PROPOSALS FOR INTRODUCING MODERN EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR FIREFIGHTERS ANDPROVIDING MORE FUNDING FOR TFU“The funds received by the Directorate for Protection and Rescue of the 12% of funds collected from property insurance and Casco insurance inthe country to be used entirely only for the needs of the territorial firefighting units of the local government, the Ministry of Education and Science toestablish a four-year programme for providing studies for the firefighter profession, to increase the percentage from 2% to 5% of the share received byTFU of the local authorities from the insurance of motor vehicles, all decisions of the Director of the DPR should be adopted with previous consultationwith ZELS and the number of firefighters to be determined by the ratio: one firefighter for every 1500 inhabitants in the municipality.”These are the most significant proposals that ZELS requested to be incorporated in the Draft-Law Amending the Law on Firefighting, submittedby the Government of the Republic of Macedonia to the Association for the purpose of reviewing. Apart from these solutions, ZELS delivered manyother important proposals that were essential for providing professional fire protection in the local government. During the period from November2012 to February <strong>2013</strong>, in particular from 2 to 5 January <strong>2013</strong>, the proposed changes were intensively discussed at the premises of ZELS by the Networkof Territorial Firefighting Units-TFU, along with the representatives from the Union of Firefighters and the Fire Union of the Republic of Macedonia.In the discussions of the members of the Network, many important proposals were included that were directed to the provisions for financing territorialfirefighting units (TFU), that is, the manner of allocation of funds to FF units, the method of establishing the firefighting units within legal entities,the minimum number of professional firefighters needed in a FFU, as well as defining which FFU will take fire extinguishing activities occurring on theterritory of another local authority, where there is no firefighting unit. The status issues relating to firefighters were considered, a new title was defined-firefighter-rescuer, then the need for training of firefighters, and the insurance provisions were reviewed in detail. The required level of education forfirefighters was defined, the process of continued upgrade, then the responsibility for medical examinations, which according to the offered solutionwas in conflict with an already existing other law and a range of other issues in this area.The draft-law clearly states the allocation for covering fires in municipalities without FFU units, which is of particular importance to ensure coverageof the entire territory of our country with professional protection, in case of fires. The minimum number of professional firefighters in a singlefirefighting unit (FFU) was also defined. In municipalities up to 10 000 residents, that number is nine persons, in municipalities from 10 000 to 15 000,there should be 13 professional firefighters and 17 professionals should be engaged in municipalities having from 15 000 to 24 000 inhabitants.SERIOUS APPROACH OF ZELS TO THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF THE FIREFIGHTING COMPETENCE OFTHE MUNICIPALITIESThe transferring of the firefighting units under the competence of the local government, conditioned the need of undertaking more fundamentalreforms in the Law on Firefighting of 2004, which was amended in 2007. The firefighting units presented their demands to the local authorities, but thedevelopment of the whole process occurred after the establishment of the Network of Territorial Firefighting Units - TFU within ZELS. An additional factorfor taking serious steps in the regulation of this area of local governance, occurred after the frequent number of fires during the summer period, followed byserious material damage and casualties, as a result of which the Government of RM, in September last year obliged the Ministry of Defense, in cooperationwith the Directorate for Protection and Rescue, to submit to the Government a Draft-Law Amending the Law on Forefighting (“Official. Gazette of RM”No.67/04 and 81/07). The drawn up Draft-Law Amending the Law on Firefighting, was submitted to ZELS on 6 November to the purpose of obtaining itsopinion. An urgent meeting of the Network within ZELS-TFU was convened, at which representatives of the Union of Firefighters and the Fire Union ofthe Republic of Macedonia were invited, who discussed the submitted amendments, after which a close working body of five representatives was established:three from the Network and one representative from the Firefighters Union and the Fire Union of RM. The adopted position, which was submittedto the Government of RM was that the modifications were unacceptable due to formal, material and factual reasons. It was stated that the draft-law was notdeveloped in a working group, as stipulated in the conclusion of the Government, citing that ZELS representatives should also be engaged and that for theopinion of ZELS only two working days were left. The working Group in the letter stated a series of material deficiencies related to the submitted proposal.This position of ZELS was accepted by the Government and it determined an extended deadline for creating an opinion on the draft-law. That provided thepossibility for the Network members to intensify their activities, whereafter a large number of meetings were held, which have brought substantial observationsand suggestions for improving the proposed legislative changes. This was of particular importance, since the Law on Firefighting (“Official Gazette ofRM” No. 67/04 and 81/07) regulates the establishment, organisation and operation of firefighting units, volunteer fire associations, extinguishing of fires, aswell as the terms of production, putting into service and maintenance of the devices, equipment and means of extinguishing fires. The Law defines firefightingas an activity the permanent and smooth performance of which shall be provided by the Republic of Macedonia and the municipalities and the City ofSkopje, i.e. the municipalities in the City of Skopje, in accordance with the law and firefighting is defined as an activity of professional and humanitariancharacter of public interest and is a segment of the unique system of protection and rescuing in the country.
