forestation181, whereas in terms of repair and remediation of existing unsanitary landfills the Ministry organized the competition for co-financing of these projects at the level of local selfgovernment units.182 This is especially important taking into consideration the current state of affairs in the field of waste management in the Republic of Serbia and confirmed factual state in the recommendation of the Protector of Citizens183 which indicates to the fact that the number of imposed measures to local self-government units and public utility companies which failed to meet their legal obligations is disproportionally small in comparison to the number and gravity of activities contrary to the law and that the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as a oversight body, does not take all legally prescribed measures in order to provide efficient application of provisions of the Law on Waste Management184 and realization of its goals. With regards to that, the Protector of Citizens, apart from indicating to the Ministry to the need of strengthening of the inspection supervision in this field, at the same time emphasized the need to provide more operational Green Fund and the Ministry should continue to provide financial support to local self-government units via public calls in the execution and realization of the projects of construction, repair and re-cultivation of landfills, primarily design and construction of regional landfills as precondition for closing of the existing ones. This reporting period as well as the previous one was especially marked by the dissatisfaction of citizens and inhabitants due to construction and planned construction of small hydroelectric power plants especially in protected areas, such as special reservations and natural parks, mostly in Stara planina, primarily due to their negative impact on the environment. Acting upon these complaints, the Protector of Citizens in the conducted oversight procedure confirmed that the results of the analysis of the environment obtained so far indicate to the fact that the construction of small hydroelectric power plants may have detrimental impact and negative consequences on the environment so with the aim of the prevention of further negative consequences and for the purpose of the protection and preservation of the natural diversity it is necessary to re-examine their construction primarily in protected areas. Pursuant to that, he issued the opinion to competent bodies, and also to the Ministry of Environmental Protection recommendations for the conduct of inspection supervision, confirmation in line of official duty whether there are reasons for the repetition of terminated procedures of issuing of the consent to the studies on the evaluation of the impact on the environment, ordering of taking of compensation measures as well as passing of the bylaw which would regulate the minimum sustainable flow.185 However, even though for the end of 2019 passing of the amendments to the Law on Environmental Protection and Law on the Assessment of the Impact on the Environment were planned and they were supposed to regulate the prohibition of the construction of small hydroelectric power plants in all protected zones as well as tightening of the conditions and criteria for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants, until the day of the execution Available at: https://www.ekologija.gov.rs/?s=%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8+%D1%84%D0%BE% D0%BD%D0%B4. 182Available at: https://www.ekologija.gov.rs/dodeljena-sredstva-za-saniranje-nesanitarnih-deponija-u-kraljevucacku-i-trsteniku/. 183 Recommendation with opinion available at: https://www.ombudsman.rs/index.php/2011-12-11-11-3445/6178-inis-rs-v-z-sh-i-ziv-n-sr-din-ivni-d-spr-v-di-insp-ci-s-i-n-dz-r-n-s-ni-rnih-d-p-ni 184 “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 36/09, 88/10, 14/16 and 95/18 – state law. 185 Opinion with recommendation available at: https://www.ombudsman.rs/index.php/2011-12-11-11-3445/6112-rg-ni-vn-vl-s-i-d-pr-ispi-u-v-z-ci-n-r-ivni-vir-i-ur-d-n-izgr-dnj-lih-hidr-l-r-n-u-r-publici-srbi-i. 181 - 96 -