Air projects funded by JICA, EU, GTZ, Dutch government

Title	Study on Air Quality Monitoring System
Donor	JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)
Duration	1997-1999
Budget	2.700.000 USD
Description	The design of a modern State automatic air quality monitoring system began in 1997 with the preparation of a Study for an Air Quality Monitoring System in the Republic of Macedonia.The study covered the territory of the country, for which a detailed plan was made for the establishment of an ambient air quality monitoring system.Within the framework of this project, four monitoring stations were set up in Skopje, namely in Karposh, Gazi Baba, Centar and Lisice, as well as a central station for collecting data on the measured concentrations of pollutants ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and suspended particles with a size of up to 10 micrometers from the monitoring stations.

Project	Procurement of fixed air quality monitoring stations
Donor	EU PHARE COP 99
Duration	June – December 2002
Budget	350.000 EUR
Description	Within the framework of the project, 3 air quality monitoring stations were installed in Kichevo, Kochani and Kumanovo and 3 high-volume samplers for measuring suspended particles with a size of up to ten micrometers. The software in the central station, which received data from all stations every hour via a telephone modem connection, was also changed.

Title	Procurement of air quality monitoring stations
Donor	EU CARDS 2001
Period	August 2003 – May 2004
Budget	1.100.000 EUR
Description	With this project, 6 air quality monitoring stations were purchased and installed, which were placed at the following locations: Bitola and Veles 2 stations, Tetovo and the village of Lazaropole 1 station, 1 mobile station placed in Kavadarci, 1 station for monitoring traffic pollution placed in the Rectorate of the University "St. Cyril and Methodius" opposite the Court Palace. Also, 6 low and 1 high volume sampling device were donated, an off-road vehicle for system maintenance, a complete calibration laboratory located within the Central Environmental Laboratory, a spare set of analyzers and two digital scales. At the same time, all analyzers in the Skopje stations were changed, which practically completely repaired them and unified them with the rest of the equipment from the stations throughout the Republic of Macedonia.

Title	Environmental management
Donor	ЕU CARDS 2004
Period	June 2005 – May 2007
Budget
Description	Within the framework of the M3 component of the project, a preliminary assessment of air quality on the territory of the country was prepared in accordance with the Air Framework Directive 96/62/EC, for the pollutants CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10, and a proposal was made for the establishment of air quality zones/agglomerations.

Project	National Strategy for Environmental Approximation
Donor	EU CARDS 2005
Duration	February 2006 – April 2007
Budget
Description	Within the framework of the project, a National Strategy for Environmental Approximation and 11 sectoral strategies were prepared. An Air Quality Approximation Strategy was prepared. Corresponding tables, implementation questionnaires and cost analysis were prepared for the implementation of the Air Quality Framework Directive 96/62/EC and the National Emission Ceilings Directive 2001/81/EC. Corresponding tables and implementation analyses have been prepared for the Ozone Directive 2002/3/EC and the Carbon Dioxide Emissions Trading Directive 2003/87/EC.

Title	Twinning project "Improving air quality"
Donor	ЕУ CARDS 2005
Duration	September 2006 – May 2008
Budget	600.000 EUR
Description	The project was the first Twinning project in the field of environment in Macedonia and the Balkans. The Twinning partner in the project was Finland, and the junior partner was Austria. The project was realized through the implementation of the following five components: Component 1 – Preparation of guidelines and bylaws, which included the development of: Guidelines for the application of the Regulation on Air Quality Limit Values, Rulebook on Air Quality Monitoring and Reporting and Rulebook on the content and manner of preparing the National Plan, Programs and Action Plans for Ambient Air Protection, as well as guidelines for their application. Component 2 – Air Emission Inventories, within which an analysis of the gaps in the emission inventories in the Republic of Macedonia was conducted, the performance of the existing database was improved with the ability to search and obtain various types of reports. Component 3 – Preliminary Air Quality Assessment, within which an Air Quality Assessment Report was prepared for the pollutants CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10 and the methodology for preparing the report was improved. Component 4 – Air quality measurements and laboratory work within which a Plan for ensuring the reliability and quality control of air quality data was developed.Со овој твининг проект се зајакнаа и капацитетите на МЖСПП за одржување, сервисирање и калибрација на инструментите за мониторинг на квалитет на воздух, како и за мерење на емисии во воздухот. Component 5 – Dispersion Modeling, within which two models were installed to model ambient air quality from stationary sources and from traffic, during which air quality predictions were made in the vicinity of larger stationary sources and were integrated into the air quality assessment report.