ПРОГРАМА ЗА ЕНЕРГЕТСКАЕФИКАСНОСТ ИЗРАБОТИЛЕТРЕТИНА ОД ЛОКАЛНИТЕ ВЛАСТИВО ЗЕМЈАВАONE THIRD OF LOCALAUTHORITIES IN THE COUNTRYHAVE DRAWN UP AN ENERGYEFFICIENCY PROGRAMME„Третина од локалните власти во земјава доставиле тригодишнапрограма за енергетска ефикасност на општината на одобрувањедо Агенцијата за енергетика на Република Македонија (АЕ), обврскаутврдена со Законот за енергетика од 2011 година. Програмите, какои Акционите планови, се важни документи, кои овозможуваат увидво состојбата на јавните објекти во Република Македонија и потрошувачкатана енергија во истите и претставуваат основа за изработкана Националниот акционен план за енергетска ефикасност“. Овабеше изнесено на собирот на експерти, во организација на АЕ, одржанна седми февруари, <strong>2013</strong> година во во конференциската сала воВладата на Република Македонија, посветен токму на разгледувањена состојбата на доставени и одобрени програми за енергетска ефикасностна општините и утврдување на пречките и проблемите со коисе соочуваат локалните власти при изработка на овој документ.Во согласност со Законот за енергетика од 2011 година, општинитесе надлежни за : 1. Подготвување на тригодишни програми за енергетскаефикасност; 2. Подготвување на годишни анализи за потрошувачкатана енергија; 3. Организирање на мониторинг над потрошувачкатана енергија 4. Обезбедување периодични енергетски контроли и сертификатиза енергетска ефикасност на јавните објекти; 5. Вградувањена сончеви колектори за топла вода, ако тоа е економски исплатливо;6. Спроведување на програмите за енергетска ефикасност. Советот наопштината на предлог на градоначалникот е должен да донесе Програмаза развој на енергетиката на општината (член 132), додека енергетскитесубјекти на територијата на општината, по барање на општината,се должни да дадат податоци за изработка на програмата ипланот за реализација на програмата (член 133).Како едена од главните пречки за извршување на оваа обврска одстрана на општините, присутните градоначалници го посочија проблемотсо недоволно обучената општинска администрација за изработкана ваква програма. Тие предложија реализација на адекватниобуки за претставниците од општините, при што укажаа дека е добредојденаи стручната помош од самата Дирекција. Беше истакнато декапомалите, особено руралните општини, поради лошата финансискасостојба, не можат да си дозволат ангажирање на консултант што ќеим помогне во изработката на програмата, како што во поголем процент,сметаат дека постапиле поголемите општини. Тоа ги поттикнапретставниците од општините, кои веќе изработиле ваква програма,да предложат меѓусебно споделување на изработените и одобрени документи,што ќе им послужат на колегите од другите општини, какоадекватни примери. Присутни се согласија дека голема поддршка би“One third of the local authorities in the country have so far submitteda three-year energy efficiency programme of the municipalityfor approval to the Energy Agency of the Republic of Macedonia (EA),an obligation established by the Law on Energy of 2011. The Programmesand the Action plans are significant documents, which provideinsight into the state of public facilities in the Republic of Macedoniaand the energy consumption in them and provide the basis forthe preparation of a National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency.” Thiswas stated at the meeting of experts, which was organised by EA andheld on the seventh of February <strong>2013</strong>, at the business hall of SkopjeFair, dedicated precisely to the reviewing of the status of submittedand approved municipal energy efficiency programmes and identificationof the obstacles and problems faced by local authorities in thepreparation of this document.Pursuant to the Law on Energy of 2011, municipalities are responsiblefor: 1. Preparation of three-year energy efficiency programmes; 2. Preparationof annual energy consumption analysis; 3. Organisation of monitoringof energy consumption 4. Providing periodic energy controls andenergy efficiency certificates for public buildings; 5. Installation of solarcollectors for hot water, if it is economically feasible; 6. Implementation ofenergy efficiency programmes. The Municipal Council, upon a proposalby the Mayor, is required to adopt a municipal Energy Development Programme(Article 132), while the energy entities on the territory of themunicipality, at the request of the municipality, are obliged to provide datafor the development of the programme and the plan on implementation ofthe programme (Article 133).The mayors present at the meeting stated that one of the mainobstacles to the execution of this obligation by the municipalitieswas the problem of lack of trained municipal administration for thecreation of such a programme. They proposed implementation of adequatetraining for the representatives of the municipalities, wherebythey indicated that the timely and professional assistance from theAgency is also welcomed. It was pointed out that smaller, especiallyrural municipalities, due to the poor financial situation, are not ableto afford hiring a consultant to assist them in the preparation of theprogramme, such as a higher percentage of larger municipalities, asthey believe, acted. It urged the representatives of the municipalitieswhich have already developed such a programme, to offer mutualsharing of developed and approved documents that will serve theircounterparts from other municipalities, as appropriate examples. Theattendees agreed that a great support would be the presence of repre-15