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EUROPEAN ECO FORUM NEWSLETTER No 36
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1.NEGOTIATIONS ON THE “ENVIRONMENT FOR EUROPE ” PROCESS DRAFT REFORM PLAN REACH THEIR CULMINATION The UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy will discuss the Environment for Europe (EfE) Draft Reform Plan at its special session in Geneva , 13-15 October, 2008, where it will try to finalise the proposed text. The position of the European ECO Forum remains unchanged and we are continuously lobbying for its main elements to be included in the Reform Plan. They are as follows:
Current Draft Reform Plan includes most of above elements and we hope that the final text will not be weakened. The text of Draft Reform Plan is available at http://www.unece.org/env/cep/2008SpecialSession/ECE.CEP.2008.8.E.pdf For more information please contact: Coordinator of the EfE Future Issue Group at European ECO Forum
2. EAP TASK FORCE WILL DISCUSS WORK PROGRAMME FOR 2009 On 23-24 October 2008, the Task Force for the Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe , Caucasus and Central Asia (EAP Task Force) will have its annual meeting in Astana , Kazakhstan . The meeting will open with a special session on institutional development for better environmental governance. The session aims to address lessons learned from developing capacity for environmental and natural resources management, use of regional benchmarking to promote institutional performance and the role and forms of donor assistance. The second day will be devoted to discussion of implementation of the Task Force's work programme. The meeting will also address progress report for 2008. Participants will discuss the activities that have been carried out within the framework of the EAP Task Force, including the ones initiated under the previous work programme, prior to the Belgrade Ministerial Conference, and activities conducted as part of the new work programme adopted at the EAP Task Force's meeting in February 2008. This meeting is expected to endorse work programme and budget of the EAP Task Force for 2009. In each of the two programme areas (water sector reform and environmental policy reform) in line with decisions of the Belgrade “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference, the document proposes activities to be c arried out by the OECD secretariat , activities to be c arried out jointly by the OECD secretariat and EECCA RECs, and activities to be c arried out by the EECCA RECs. The Task Force will consider progress in implementing EAP Task Force Programme by EECCA REC Network in 2008. Meeting documents show that no funding was received by EECCA RECs for project implementation. EECCA RECs developed detailed project proposals for the purposes of fundraising and approached donors with funding requests. Still, no funding for EECCA RECs is secured for 2009. The meeting will also address the reform of the Environment for Europe process. It will discuss possible EAP Task Force outputs that could be available by the time of the Astana Ministerial Conference. Among other outputs, it is proposed to prepare Guidelines for performance-based contracts between water utilities and municipalities in EECCA countries. The documents for the meeting are available at http://www.oecd.org/document/52/0,3343,en_2649_34291_41423412_1_1_1_1,00.html For more information contact: Olga Ponizova, Eco-Accord
3. “ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH” PROCESS: COMING CLOSER TO ITALY-2009 In the week of 20-24 October 2008, Madrid will host important events on the way to the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Italy-2009). The week will start with the International Public Health Symposium on environment and health research. Bringing together scientists, policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders, the symposium will provide a platform for collaboration in public health research with an emphasis on environment and health. This will continue with the Second High Level Preparatory Meeting. The meeting will address progress in implementation of Regional Priority Goals III and IV of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe . The Second High Level Preparatory Meeting will also address other priorities identified by the Intergovernmental Midterm Review ( Vienna , June 2007), in particular climate change. Other priority areas include: working with new stakeholders (NGOs and the private sector), tools for policymaking (economic assessment tools) as well as the specific needs of the NIS and SEE countries. A session will be dedicated to discuss and negotiate the first draft of the main political document of the fifth ministerial conference. The Executive Session of the European Environment and Health Committee will also take place during this meeting to continue discussions on the next steps in the preparations for Italy-2009. Among other activities, the Health and Environment Alliance and the European ECO Forum will organize a one hour discussion during the session “Challenges and opportunities of working across sectoral boundaries”. For more information please contact: Sascha Gabizon, WECF