Title	Technical support for the State Automatic Air Quality Monitoring System
Donor	German bilateral aid funded by the Center for International Migration (CIM) and development with GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) and BA (Federal Employment Service)
Duration	February 2005 – June 2009
Budget	109.608 EUR
Description	Through this project, a German expert was provided as technical assistance in the management of the State Automatic Monitoring of Ambient Air Quality (DAMSKAV) in the Republic of Macedonia. With financial assistance from the CIM organization, the workshop for servicing air quality monitoring instruments and the calibration laboratory were equipped. At the same time, the expert helped in the preparation of a program, work plan and preparation of part of the documentation for the establishment of the system for ensuring safety and quality control within the framework of DAMSKAV.

Title	Ratification and implementation of the Heavy Metals Protocol, the POPs Protocol and the Gothenburg Protocol to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Donor	The Dutch government
Duration	October 2009 – September 2012
Budget	135.000 USD
Description	The project aimed to assist the Republic of Macedonia in ratifying and implementing the three latest protocols, i.e. the Heavy Metals Protocol, the POPs Protocol and the Gothenburg Protocol to CLTRAP, through the preparation of implementation plans for their ratification. The project was implemented in the Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia). Each country was provided with a separate grant of 135,000 US dollars. Within the framework of this project, the following were prepared: National Ambient Air Protection Plan National Emissions Reduction Plan Inventory of heavy metals

Title	Twinning project "Strengthening capacities at central and local level in environmental management in the field of air quality"
Donor	EU IPA TAIB 2008
Duration	September 2010 – October 2012
Budget	1.000.000 EUR
Description	The twinning project aimed to improve air quality management in the country. The project was jointly implemented by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Austrian Environment Agency and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea.Namely, among the EU member states, Finland was chosen as the project leader, and Austria and Italy as junior partners. The project activities were implemented in three components: Component 1 – Further development of legislation Component 2 – Strengthening administrative capacities for implementation of ambient air quality legislation Component 3 – Strengthening administrative capacities for air quality measurement, monitoring and reporting To ensure the successful implementation of the project, in addition to the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, all relevant institutions with responsibilities in the field of environment are included in the project, namely the Hydrometeorological Administration, the Institute of Public Health, as well as the selected pilot units of local self-government: the City of Skopje, Gostivar, Berovo, Kavadarci, Aerodrom, Karpoš, and Bitola. The following regulations and guidelines were prepared within Component 1: Rulebook on detailed conditions for performing certain types of professional work and regarding the equipment, devices, instruments and appropriate business premises that must be met by entities performing certain professional work for monitoring ambient air quality (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 69, 23.05.2011); Rulebook on the form and content of the forms for submitting data on emissions into ambient air from stationary sources, the manner and time period of submission in accordance with the capacity of the installation, the content and manner of keeping the logbook for emissions into ambient air (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 79, 13.06.2011); Rulebook on the methodology, methods, procedures, methods and means for measuring emissions from stationary sources (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 11, 24.01.2012); Amendments and supplements to the Law on Ambient Air Quality The guidelines for the rulebook on GWE from stationary sources and the rulebook on emission measurements have been finalized. The following documents were prepared within Component 2: Assessment of the capacities of central level institutions (MEPP, UHMR and IPH) and LSGUs (City of Skopje, Kavadarci, Bitola, Aerodrom, Karposh, Berovo and Gostivar) in terms of air quality management and preparation of plans for their strengthening. Training of LSGUs and central level institutions for the preparation of planning documents Program for reducing pollution and improving air quality for the city of Bitola Within component 3, the following documents were prepared and the following activities were implemented: Guidance on quality assessment and quality control for air quality measurements and the calibration laboratory Trainings to strengthen capacities for monitoring, assessment and reporting on the state of air quality Calibration laboratory accreditation process plan Indicative measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were made over a period of one year at two locations, one in the center of Skopje, Rectorate, and the other in the vicinity of the Okta refinery, Miladinovci, and a report was prepared. Air quality assessment for the period 2006-2010 and revision of the list of zones and agglomerations Development of the air quality web portal

