is binding for Serbia even though it is not an EU member and pleaded the state saying that costs of the protection are way less than the costs of damage repair after the floods. The settlement also became unofficially known as Sojenice ("stilt houses"). As of April 2017, houses are still being built and the illegal proprietors even paved the access roads so that they can easily reach their summer houses. Minister Mihajlović stated that if the case of paving the embankment road is a matter for the state, the government will react. In May 2017 president of the municipality of New Belgrade Aleksandar Šapić announced his candidacy for the mayor of Belgrade. Immediately a smear campaign against him, headed by the city manager Goran Vesić began, including a matter of an illegal object in the neighborhood of Studentski Grad, built by Šapić's uncle. Vesić also mentioned a house of Šapić's uncle on Savski Nasip, which prompted Šapić to publicly announce that the municipality will demolish all 120 objects, even though it was the city administration which was dragging out with the proper documentation for the demolition. A group of 23, mostly abandoned objects, was demolished from 6 to 12 June 2017. Minister for the environmental protection, Goran Trivan, stated in January 2018 that building in the zones of protection is inadmissible and that the best solution would be to demolish everything that was built. He added that there are certain modern technologies which could be applied to protect the water extracting Ranney collectors, but that it is way too expensive. However, further undisturbed construction and degradation of the embankment continued, so as the continuous citizens' protests and calls for demolition of the built structures which compromise the embankment, including obstructions of the road on the embankment, and blocking of the heavy construction vehicles passing by, as they are not allowed anyway. References Neighborhoods of Belgrade New Belgrade