Regional Overview

IV. Conclusions

Achievements and weaknesses of the NEAP Process

CEE countries are demonstrating substantial progress in the development and implementation of NEAPs. In the process they are gaining vast experience in the use of different instruments for environmental protection. Several environmental programs have been initiated or conducted in the areas of waste management, water clean-up, air protection and nature conservation. However, a workable, comprehensive and focused environmental policy is often missing. Countries need to take the important step of adopting market-based environmental strategies (EAP) and use them to upgrade environmental policies (NEAP development).

The CEE countries have made a great effort to reduce industrial pollution and to maintain their natural environment. They have also initiated several environmental protection investments in the most endangered areas, implementing low cost and comprehensive environmental policies. But the government's vision of a clean and rich environment is usually not supplemented by feasible and financially viable environmental projects. A weakness of the environmental protection plans is the lack of pressure from environmental constituencies to transform plans into action. The following problems still need to be addressed:

translation of environmental policy goals into a coherent and action-oriented program,
assurance of reliable environmental information to improve the evaluation and selection of environmental priorities,
adoption of environmental management principles focused on financial planning and coordinating of environmental protection projects,
arrangements for the public to participate in establishing goals and objectives of environmental protection programs,
integration of the goals of environmental protection with economic and social considerations,
initiation of government-sponsored projects that could catalyse and direct financial resources of private and state owned industrial entities.

All of the problems listed above are only partially technical. They also reflect deficiencies of older environmental protection mechanisms that are still in place. The existing environmental problems can be overcome more easily at the level of a county or municipality where the goals of the program are more concrete. At the national level a feasible environmental policy requires much stronger environmental leadership supported by firm financial commitment.

Relative Importance of Environmental Policy, Institutional Strengthening and Investment in NEAP Development and Implementation

A feasible environmental policy may only be developed if reliable environmental information is available to establish viable environmental priorities. Foreign experts are usually helpful in drafting environmental protection plans, but the goals and objectives of these plans must be decided by each country. The impact of different tools and mechanisms to be used in implementing an environmental protection project should be studied and the target dates of meeting initial goals and objectives should be assessed. The accuracy of environmental policies depends not only on access to environmental information but also on the capacity of the environmental administration to use and transform this information into an action-oriented program. Clear environmental priorities may help to direct investments towards elimination of environmental pollution. However, they may also initiate a more innovative planning process for maximizing investment funds.

The CEE countries are developing elements of a market-based environmental protection system. Environmental policies and investments have already received more attention than the development of a professional environmental administration. Institutional strengthening may, therefore, provide the highest marginal output in comparison with improvement of a country's environmental protection programs and investments. In an assessment conducted recently among a group of CEE government environmental experts, institutional strengthening was selected as a priority by twice as many as improvements in environmental policy and investments. A proper and timely environmental decision has a great impact on investments and adds value to the development of environmental policy. Embedding the EAP strategy into the NEAPs goals and activities may help balance resources deployed for developing environmental policy, strengthening institutions and improving investments.

Attempts to Ensure Public Participation in the Field of Policy Development, Institution Building and Planning of Investments

Public participation plays an important role in all phases of NEAP preparation and implementation. Active participation of interest groups is vital for selecting and communicating environmental priorities. In particular, selecting environmental goals and establishing a framework for environmental regulations should be opened to the public and assisted by citizen groups. An open process of selecting environmental priorities may mobilise and educate the public.

Environmental Impact Assessment laws institutionalise public participation in many CEE countries. Other forms of public involvement in policy development are infrequent, mainly because of a lack of experience and skills. Public hearings are rarely used by environmental administrations. If regularly used they could change the way the public perceives environmental problems and how they view the work of environmental administrations. Public engagement in the decision-making process could also be changed from sporadic, limited and passive to continuous, comprehensive and proactive. Such public participation may enhance cooperation between the government and the public and contribute to better communication between them.

Public pressure is also important in restructuring and improving environmental administration. There are still no formal mechanisms allowing the public to verify the work of environmental administrators. The role of an Environmental Committee in Parliament in supervising the Ministry of Environment becomes increasingly important.

The public should have more information about and involvement in the environmental investments supported by public funds. The lack of proper legal regulations deprives the public of direct control over the environmental impact of commercial investments. A system of advisory committees made up of local people could be useful for vesting public interest in environmental projects and facilitating communication between the public and investors.

Strategy to Integrate Economic and Environmental Activities

The NEAPs should be prepared so as to influence social and economic development towards sustainable development principles. To accomplish that, environmental programs should include an assessment of their net impact on the economy. "Win-win" environmental investments demonstrate a positive, built-in assessment of economic consequences of environmental activities. This type of environmental project should be especially supported. However, there are also conflict areas (energy, intensive agriculture, transportation, tourism) where there are substantial differences in development options. An inventory of conflicting goals should be prepared in order to address them as soon as possible. Conflicting goals usually indicate involvement of different interest groups or lobbies. The long-term benefit may only serve as a single criterion of solving the problem.

Application of the NEAPs to economic and social goals requires enhanced communication within the government and among different interest groups. This also applies to the language and arguments used by the plan. A standardised impact evaluation as well as assessment of the flow of funds needed to implement the plan should be developed and presented. Risk assessment and indicators of achievement should also be presented along with a clear division of responsibilities and check points. Integration of the NEAPs with economic and social development plans may proceed only if proper communication is restored. This is also a condition for influencing the country's development programs by environmental considerations.

The EAP strategy suggests useful tools for integrating environmental and economic programs. It has already been absorbed to a certain degree by the CEE countries. Environmental protection plans are gradually becoming more pragmatic, focused and action-oriented. They also recognise possibilities and limitations imposed by economic development while trying to influence it. The plans must still be adjusted in order to properly reflect priority environmental problems. The NEAPs should be perceived not as additional documents on environmental protection plans but as a process for evaluating and integrating different interests, goals and approaches with the aim of directing them towards nature preservation and sustainable economic development.

REC * PUBLICATIONS * STATUS OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAMS * REGIONAL OVERVIEW