Title	LOT 1: Procurement of Meteorological Stations LOT 2: Procurement of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations LOT 3: Procurement of Integrated Air Quality Management System
Donor	EU IPA TAIB 2008
Duration	2010 – 2011
Budget	522.940 EUR (ЛОТ1 – 62.340 EUR, ЛОТ2 – 329.600 EUR, ЛОТ3 – 131.000 EUR)
Description	The equipment procurement includes two automated air quality monitoring stations. These stations have analyzers for monitoring sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), benzene and other volatile organic compounds. The stations were located in Skopje, in the municipalities of Karposh and Centar. With the new equipment, monitoring of particulate matter (PM2.5) began. The equipment procurement also includes three new automatic meteorological stations and one advanced meteorological station. The new meteorological stations are located in Bitola, Ohrid and Kriva Palanka. The advanced meteorological station is located in Creshevo, in the Skopje Valley. In addition to monitoring equipment, an air quality data management system was also purchased with EU funding. The Airviro software, developed by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute and Apertum IT AB, collects and stores data from automatic air quality monitoring stations and has tools for data validation and quality control of this data.

Title	Twinning project "Further strengthening of capacities for effective implementation of the acquis in the field of air quality", IPA TAIB 2012
Donor	IPA TAIB 2012
Duration	May 2015 – January 2017
Budget	1.100.000 EUR
Description	The project was implemented in cooperation with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Austrian Environment Agency, and in addition to the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the Institute of Public Health, the City of Skopje and several other municipalities were also involved in the project activities. The aim of the project was to strengthen administrative capacities in the area of air quality management and the impact of air pollution on health through the implementation of relevant EU legislation. The activities were implemented in 4 components: Component 1. Strengthening the capacities of the Central Environmental Laboratory in the field of air quality measurements, emission measurements and chemical analyses related to air pollution Quality Manual and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Calibration Laboratory A Campaign for Indicative Measurements of Heavy Metals and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons was Conducted Application of the PMF model to determine the shares of different emission sources at the background location Karposh in Skopje Report on the status of the central environmental laboratory and plan for modernization of the laboratory Component 2. Strengthening capacities for conducting emission inventory and dispersion modeling including exposure modeling The inventory of emissions of pollutants into the air for 2014 and an informative report on the inventory Air quality assessment study using dispersion modeling for Skopje Component 3. Further improving air quality data management and reporting of air quality-related information and using air quality information to support environmental policy and the planning and implementation of clean air action plans Air quality plans and short-term action plans for the Skopje agglomeration and for Tetovo New version of the air quality portal The system of electronic reporting on air quality to the European Environment Agency (EEA) has been established in accordance with Decision 2011/850/EC. Air quality report for the period 2015-2015 Communication strategy for informing about the state of air quality; Three brochures aimed at raising awareness among citizens Initiative for cleaner air through the production of a TV spot and Facebook page "We Breathe Together" Component 4. Strengthening capacities for assessing the impact of air pollution on human health Draft National Action Plan for assessing health risks during short-term and long-term episodes of air pollution A basic methodological approach for assessing health risks has been established. Draft National Program for the Introduction of Human Biomonitoring for the Assessment of the Level of Personal Exposure to Key Air Pollution Contaminants in the Republic of Macedonia Study on the effects of particulate matter pollution on mortality in the Skopje region

