Transcript The 4th pan-European assessment “Belgrade report” Looking back and looking ahead Adriana Gheorghe EEA 8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007

The 4th pan-European assessment
“Belgrade report”
Looking back and looking ahead
Adriana Gheorghe
EEA
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
“EfE” Environment for Europe process from Dobris to Belgrade
1991
Dobris
“2007
Belgrade
Report”
1993
Lucerne
1995
Sofia
→
1998
Aarhus
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
→
2003
Kiev
→
2007
Belgrade
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Kiev Ministerial declaration
(23 June 2003):
“30. We call on EEA to prepare
the fourth assessment report
for the next EfE ministerial conference
building on new partnerships,
especially with UNECE and UNEP…………………”
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
EEA mandate for the Belgrade
report: To produce…….
REQUESTED
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Short, policy oriented
report
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Indicator based
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Responding to Belgrade
agenda
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Support in assessing
progress on EECCA
strategy
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Based on recent
information
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
ACHIEVED
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Similar size as Kiev,
using EECCA strategy
and 6EAP frameworks
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Partially possible
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New things: ESD, SCP,
SD, outlooks
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Better geographical
balance - More EECCA
and SEE focus
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Base year: 2004/2005
The Belgrade report – timing
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Data gathering and indicator production:
From Jan. 2006
Writing phase: April – August 2006
Compilation first draft & translation
Russian: September 2006
Extensive review & consultations on
drafts: Oct 2006-February 2007
Processing comments & final editing:
Dec 06-April 07
Report(s) to printer: June 2007
Dissemination: end June 2007(English);
September 2007 (Russian)
Report launch: 10 October 2007
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Partnership…partnership…
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Key messages – Key areas
• Environment and health (air pollution,
water quantity/quality, hazardous
chemicals, soil)
• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• Marine and coastal env.
• SCP
• Sectoral impact (agriculture, transport,
energy, tourism)
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Key messages- Belgrade report
Unsustainable patterns of production
and consumption, driven by society’s desire for
ever higher standards of human well-being together
with increasing resource needs which can deplete and
contaminate natural resources within and beyond
Europe’s borders. Since the Kiev conference, the issue
of sustainable consumption and production has
become more prominent on the policy agenda
although few substantive results have emerged.
Patterns of consumption are changing rapidly across
the region, with increases in the shares for transport,
communication, housing, recreation and health. Total
waste generation is increasing in the pan-European
region. At the same time, the legacy of old waste sites
still presents a major problem in some EECCA and SEE
countries, although many have developed waste
strategies and legislation for specific waste streams.
However, waste management plans and effective
legislation have yet to be implemented in some
countries.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Environment-related health concerns
result from continuing pollution of air, water and soil. Despite
considerable reductions in air pollutant emissions in much of the
pan-European region, atmospheric pollution (in particular current
levels of fine particles and ozone) still poses a significant threat to
human health and the environment as a whole - in EECCA countries
some air polluting emissions have increased by more than 10%
since 2000 as a result of economic recovery, increase in transport,
and the persisting poor effectiveness of air pollution protection
strategies.
Similarly, although water quality appears to have improved in
rivers across the region, some large rivers and many smaller
watercourses remain severely polluted. More than 100 million
people in the pan-European region still do not have access to safe
drinking water and adequate sanitation; and in EECCA and SEE the
quality of water supply and sanitation services has deteriorated
continuously over the past 15 years.
Soil degradation, in particular contaminated sites, remains to be an
issue of concern across the region. Yet, some progress has been
made in terms of policy development and the availability of
information on soil issues.
