Planned Resort on Montenegro's Lake Skadar Alarms MEPs

European Parliamentarians voiced concern on Monday over the Montenegrin government's plan to approve a new "eco-resort" on Skadar Lake, which has led to protests from environmentalists who fear it will threaten the national park's ecosystem and rare species.

After a group of NGOs, supported by the several international organizations, launched a petition to save Skadar Lake, demanding the government put an immediate moratorium on new construction inside the lake's national park, several MEPs urged the government in Podgorica to undertake the protection and conservation measures to maintain the lake's ecological characteristics.

The amendments to the European Parliament's resolution on Montenegro, debated on Monday, urged the government to ensure that the project for a five-star resort does not have any negative impact on the protection of national parks in Montenegro.

An amendment filed by an MEP from Croatia, Zeljana Zovko, expressed "deep concern about threats to the ecological integrity and eco-touristic value" of Lake Skadar National Park due to the Porto Skadar Lake project, as the 75-million-euros-worth project is named.

The construction plans include a hotel, 30 luxury villas with swimming pools, restaurants, marina and a commercial centre. Its location is at the mouth of the River Crnojevica and Skadar Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in the Balkans and shared between Montenegro and neighbouring Albania.

Several hydropower projects are also planned, on the lake's major tributary, the river Moraca, which according to the environmentalists could further endangering biodiversity.

A motion by MEPs Ulrike Lunacek, Terry Reintke, Igor Soltes on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group in the European Parliament...