Title	Equipment procurement
Donor	EU IPA TAIB 2012/2013
Duration	October 2016 - June 2017
Budget	242,562.00 €
Description	Within the framework of this procurement project, air quality monitoring equipment and a vehicle for servicing and maintaining the state air quality monitoring system were provided. Namely, a mobile air quality monitoring station and analyzers were purchased that were used to replace old instruments in the existing stations: Kumanovo, Tetovo and Bitola 2. Additionally, calibration gases were provided.

Title	Development and implementation of a health index for air pollution
Donor	EU INTERREG IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between the Republic of Greece and the Republic of Macedonia for the period 2014-2020
Duration	August 2018 - July 2021
Budget	Total budget for all partners: 958.331,00 EUR MOEPP budget: 323.340,00 EUR
Description	The project was implemented in cooperation with the Climate Change Center - Gevgelija and 3 partners from the Republic of Greece: Center for Environment of Western Macedonia, the Republic of Greece, the Municipality of Lerin and the European Regional Cooperation Network. The main objectives of the project are: Assessment of the impact of air quality in the cross-border region Establishment of a mechanism for monitoring ambient air quality Assessment of the impact on human health and development of a health index Cross-border cooperation Implemented activities within the project: Preparation of a local inventory of air emissions Procurement of air quality monitoring equipment Indicative measurements of the composition of PM particles Preparation of an air quality plan Assessment of the health effects of pollution Organization of public awareness campaigns Organization of trainings for air quality management

Title	Support to Macedonia in EU accession in the field of environment 2019-2021
Donor	SIDA - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Duration	May 2019 - December 2022
Budget	Total budget for all components: 1,087,246.00 EUR Budget for air component: 756,893.00 EUR
Description	The aim of the project is to strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of Environment and Public Health in the defined areas in preparation for EU accession in the field of environment. Activities in the air quality component: Support to the Macedonian air quality monitoring system, including an assessment of the existing system and subsequent strategic investments in infrastructure. Support for upgrading and improving the data management system and the air quality e-reporting system, in accordance with EU Decision 2011/850/EU. Implemented activities: procurement of new measuring instruments, which replaced some of the outdated instruments from the monitoring stations, as well as procurement of new instruments for PM2.5. The instruments were installed in April 2021. upgrade of the AIRVIRO data management system installation of the RAVEN software for reporting air quality data. Development of the Information Campaign on Air Quality with a focus on wood burning and its connection to air quality, within which the following was produced: - Educational video in collaboration with Vidi Vaka, including interviews with a specialist at the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Macedonian experts, the SwEPA project team and wood burning experts from Sweden. - Short film with Macedonian actor Igor Angelov, who gives "warm recommendations" for wood burning - Social media campaign conducted in the period 09.02 - 11.04.2023 on Facebook and Instagram.

Title	Tackling air pollution in the city of Skopje
Donor	Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and partly UNDP
Duration	December 2019 – August 2022
Budget	2.197.937,34 USD
Description	lblRow11.4-2 The project has four main components: Component 1: Development of a comprehensive monitoring system for the pilot area and a coordination platform for tackling air pollution; Component 2: Implementation of regulatory changes needed for the transition to a lower-emission household energy system; Component 3: Demonstration of measures that tackle the causes of household heating pollution; and Component 4: Raising public awareness. Implemented activities: Air quality monitoring was conducted at several locations in Skopje A Source Allocation Study was prepared for Skopje Continuous monitoring of outdoor air quality was conducted at 3 locations in Lisice A survey was conducted related to household heating practices in the Skopje Valley 128 households replaced their old and inefficient heating systems with new energy-efficient ones, and depending on the recommendations from the energy audits, certain energy efficiency interventions took place in these households (e.g. replacement of old windows/doors, insulation of the facade and roof, etc.). Two capacity-building trainings were organized for representatives of civil society organizations and sellers of heating appliances. In cooperation with the Journalists' Association, a competition was organized for the best story, short video and documentary on the topic: Tackling air pollution - strengthening public awareness of the problems and possible solutions for national journalists working on topics related to air pollution and/or environmental protection.

