of grants from international environment funds.

An environmental performance review is developed for countries in transition, monitoring the state of environment in all fields - water, air, waste, nature etc.

Marco Keiner, head of the environmental division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said requests for the reports come from the country itself, assessing this is a good step for Macedonia when it comes to cooperation, and a positive step in the country's EU approximation.

According to him, the first report on Macedonia was compiled in 2002 and many of the recommendations have since been implemented through new laws, bylaws and rulebooks.

"We believe Macedonia was active in this field in recent years. UN agencies are prepared to give the country their support in implementing the new recommendations", underlined Keiner.