Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme
for CEE
|
Sofia
Initiative |
|
Local Air Pollution |
NARRATIVE REPORT
Submitted by the Secretariat
1999
Secretariat:
Mr.Jernej Stritih, Executive Director
Mr. Miroslav Chodak, Head of Department
The Regional Environmental Center
Ady Endre ut 9-11.
2000 Szentendre, Hungary
Tel.: (36-26) 504-000
Fax: (36-26) 311-294
http://www.rec.org
E-mail: jstritih@rec.org mchodak@rec.org |
Mr. Mihail Staynov
Project Manager
REC Local Office Bulgaria
42, Alabin Str.
1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel./Fax.: (35-92) 980-37 30
E-mail: mstaynov@bunet.bg |
Support to Sofia Initiatives: Local Air Pollution
Narrative Report
Background
The Sofia Initiatives were adopted during the Third "Environment
for Europe" ministerial conference in Sofia, Bulgaria in
October 1995. The aim of these initiatives was to accelerate
the implementation of the Environmental Action Programme (EAP)
for Central and Eastern Europe through policy, regulation and
investment measures. One of these initiatives is focused on the
general improvement of local air quality in Central and Eastern
Europe with two areas of emphasis: (1) advanced promotion of
unleaded gasoline throughout the region, and (2) significant
reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions.
The Sofia Initiative on Local Air Pollution promotes cooperation
among air pollution control experts at national and municipal
level in developing and implementing activities for measurable
improvement of air quality in highly polluted urban areas. This
initiative relies on East-East experience sharing, in cooperation
with western partners and has the following objectives:
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
supported the Local Air Pollution initiative already prior to
the Sofia conference. Bulgaria was appointed to chair the Working
Group. The Chairman reviewed the options for obtaining secretariat
services and international technical and policy expertise and
requested that the Regional Environmental Center provide these
services. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry
of Environment, Bulgaria and the Regional Environmental Center
was signed on September 27, 1996. To support the provision of
secretariat services, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency approved the financing of this project.
Goal and Objectives
The goal of the Sofia Initiative on Improving Local Air Quality
(SILAQ) project was to promote the regional dialogue and sharing
of experience in relation to the development and implementation
of programs and activities for measurable improvement of air
quality in highly polluted urban areas. This is achieved through
providing secretarial support to the Collaborative Program on
Improving Local Air Quality in Central and Eastern Europe.
The objectives of the project were:
Activities to reach goals
Two meetings of the members of the CEE working group were
held during the project period.
The first one was held on 26-27 February 1997 at the REC premises
in Szentendre, Hungary. It was the inception meeting of the working
group. Representatives of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland Slovakia
and Slovenia attended the meeting. The project work plan was
presented by REC in cooperation with the representative of Bulgaria
who was chairman of the working group. It was discussed and approved
by the working group members. Later the work plan was presented
to and discussed with the representatives of supporting organizations:
U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Danish Environmental
Protection Agency (DEPA), German Federal Environmental Agency
(GFEA), World Bank (WB) and Harvard Institute for International
Development (HIID). It was recommended to the working group to
work in close cooperation with the UN ECE Task Force on Phase
out of lead in petrol in Europe.
The second meeting of the working group was held on 20-21
May 1998 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The meeting was attend by the representatives
of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.
It was discussed the status of the implementation of the work
plan and a last overview of the papers prepared for the Aarhus
Conference was made. The country representatives informed about
the progress of their countries to date in the area of promoting
unleaded gasoline and reducing of sulfur and particulate emissions.
The participants settled the major issues upon which the work
of the program should be based in the future. The meeting was
attended by representatives of USEPA, UNDP and HIID.
During the project period two more countries, namely the Czech
Republic and Croatia, declared their interest and joined the
core Working Group of governmental officials.
Two Regional Workshops (one on lead phase out lead in gasoline,
and another on reduction of SOx and particulate emissions) were
held.
The workshop #1 (on phasing out of leaded gasoline) was held
on 24-26 June 1997 in Burgas, Bulgaria. It was attended by representatives
of SILAQ member countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), other CEE countries (Albania
and Russian Federation), and Western countries (USA, Denmark
and Norway). The following topics presented by the representatives
of Western countries were covered on the workshop:
health aspects of the air pollution caused by motor vehicles;
The SILAQ member countries presented their status reports.
A visit to the refinery Neftochim was arranged for the participants.
The workshop #2 (on reducing SOx and particulate emissions)
was held on 20-22 January 1998 in Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
It was attended by representatives of SILAQ countries (Bulgaria,
Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovakia), and Western countries
(USA, Denmark, Germany) and the World Bank. The topics of the
workshop were:
The status reports of SILAQ countries were presented. The
report of Hungary which was submitted in advance was presented
as well. The drafts of the two synthesis reports were discussed.