Title	Strengthening central-level capacities for reducing particulate matter in the air through the use of nuclear technologies
Donor	IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency
Duration	2 years (2020-2021)
Budget	300.000,00 EUR
Description	The aim of the project is to reduce the levels of particulate matter in the air and to define mitigation measures in order to improve air quality in Macedonia. The project will strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change for the use of nuclear technologies in detecting the composition of PM fractions and determining the sources of pollution. Implemented activities: Procurement of 4 low-volume sequential samplers Procurement of an X-RayF spectrometer and reference materials Training on calibration of the X-RayF spectrometer with reference standards Training on the use of receptor models for determining the contributions of different pollution sources

Title	LOT2: Procurement of air quality monitoring equipment for the environmental monitoring system
Donor	IPA II program of the European Union
Duration	October 2023 - June 2024
Budget	378.800,00 EUR
Description	The equipment procurement project financed by the IPA 2 program has completed the process of replacing outdated measuring instruments in the monitoring stations in Skopje (Karposh, Centar, Lisice, Gazi Baba) and Lazaropole. Within the framework of this project, a total of 27 analyzers (4 – PM10, 4 – PM2.5, 4 – SO2, 4 – O3, 6 – NO, NO2, NOx, 5 – CO), 2 low-volume samplers, 1 high-volume sampler and 7 sets for measuring meteorological parameters have been purchased.

Title	Project "Tackling Air Pollution"
Donor	The project is funded by Sweden (SIDA) and implemented by UNDP
Duration	December 2022 – April 2026
Budget	2.56 millions USD
Description	The activities envisaged in the project are implemented in the following five municipalities: Kumanovo, Struga, Strumica, Gostivar and Kavadarci. The aim of the project is to identify sources of air pollution, propose appropriate measures to solve air pollution problems, as well as to raise public awareness and encourage a change in citizens' behavior on this topic. The project is divided into four main components: Monitoring air quality in five municipalities and modeling air pollution sources; Strengthening air quality management capacities at the local level; Demonstration of priority measures addressing the causes of pollution Public awareness and knowledge sharing Implemented activities A survey was conducted and a research report was prepared on the perception of citizens and representatives of local self-government and public institutions and establishments on issues related to air pollution in Kavadarci, Strumica, Gostivar, Kumanovo and Struga Air quality monitoring in five municipalities for a period of 1 year from March 2023 to April 2024 was completed and modeling was done to determine the sources of air pollution; A training plan was prepared for the municipalities and trainings were conducted for representatives of the municipalities A new Air Quality Plan for Strumica was developed and the local air quality plans for the municipalities of Kavadarci, Struga, Kumanovo and Gostivar were updated and priority measures were defined to be implemented within the framework of the project co-financed by the LSGU;

Title	"EU FOR CLEAN AIR" PROJECT
Donor	EU IPA 3
Duration	July 2023 - June 2026
Budget	10 million EUR
Description	The main objective of the project is to contribute to the reduction of air pollution in North Macedonia and the reduction of risks to human health, i.e. to improve air quality in four large cities in North Macedonia by reducing emissions of pollutants, primarily PM2.5 and PM10. The project is being implemented in four municipalities: Skopje, Kumanovo, Tetovo and Bitola. Expected results: Reduced pollution from heating systems in public buildings Reduced pollution from public transport in Skopje Improved air quality by creating green belts Established prerequisites for expanding the district heating network in Skopje – Feasibility study Increased capacity for air quality monitoring Activities: Change of heating systems in 40 public buildings, i.e. about 80 individual systems in four municipalities (Skopje, Bitola, Tetovo and Kumanovo); procurement of 6 ecological buses (CNG) to support public transport in Skopje procurement of 6,000 seedlings and their distribution in the four cities, Preparation of a Feasibility Study for further expansion of the district heating network in Skopje, Procurement of air quality monitoring equipment

