To mark the European Clean Shore Day, which was organised for the sixth time this year in Montenegro, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, representatives of EU embassies in Montenegro, and the Young European Ambassadors organised a clean-up of the Ribnica River’s riverbed near the Delegation’s residence. This year, the Delegation’s neighbourhood and several city secretariats with offices nearby also joined the action, all with a common message that the fight for a cleaner environment starts “in your own home.”

EU Ambassador to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa reminded everyone that the pollution of the seas, especially plastic pollution, doesn’t only affect the ecosystem but also our health. Therefore, it is essential to not only preserve the banks of rivers, lakes, and seas for everyday activities, but to also safeguard the oceans and their inhabitants from the 37 million tons of plastic waste that ends up in them each year.

The local community responded to the Delegation’s call to jointly mark the European Clean Shore Day, and Ambassador Popa announced that similar actions would be organised by the Delegation more frequently and in different locations in Podgorica. She also invited the citizens of Podgorica to organise themselves in cleaning the riverbanks of plastic waste in their city.