PALGO Center, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM), ITDP Europe and Chamber of Commerce of Serbia organized the Conference ”Overcoming Barriers to the Recycling of Urban Land: Revitalizing Brownfield Sites in Serbia” on October 16th 2007.
Download the Conference Agenda.
Brownfields are sites that are underused or derelict with buildings affected by the previous use – mostly industrial and military sites located on attractive locations in urban centers. Seen as such, they often have a negative impact on cities as they create underprivileged surrounding, together with contamination of soil and underground waters, and represent a potential source of disease.
European cities are faced with brownfield related problems and apply for some time many innovative and engaged approaches in revitalizing these locations. Thus the conference participants had the opportunity to hear and learn about some examples. Professor Paul Nathanail from Great Britain, president of the European network of experts engaged in brownfield revitalization – CABERNET, was the guest of honor at this event.
Download the CABERNET annual Report for 2006.
Speakers of the first session of the Conference were representatives of the ministries that have a key role in creating a favorable legal framework for brownfield investment: Ministry for Infrastructure, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development and Ministry of Environment. They agreed that the existing legislation recognizes and stimulates such investments, still making the remark that many of the existing legal instruments are not fully implemented.
Representatives of the local self-government in Serbia have expressed their readiness to take the responsibilities, aware of the development accountability in their respective local communities. Presentations from the town planning experts illustrated their knowledge and recognition of brownfield issues, as they start to record brownfield sites in new generation plans. Conference findings imply that aside from the expertise and enthusiasm to cope with this issue, there still exist many problems, from the ones concerning legal and proprietary rights to the ones of environmental impact.
Special attention was paid to the possibilities of reusing former military sites, and the intention of some cities to turn these sites into objects of public use and of general interest was welcomed by the attendees.
Participants’ presentations:
- Paul Nathanail - Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration
- Dragan Pejčić - Mere za razvoj braunfild investicija
- Irena Đokić - Redeveloping Brownfields in Croatia
- Aleksandar Ivančić - Case Study on Brownfield Recycling in Barcelona
- Martijn Kanters - A Private Sector Perspective
- Nicolas Bearelle - PSR Brownfield Developers
- Jirina Jackson - Czech Approach to the Promotion of Brownfield Revitalization
- Žaklina Gligorijević - Glavni grad - potencijali,vizije, strategije i projekti
- Nebojsa Rančić - Komercijalizacija vojne imovine za projekte LER
- Erika Kudlik - Rehabilitacija vojnog kompleksa u Subotici
- Miroljub Stanković - Braunfild lokacije u Nišu
- Gordana Đilas - Braunfild lokacije - mogućnost i praksa u Novom Sadu
Conference Conclusions:
With full respect to the constitutional system of Serbia, especially its regulations protecting the environment, natural and cultural heritage, and sustainable economy,
holding to the principles defined in a number of strategies in Serbia,
having in mind current European documents that deal with the policies on sustainable development of regions, cities and municipalities,
and taking into consideration the discussion on brownfield issues between European and national experts and representatives of the Republic and city authorities, as well as local self-government,
participants of the conference ”Overcoming Barriers to the Recycling of Urban Land: Revitalizing Brownfield Sites in Serbia”, held in the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia on October 16, 2007, have adopted the following:
Conference Conclusions
about activation and revitalization of brownfields sites in Serbia
- The re-activation of brownfield sites calls for a careful and tangible approach based on strong political will. However, it is recognized that every individual brownfield site often has its own set of unique circumstances.
- Current legal framework in Serbia is acceptable for the process of brownfield sites activation and revitalization, though it is also true that many laws related to this matter are not adequately enforced. It is, however, necessary to enact basic new laws, such as urban land privatization, the devolution of property and the Law on Local Self-Government Property that would empower municipalities and cities to play a greater role in the brownfield revitalization process.
- The Law on Planning and Construction contains an instrument called the “Implementation Contract”, although yet to be applied, can be used to introduce private capital into the implementation process of spatial and urban plans, and in co-operation with the public sector.
- There are currently many incentives for domestic and foreign investors that are valid for brownfield sites as well. Yet the percentage of brownfield investment share in total investments is very low, mostly due to unsolved land ownership issues and remediation costs. The perceived risks and additional costs of brownfield sites lead investors to favor greenfield sites, even though the costs of environmental cleanup should be paid for by the state according to the Privatization Law.
- Privatization of the bankrupted enterprises can be a very powerful instrument for revitalizing brownfields in Serbia. The cooperation of the local self-governments with the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) is of crucial importance in solving brownfield problems. In cooperation with the municipalities in Serbia, SIEPA created a database of brownfield sites. With the systematic inventorying of brownfield sites in every Serbian municipality, potential brownfield investors can stay informed of the full range of their investment opportunities.
- The role of local self-government in revitalizing and activating brownfields is of great importance. A strong political will can improve the economic, social and environmental structure of cities and their organization; conserve nature, agricultural and forestland; and protect and improve natural and cultural heritage by creating taxation, fiscal, and planning instruments. Spatial and urban plans and their thorough implementation have a special role in that process.
- Instead of giving the private sector full power when taking over a brownfield site, the balance between public and private interest must accompany all brownfield investments. This equilibrium is to be found in partnership agreements between public sector and private developers.
- Education and public promotion of the idea of activating and revitalizing brownfield sites in Serbia needs to gain systematic support and constant care from the State and local self-government level, to provoke public interest and greater protection of public goods.
- It is necessary that Serbia, like other European countries, clearly defines the term brownfield, so that it could be brought into the legal framework of Serbia.
Give us your opinion on these Conference Conclusions.
Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (New York) provided overall project support while the Conference was supported by the British Embassy in Belgrade, MPC Properties and US Steel Serbia.
ITDP link: http://www.itdp-europe.org/
RBF link: http://www.rbf.org/
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