In May 2021, an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation revealed how leftover oil from EU countries, such as Germany and Austria, was being shipped to North Macedonia and illegally used as heating oil in schools, hospitals and other public buildings. The resulting toxic smoke contaminated the air and endangered the health of thousands in a country already struggling with extreme pollution. The companies involved in the scheme reportedly had close ties to an influential politician and businessman, which put them in a position to import and sell the substandard waste oil full of heavy metals. Following the report, authorities fined several companies, revoking the licences of four of them.