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Environmental
groups could advise eastern counterparts in post-Kiev phase of Environment
for Europe process By Peter Lengyel
The border is politically necessary, although there are few differences between the people and ecosystems it separates. Both banks belong to the same river, the mountains on both sides are part of the Carpathians, the people here and there are both Europeans. We share our environ- ment and resources on the Danube Delta and the Black Sea and we need to work together for their conservation. Cooperation between people across borders should be easy provided they both desire mutual understanding and respect, and they are both willing to work at it. In the early 1990s, Europe felt a renewed sense of togetherness. It was in this atmosphere of brotherhood that the Environment for Europe process was born. Since then it has produced cooperative work across Europe and beyond. The process has bound various stakeholders, including small non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local authorities, national governments, EU institutions, international financial institutions and branches of the United Nations (UN). It is a platform for continuous debate and from an environmental and human perspective, the process has produced many welcome results. NGO coalition The European Eco-Forum, a coalition of more than 200 NGOs, monitors the Environment for Europe process and has taken part in the work of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP)Task Force from the start. In preparation for May's Environment for Europe conference in Kiev the coalition has been working on recommendations to the environmental ministers who will gather there. One problem we have identified is scarce awareness about the task force's localised activities among NGOs of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). This came to light at a preparatory meeting of NGO representatives in December in Bratislava, Slovakia, in December 2003. On behalf of the European EcoForum's EAP Issue Group, I coordinated an open-invitation electronic consultation of CEE environmental groups. We emailed a questionnaire about a common strategy and position to more than 1,500 NGOs in 15 countries. Respondents echoed the delegates at Bratislava. Regarding the EAP Task Force, people had heard about it but have never been involved in it. A Polish respondent noted, for instance, "Before the workshop, I thought that the initiative for national environmental action plans (NEAPs), which calls for improving environmental management of enterprises and improving national environmental legislation in Poland, came from Brussels. Now, I realise that some activities came from the EAP Task Force, as well." The Regional Environmental Center helped Central and Eastern Europe realise that it still has a role in the Environment for Europe process, she added. The consultations showed that NGOs believe that in Central and Eastern Europe, EAP has lead to policy reforms, institution strengthening and the promotion of environmental investments in the economies in transition. Some good examples are the elaboration of national environmental action plans, the initiation of local environmental action plans with a focus on Agenda 21, and the creation of financial strategies that facilitate funding of environmental projects in all CEE countries. Less paper and more action still needed However, the e-mail respondents noted several shortcomings. EAP, for instance, involves lots of paper work, but little follow-through. NGO members said EU accession was the most important driving force behind environmental policy reforms in the CEE countries, but there are doubts about the countries - ability to implement EU legislation. Law enforcement is weak and public participation is more a dream than reality. A comment from Bosnia and Herzegovina respondent was typical: "It is a general rule in our country that the implementation of prepared documents goes very slowly. The main obstacles to implementation are insufficient human, technical and financial capacities at all levels. "From capacity building to law enforcement, from communication to awareness raising and public involvement - all of these activities are in deep need of funding. The NGOs were asked what activities they want to undertake in the future. Regarding the future of the EAP in the Central and Eastern Europe, the Bratislava Declaration concluded: "We consider that (its work)should continue. We insist on improving the efficiency of this work. For this purpose, the EAP Task Force needs to continue its work in CEE and EECCA, taking into account new environmental problems such as new sources of pollution, consumption habits, public participation and inadequate financing." The REC and environmental groups here have accumulated extensive knowledge and experience during the EAP's implementation. We can transfer valuable know-how to the EECCA countries within the framework of the East-West Partnership and we can help refocus the Environment for Europe process east of the EU's new frontiers. This assistance could address problems involved in policy formulation; partnership building between NGOs and governments; public participation; effective communication; networking; financial planning for NGOs; media work; collection, processing and dissemination of relevant information; database management and the implementation of the much discussed Environmental Strategy for EECCA. CEE environmental groups can help their partners from EECCA, Turkey and the Balkans to be catalysts in their communities by organising public debates and promoting our common interest in having a better environment.
- Peter Lengyel is a Bucharest-based project coordinator |
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