Prepared by the REC, a CEE Sub-Programme Secretariat of the EAP Task Force In this issue: - Air quality issues In SEE (SILAQ) - Waste reduction issues under the SIEI - Development of National PRTRs in the CEE Region - EAP Task Force products on the REC’s CD-ROM Air quality issues In SEE (SILAQ) The Sofia Initiative on Local Air Quality (SILAQ) has been elaborated to accelerate the implementation of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) for Central and Eastern Europe. SILAQ focuses on two main issues: the promotion of unleaded gasoline throughout the region, and the significant reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions. The initiative relies on the sharing of experiences between countries in the region, in cooperation with Western partners. The activities in this project have focused on air quality management in CEE countries, considering the status of air quality management, the use of economic incentives and monitoring, as well as support to countries for phasing out leaded gasoline. In the process, air pollution has been characterised by specific pollutants. With the use of portable sampling equipment, granted by the US Environmental Protection Agency to the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), air pollution by particulate matter (PM) is monitored. The activities of the programme include data collection, the exchange of experiences, the preparation and publication of research results, the development of a database and the provision of support to participating CEE countries in preparing country analyses. During the course of the project, PM sampling equipment has been upgraded, to insure the further use of the equipment and to allow more pollutants to be measured. Two parallel PM studies started in June 2002 in Croatia, aimed at measuring the status of PM air pollution in non-heating and heating seasons. The latest study has been launched in Slovenia this year. The development and implementation of national programmes has been carried out to phase out leaded gasoline. Slovakia and Hungary have completely stopped the production and sale of leaded gasoline, while the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia are close to a total ban. Bulgaria and Romania developed their phase-out programmes geared towards a total ban by the end of 2003, and Croatia has targeted 2005. A study has been completed on the needs of South Eastern European (SEE) countries in phasing out leaded petrol. The objective was to take stock of the activities to date, establish contacts with the relevant authorities and encourage all countries in the region to participate in current initiatives to phase out leaded petrol. Countries in SEE in particular should be further assisted in developing policies and strategies to address air quality and pollutants that threaten both the environment and people's quality of life. Submitted by Mihail Staynov, rec-bulgaria@rec.org Project Manager, the REC, CO Bulgaria Waste reduction issues under the SIEI The Sofia Initiative on Economic Instruments (SIEI) was launched in 1995 aiming at improving integration of environmental and economic policies through the implementation of economic instruments. Two work programmes were approved by the SIEI Advisory Board for 1997-1998 and 1999-2001. Activities of the programmes relied on the contributions of a regional network of experts and practitioners. The REC served as the SIEI Secretariat, and the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic held a chair. A list of key achievements is available at <www.rec.org/siei>. A closing event of the second work programme, a conference on Incentives to Reduce Generation and Increase Reuse, Recycling and Composting of Municipal Waste (application of economic instruments and other incentive schemes in CEE countries), took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in May, 2003. The discussion had concluded that the existing waste disposal structure cannot solve the problems characterised by the enormous generation of production waste. The structure of national economies must be transformed to become less energy and material demanding. It is inevitably necessary to invest in best available techniques and develop less polluting economic activities. The IPPC Directive should be used in combination with disposal charges. In order to improve national waste management practices, the waste strategies should be integrated into the policies of other sectors. The solutions should be backed by proper political support and financial resources. The implementation of the national waste-management strategies should be controlled, monitored and adjusted with a focus on enforcement. Submitted by Paulina Janiak, PJaniak@rec.org Project Manager, Local Initiatives Programme, the REC Development of National PRTRs in the CEE Region The REC has been actively involved in different activities related to pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) since 1996. REC experts assisted in negotiating the Aarhus Convention, participated in the Task Force on PRTR under the Convention and were involved in the Intergovernmental United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Group drafting the PRTR Protocol. As part of the work programme of the EAP Task Force, the project on Assistance in the Development and Implementation of Integrated National Pollutant Registers was launched at the end of 2001 as one of the mew activities in the work programme. The project aims to promote the development and implementation of integrated national PRTRs in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia; assist the development of national PRTR systems compatible with the IPPC Directive and the upgraded EPER system, as envisaged in the 6th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) of the European Union; and facilitate the transfer of experiences and expertise between accession countries and EU member states, as well as other countries that have already established best practices for such systems. Although it was planned that the project activities would end in June 2003, they will be extended until the end of 2003. Since the PRTR Protocol was finished only in January 2003, the activities were slower than expected in the pilot countries pending the results of the Protocol. Pilot activities are expected to pick up speed in Hungary and Slovakia at the middle of 2003. An informal network of governmental and NGO experts has been established which includes experts from different ministries and agencies responsible for PRTR issues and interested NGOs from 15 countries of the CEE region and Turkey. The network aims at facilitating exchange of information and experience sharing on the development of national PRTRs. Needs, priority problems and interested potential partners were identified for all countries during various workshops. Pilot projects are running in the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria. A regional workshop was organised in March 2003 evaluating the needs and priority problems regarding the development of PRTR systems, as well as solutions and recommendations for strategies to implement them in accession and other CEE countries. Experts from governments, NGOs and international organisations including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) took part in the workshop. A report on the detailed survey results on the situation in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and summary conclusions about the needs, problems and possible solutions and strategies for developing and implementing PRTRs in harmony with EU requirements and the requirements of Aarhus PRTR Protocol has recently been published in CD format by the REC. Submitted by Magdolna Toth Nagy, MTNagy@rec.org Head of the Public Participation programme, the REC EAP Task Force products on the REC’s CD-ROM To highlight the work done by the EAP Task Force between the Aarhus and Kiev ministerial conferences, the REC has prepared a CD-ROM containing all the proceedings and publications completed by the REC while it served as a secretariat of the EAP Task for Central and Eastern Europe. The content of the CD-ROM follows the structure and the format of the EAP Task Force sub-programme for CEE. The documents can be found on the REC website <www.rec.org/REC/Introduction/Kiev2003> as well on the REC in Kiev CD-ROM. As some of the programme components continue though the year 2003, additional products will be available in the beginning of 2004. The Newsletter of the EAP Task Force Secretariat for the CEE Sub-Programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment of the Netherlands Prepared by: Oreola Ivanova, Head of Environmental Policy Department of the REC, EAP Task Force Secretariat for CEE sub-programme, OIvanova@rec.org and Ausra Jurkeviciute, Project Manager of the Environmental Policy Department, Ausra@rec.org

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