4. EU WATER INITIATIVE MULTISTAKEHOLDER FORUM AT THE WORLD WATER WEEK IN STOCKHOLM The “EU Water Initiative Partners Meeting: Multi-Stakeholder Forum” took place on 21 August 2008 during the World Water Week in Stockholm . The forum focused on implementation and outcomes of the EU Water Initiative. The EU Water Initiative currently develops through : (1) EU-Africa Partnership on Water Affairs and Sanitation ; (2) Mediterranean component of EU Water Initiative ; (3) EECCA component of EU Water Initiative ; (4) Latin American - EU Strategic Partnership on Water and Sanitation Affairs. Progress in 2007 and perspectives for future activities were reported from each component. Romania reported about the progress in the EECCA component. In particular, Romania briefed other participants about national policy dialogues in Moldova , Georgia , Armenia and Ukraine as a major instrument for implementation of EU Water Initiative and about plans for further development of the EECCA component. The forum discussed financing of EU Water Initiative and development of a fund to support the African component. Other components of the Water Initiative do not enjoy similar support from the EU. At the same time, support to the Mediterranean and EECCA components is provided through the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans (ENP). The forum also addressed the need to develop a communication strategy for EU Water Initiative. The participants discussed in detail the outcomes of national policy dialogues in different regions. For EECCA component, the EAP Task Force reported about financial strategies for water supply and sanitation sector and the experience of Moldova , Armenia and Georgia . The UNECE described the results of enhancing integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the region with the examples of experience in Armenia , Moldova and Ukraine . The main conclusion was that national policy dialogues remain a major effective instrument for implementation of the EU Water Initiative. For more information please contact: Anna Tsvietkova, MAMA-86
The Compliance Committee under the Protocol on Water and Health had its second meeting in Geneva on 24-25 September 2008. Parties to the Protocol established a compliance procedure at their first meeting in January 2007. The compliance procedure shall facilitate, promote and aim to secure compliance with obligations under the Protocol. The Compliance Committee consists of nine members who shall serve in their personal capacity. Committee will consider submissions by Parties, referrals by the Secretariat and communications from the public relating to specific issues of compliance. It will also prepare reports on compliance with or implementation of specific provisions of the Protocol and will facilitate the implementation of reporting requirements under the Protocol. At its second meeting, the Committee discussed in detail its rules of procedure as well as the format and content of the guidelines for communications from the public. However, the Committee did not finalize these documents and they will be subject to further discussion at its third meeting on 25-26 February 2009. More information about the Compliance Committee under the Protocol on Water and Health is available at http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/documents_CC.htm
6. LEGAL BOARD OF THE UNECE WATER CONVENTION APPROACHES A NEW TASK The fifth meeting of the Legal Board under the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes took place on 2-3 October 2008 in Geneva . Iulia Trombitcaia and Serhiy Vykhryst represented the European ECO Forum at this meeting. The Legal Board has been established by the third meeting of the Parties to the Convention to deal with legal questions related to the work under the Convention. At its fifth meeting, the Legal Board started to work on a new task: developing a guide to support ratification and implementation of the Convention. This activity follows requests for support from Georgia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to facilitate their accession to the Convention. The Legal Board discussed a draft concept and outline of the guide and agreed on a general approach, as well as on its structure and content. Developing a guide will be a multilateral exercise with the close involvement of the Legal Board and the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management. The later will provide practical advice for implementation of the provisions of the Convention. At its meeting in Rome , 22-24 October 2008, the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management will discuss the revised concept of the guide. The next meeting of the Legal Board will take place on 12-13 May 2009. In the meantime, a small Drafting Group will work on the text of the guide. Draft concept of the guide can be found at: http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/legal_board/legal_board.htm For more information contact: Iulia Trombitcaia, Eco-Accord/European ECO Forum Serhiy Vykhryst, European ECO Forum
7. “THE ROLE OF INFORMATION IN AN AGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE” TO BE DISCUSSED IN AARHUS “The Role of Information in an Age of Climate Change” is a title of the International Conference to mark the 10 th Anniversary of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters . The conference will take place on 13-14 November 2008 in Aarhus , Denmark . The conference will bring together leading scientists, policy-makers, authorities, NGO's, business stakeholders and business organisations etc. to discuss how to promote public access to information and public participation in addressing climate change and its effects. The conference will focus in particular on the role of public access to environmental science-based information and public participation in decision-making on issues related to climate policy as provided under regulatory instruments facilitated by the Aarhus Convention that are crucial to local, regional and global success of the UNFCCC. Key topics of the conference are : - The importance of scientific based environmental information and findings as a basis for public awareness as well as for political awareness of climate issues; - Access to environmental information that can provide synergy between mitigation measures and adaptation needs; - The importance of public participation as an integrated part of decision-making on adaptation and mitigation policies; and - Public participation as a means by which political and social values and tradeoffs are incorporated into political decisions on climate related issues. More information is available at http://www.klima.au.dk/dk/forside/aarhusconvention/
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