Title	Regional project to improve air quality in the Western Balkans
Donor	The project is funded by Sweden and implemented by the Swedish Environment Agency, the Swedish Hydrometeorological Institute and UNICEF.
Duration	August 2022 – July 2025
Budget	/
Description	Main objective of the project: improved fulfillment of EU air quality requirements in Chapter 27, i.e.: Increased capacity for processing emissions data Increased capacity for guidance to LSGUs Increased public availability of air quality data Regional dialogue established on the availability, acquisition and use of air quality data.

Title	Regional Air Quality Project, “Air Quality Management for Selected Thresholds in the Western Balkans” within the framework of the World Bank Regional Technical Assistance Program
Donor	World Bank
Duration	August 2022 – December 2024
Budget	/
Description	The project includes Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Main activities of the project are: Support to local governments in the application of models for determining the effectiveness of measures specified in the Air Quality Plans Analysis and improvement of subsidy programs at local and central level Preparation of a detailed functional analysis of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and other relevant institutions for air quality management in accordance with the requirements specified in the air directives. Training to strengthen the capacities at central and local level in the field of air quality management

Title	EU4Green "Supporting the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans"
Donor	IPA program of the European Union
Duration	2022 - 2025
Budget	/
Description	The project is regional and is implemented by the Austrian Environment Agency. The following countries are involved in the project: North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. The aim of the project is to support the Western Balkan countries in implementing the Green Agenda, in greening their economies in consultation with all relevant partners and in strengthening monitoring and reporting. The emphasis is on: Decarbonisation: climate, energy, mobility Pollution reduction: air, water and soil Biodiversity: protection and restoration of ecosystems Circular economy Sustainable agriculture and food production. In the air section, the following activities are planned: Organization of workshops and preparation of guidelines for the preparation of air quality plans with a particular emphasis on reducing emissions from domestic heating and the burning of agricultural waste Development of a plan for establishing a system for monitoring the impacts on the ecosystem in accordance with the NEC Directive Development of a plan and recommendations for the establishment of a National Reference Laboratory for Air Quality Definition of obligations for the reduction of air emissions in accordance with the NEC Directive and the Gothenburg Protocol. Implemented activities: Guidelines for the preparation of air quality plans have been developed, as well as guidelines for the reduction of emissions from domestic heating and the burning of agricultural waste; A draft plan for the establishment of a system for monitoring the impacts on the ecosystem in accordance with the NEC Directive has been prepared; A plan and recommendations for the establishment of a National Reference Laboratory for Air Quality have been prepared; The obligations for the reduction of air emissions in accordance with the NEC Directive and the Gothenburg Protocol have been defined by parameter for each country, taking into account the transboundary transfer of air pollution between the Western Balkan countries. Regional workshops for the national reference laboratory, for monitoring the impact of air pollution on ecosystems in accordance with the NEC Directive, for air quality management, as well as interlaboratory comparison with air quality measurement instruments, have been implemented.

Title	Support the implementation of air quality directives
Donor	IPA2 program of the European Union
Duration	05 November 2024 - 05 November 2026
Budget	1.500.000 EUR
Description	The project aims to improve ambient air quality through the preparation of relevant documents and legislation in accordance with EU legislation and strengthening administrative capacities for their implementation. The project plans to: complete the air legislation, i.e. prepare a new law on ambient air quality and several by-laws, prepare plans for the implementation of the air quality directives, prepare national planning documents for ambient air protection and strategic assessment reports on their impact on the environment, prepare and implement a monitoring plan for heavy metals, VOCs and PAHs, and establish zones and agglomerations for these substances, prepare an air quality assessment report and a report on the assessment of the impact of natural sources on air quality.