Also, the production and use of commercial chemicals raises health
concerns, as the production of toxic chemicals has increased at
almost the same rate as total chemical production.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Climate change, mainly driven by energy
consumption and the resulting emission of
greenhouse gases (GHG), exacerbates extreme
weather events (such as flooding or droughts) and
has an impact on a range of socio-economic
activities such as agriculture and tourism. Impacts
of climate change on society and natural resources
are already occurring both across the panEuropean region and worldwide, and are projected
to become even more pronounced. A global
emission reduction of up to 50% by 2050 is
necessary to achieve the target proposed by the
EU to limit temperature increase to a maximum of
2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
However, even if global emissions of greenhouse
gases are drastically reduced, some unavoidable
climate change impacts make adaptation
measures urgent.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Biodiversity loss in the pan-European
region (particularly in farmland, mountain regions,
forests and coastal zones) is occurring as a result of
land use changes, urban sprawl, infrastructure
development, acidification, eutrophication,
desertification, resource overexploitation, both
intensification and abandonment of agriculture, as well
as climate change. The global target of halting
biodiversity loss by 2010 will not be achieved without
considerable additional efforts. More than 700 species
are currently under threat in the pan-European region,
while the number of invasive alien species in the panEuropean region continues to increase. National forest
plans that link sustainable forest management with an
ecosystem approach are being implemented.
Nevertheless, illegal logging and human-induced forest
fires are a growing problem, particularly in EECCA and
SEE.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Overuse of marine resources and
pressure on coastal environments
continue to be high. Eutrophication remains a
problem in all enclosed seas and sheltered marine
waters across the pan-European region, whilst
over-fishing and destructive fishing practices are
still widespread in all European seas. Improved
fisheries policies and stricter enforcement are
needed, especially to stop illegal fishing. There is
evidence that some fish stocks can recover where
proper measures are implemented. Major
accidental oil spills have generally decreased in
European seas, although oil discharges from day
to day activities, such as maritime transport and
refineries, are still significant.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Options for action
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Focus on the implementation of the existing
environmental agreements in the pan European region
and at the sub-regional level (e.g. Black Sea, Caspian,
Carpathian).
Set clear and realistic environmental targets; also
develop and implement mechanisms / instruments to
monitor progress towards reaching these targets.
Strengthen governmental support to the education for
sustainable development process.
Strengthen governmental support to increase public
participation and raise awareness.
Expand existing partnerships at pan-European and
regional level.
Continue to regularly assess the state of environment
in pan-European region by building a shared
environmental information system.
Further develop key environmental indicators to
assess progress and continue the streamlining
process across the pan-European region
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Belgrade consultation &
dissemination processes - novelties
• Development of the Belgrade review
tool (in En & RU) allowing an open
consultation process;
• Further use of the review tool for
report dissemination
• Two dedicated consultation meetings
funded under EU TACIS activity:
• EECCA NGOs & RECs 16-17 Nov;
• UNECE/WGEMA 27-29 Nov
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Languages
Login with
your CIRCA
username
and password
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Click on the chapter
title to leave
comments
On-line comments by country
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Number of comments per chapter
On-line
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Off-line
Additional consultations
• April: Health & Tourism
• April: Chapter 1
• June: Executive Summary
-------------------Via Circa IG (around 2000 entries)
Only in English
Limited in duration
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Feed-back consultation
Available for all chapters and sections
on the Circa Interest Group Belgrade
2007
http://eea.eionet.europa.eu/Members/
irc/envirowindows/belgrade_07/library
?l=/report_development/table_content
s_toc/summary_consultation&vm=det
ailed&sb=Title
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Belgrade 07
From June
2007
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Belgrade 07
Launch – Belgrade report (novelties)
• Planned 10 October after the opening
session of the conference
• Jointly with OECD/EAP Task Force and
UNDP
• Common “look and feel” of the 3
reports; common folder
• Executive Summary and Press release
in all EEA languages + Russian
• Report available on-line in EN and RU
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Reflections for the future panEuropean reporting
1. Ensure a systematic process for
gathering regularly information
across the pan-European region
2. Continue working on streamlining
the indicators development process
in both SEE and EECCA
3. Ensure participatory process (open
consultation, writing contributions,
translation)
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007
Reflections for the future panEuropean reporting
1. Ensure necessary funding for a good and
timely preparation of the future reports;
2. Agree on clear targets allowing the evaluation
of progress against them;
3. Build up gradually a Shared environmental
information system as a solid basis for future
assessments and reporting.
8th WGEMA meeting 12-13 June 2007