Multi-Beneficiary Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) Programme: Specific project for the participation of West Balkan Countries in the work of EEA Community Agencies: Partners in Accession Sintra, Portugal November 2009

To provide European decision makers and citizens with access to timely and relevant information and knowledge in order to provide a sound basis for environmental policies help answer their questions about the environment in their daily lives ensure that environmental thinking and education is brought into the mainstream of decision-making What is our mandate?

3 European Neighbourhood Policy EEA member countries EEA cooperating countries ENP South ENP East Strategy for a new partnership for Central Asia Central Asia Strategic Partnership Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Russian Federation EEA 32 member countries Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia EEA works with

European environment information and observation network (Eionet) About 350 national institutions National focal points European topic centres National reference centres Other institutions

Overview of IPA Project Long-term Goal Objective WB countries Duration Budget Full participation in EEA WP with WB countries as EEA member countries Extension of the participation of the WB countries in the activities of EEA Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia 24 months (12/09-11/11) 1.2 meuro

IPA Budget and Lead Responsibilities Budget euro Content 1. Extension of the main EEA topic areas to the West Balkan countries: Water Air and Climate Change Biological Diversity Land use and spatial information Sustainable consumption and production 2. Support for inclusion in regular assessment reports Development of a regular indicator reporting system Networking 4. Development of the EIONET network and participation of NRCs/country experts in major EEA meetings and events Capacity building 5. Overall EEA Project Coordination and Technical support Total budget

The Shared Environmental Information System - SEIS SEIS aims to improve, modernise and streamline environmental information It is to be A distributed, integrated, web-enabled system A network where public providers share data and information Based on existing e-infrastructure, systems and services at national and EU level

Information Pyramid Knowledge Assessment Indicators Data Monitoring Bottom-upTop-down

Areas of Priority Data Flows (15 in total) Air pollution Annual air pollutant emissions data Exchange of Information Decision (air quality data) Monthly ozone data during summer (April–September) Annual air quality questionnaire Near real-time ozone reporting Climate Change Mitigation Greenhouse gas emissions data Water quality Quality of Rivers, Lakes and Groundwater Quality of transitional, coastal and marine water Biodiversity Common Database on Nationally Designated Areas

West Balkan Progress in Eionet Priority Dataflows Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5 in mg O2/l) in rivers in European countries, 2006 or latest year available

The European Environment: State and Outlook 2010 A Exploratory assessment Global drivers Megatrends Uncertainties Long-term policy implications C Country specific analyses Diversity Commonality Flexibilty B European analysis of environm. systems Atmosphere Freshwater Marine Terrestrial Human Synthesis Integrated Analysis (Reflecting – Reviewing – Rethinking)

Additional investment required To enhance national capacities To enhance national monitoring systems To improve data management To complete national contributions to the Shared Environmental Information System To get ready for full EEA membership To provide full EEA support EEA has a core budget of 40 meuro to support 32 EEA member countries, of which 35 meuro to support 27 EU Member States EEA has received approx 100 keuro/country/year to the West Balkan countries over 14 years and 7+ grants keuro/country/year would be needed to provide full support and enable full EEA membership

Conclusions West Balkan country information on the environment is improving and increasingly accessible West Balkan countries are advancing towards EEA membership Further improvement requires additional investment We also need a long-term strategy to maintain activities and facilitate membership and participation in EEA work programme

Conclusions West Balkan country information on the environment is improving and increasingly accessible West Balkan countries are advancing towards EEA membership Further improvement requires additional investment Need a longer-term strategy for continuing funding and support to maintain activities and facilitate full membership

Thank you for your attention!