SKOPJE – Air pollution has become one of the deadliest public health threats in North Macedonia, clouding the country’s EU accession path and casting doubt on whether years of European funding are translating into cleaner air on the ground.

According to the European Environment Agency air pollution is linked to at least 4,175 deaths a year – around 17% of all mortality – the highest per-capita toll in Europe. Data from UNICEF further shows that one in nine infant deaths is associated with poor air quality.

In the capital Skopje, winter smog regularly pushes the city up the global rankings of the most polluted urban areas, driven by household coal and wood heating, ageing infrastructure and weak enforcement of environmental rules.

Despite receiving more than €32 million annually in European Union support to help curb pollution, progress has been slow. Weak institutions, unreliable monitoring, political resistance and disinformation campaigns have repeatedly stalled reforms.

Citește mai mult