The state of air quality and the measures taken against the
air pollution in the SILAQ member countries were assessed through
questionnaires and presented in country status reports. The questionnaire
prepared for the UN ECE Task Force was used for assessment of
the phase out of lead in gasoline. A separate questionnaire was
prepared for assessment of SOx and particulate emissions.
Two synthesis reports, one on phase out of leaded gasoline, and
another on reduction of SO2 and particulate emissions were elaborated
on the basis of the out filled questionnaires and country status
reports, and using the information exchanged at the regional
workshops. The reports interpret the available data, assess the
situation in the participating countries, provide a comparison
among them, present relevant case-studies and identify successful
programmes. In addition the reports list the problems encountered
in CEE and outline a list of priority projects for each participating
country and for the region as a whole. Both reports were published
by REC and presented to the Fourth Ministerial Conference "Environment
for Europe" on 23-26 June 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark, as official
background documents of the Conference. A leading role in the
session on the pan-European strategy on phase out of lead in
petrol was given to the representatives of Bulgaria, USA and
Slovakia considering their input to this process through the
SILAQ's activities also.
The logistical support to the program was provided by REC. The
project was managed by the REC Head Quarters and coordinated
by the REC Local Office in Bulgaria. REC Head quarters and the
local offices in Sofia and Bratislava organized all the events
(2 meetings and 2 workshops). All materials of the SILAQ events
as well as the other information found by the program were copied
and disseminated throughout the members of the working group.
The elaboration and publication of the synthesis reports were
also done by the REC. The REC carried out the exchange of information
among the participating SILAQ countries and between them and
Western countries and organizations.
Long-term results
A working mechanism for exchange of information between the
governmental air quality experts from the region and from Western
countries was established (SILAQ working group). The exchange
of information was focused on issues of common interest. The
meetings and workshops provided floor for discussion and for
better understanding and clarification of specific details. The
dialogue and discussion helped the countries to identify their
specific needs and to develop right strategies and measures for
solving air quality problems.
The interest expressed to the workshops shows the relevance
and importance of the selected topics as well as confirm the
selection of appropriate format. The workshop #1 was attended
by 33 experts and the workshop #2 by 28 experts respectively.
The outputs of the project (meetings, workshops and synthesis
papers) assist for identification of the region in the area of
global efforts to improve air quality, and for presentation of
the current situation and needs of the CEE countries as well
as the measures planned and implemented in the region.
Budget
The budget of 149,050 USD according to the Assistance Agreement
CX822783-01-3 was allocated to the following main categories:
| Project management (salaries, office expenses, equipment,
supplies, travel) |
$58,400
|
39%
|
| Project events (meetings, workshops) |
$41,650
|
28%
|
| Contractual (consultants, editing and publishing) |
$27,000
|
18%
|
| REC overhead |
$22,000
|
15%
|
All project activities were planned in compliance with the
budget allocation. Any of the expenses did not exceed the planned
amount.
Problems faced:
In the period between the initiation of the project, the establishment
of the Working Group and the beginning of the actual work there
were replacements of governments and key environmental Ministers
in a number of CEE countries: Bulgaria (twice), Hungary, Poland,
Romania and Czech Republic. This fact forced the change of the
Working Group Chairperson and protracted the setting up of the
Working Group itself.
Another obstacle was the low level of communication between
countries. During the first year of the project only three of
the members of the Working Group were having personal e-mail
addresses. At the end of the project almost all of the members
of the Working Group were having electronic mail. This helped
the work a lot.
The Environmental Agencies in the CEE countries were facing
financial constrains. It was impossible for them to cover the
travel expenses for participation of their representatives in
the Working Group's meetings and workshops. This caused reallocation
of the budget amounts and a need of securing a full coverage
of the travel expenses for all the participants from SILAQ countries.
Recommendations:
The setting up of an international Working Group, the exchange
of experience among the national experts and the coordination
between the environmental organizations besides these on governmental
level was an working formula. This ensured a dissemination of
the information at the proper place, in the right time and a
comparatively uninterrupted work on the program, with minimal
disturbances from the political and institutional changes in
CEE countries.
The countries in transition faces a number of problems. Their
prioritization and the discovering of the most appropriate solutions
is not an easy task. The experts assumed the responsibility of
finding solutions of these problems in the field of environmental
protection are overwhelmed and it is recommended that they receive
assistance in terms of providing a summarized and easy to use
information. In this sense the role of the secretarial support
and coordination should be strengthened in regard to the dialogue
with the leading countries and processing of information collected
by SILAQ and non-SILAQ countries prior to its dissemination for
common use.
REC * PROGRAMS
* SOFIA
INITIATIVES * LOCAL
AIR POLLUTION * DOCUMENTS
