In the following years the importance of the environment as a political issue decreased. Although two years ago the Committee for Environmental Protection was established within the Ministry of Health, the political importance of environmental problems is now rather low. This Committee has little real authority. In fact, it consists of only 11 experts and does not have independent status. The status of the Green Party in Albania is illustrative as well. It has no representatives in the Parliament and it is not considered to be a serious partner by the other parties.
The ongoing transition has not been easy and in some ways the government has been overwhelmed by the changes, finding it very difficult to adapt to new demands and circumstances, according to one expert. The government has had to change its way of thinking and acting. It is necessary now to more clearly identify goals and priorities and coordination among the various State institutions must be improved. It was also mentioned that the current government is not strongly supported by the Parliament and thus important new policies are not passed. Additional revisions in certain environmental policies and laws are required, and harmonization with EC standards has already successfully started in the fields of environmental assessment and human health.
Croatia inherited relatively good environmental laws. Sectoral laws and regulations, including an Environmental Assessment Act, have existed since 1984. New environmental laws and amendments are being drafted. The Environmental Protection Act is being reviewed by the government bodies and Parliament.
Environmental issues are under the authority of several Ministries according to sectors. The Ministry of Civil Engineering and Environmental Protection plays a coordinating role. Nevertheless, a strong separate MoE is needed. Due to other priorities, incomplete legislation, inadequate institutional framework and lack of funding, it has not been possible to develop and implement a proper environmental strategy. Improvements are needed in institutional capacity to take advantage of existing expertise. Because of other concerns, the Parliament is not able to play a strong controlling role and the Parliamentary committee on environment is relatively weak. Response to existing negative trends has been insufficient. Expertise is available on a relatively high level but it is missing in some specific fields. Only a few experts and NGOs are involved in decision-making processes, but public awareness regarding environmental issues is increasing.
From 1990-92 many influential positions in the administration and Parliament were held by environmentally aware people. It was noted that the present Government, in power since 1992, is "less green" than the previous one and the economy is its primary concern. The economic lobby has become strong now, as well.
Since 1990 modern legislation, such as the General Environmental Protection Act, the Environmental Fund Act, the Air Protection Act, the Waste Management Act, the Nature Protection Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act have been passed. Some of the new strict laws have created conflicts of interest among the Ministries, and thus, amendments are necessary.
In 1992, authority for landuse planning was given to the Ministry of Economy. This authority has previously been with the MoE since its establishment in 1990. Now some experts think that environmental concerns are a lower priority in this area.
Since 1989, the access to environmental information has been improved and comprehensive statistical data are being published.
Hungary's becoming an associate member of the EU triggered the translation and adaptation of the EUÕs environmental directives. The solution of existing environmental problems, however, benefitted little from the improved European relations. The controversial issue of the diversion of the Danube into Slovakia was not solved by EU mediation. The second free elections took place in May 1994. Most of the parties had environmental policies, but the campaign clearly focused on economic growth and unemployment. The environment has fallen off the political agenda.
Most of the experts agreed, however, that the negative impacts of other political changes, namely the political conflicts with Greece and the fallout from the war in Yugoslavia, have been more significant than the benefits enjoyed from democratization. (A few experts even mentioned that democratization has had some adverse effects as chaos and anarchy have appeared to some extent in the absence of the previous political system.) Certain environmental problems cannot be solved and continue to worsen without close cooperation with Greece (and Albania as well, which has its own serious economic problems). The economic crisis resulting from the trade embargoes with Greece and Yugoslavia dominates public and political concern and environmental issues are considered a low priority. This has contributed to a lack of progress being made in enacting and formulating greatly needed new environmental laws and policy. Progress in the areas of law and policy has also been hindered by the lack of a separate MoE.
Fortunately, democratization has had positive effects as well. Local governments and NGOs are more active in environmental protection. Better laws and policies have been enacted, and the legal system is providing new opportunities for protecting the environment. Poland's progress toward joining the EC and the harmonization of environmental and industrial standards is also promising.
Unfortunately, the political changes have had serious negative effects on the environment as well. With the collapse of the previous political system instability and uncertainty have emerged. Frequent elections and new governments in the past few years have resulted in continuous turnovers in key decision-making positions and a lack of consistent policy. Existing old laws are not adequate for the new circumstances, but sorely needed new laws have not been enacted. For example, the lack of proper land-use planning laws has encouraged the chaotic development of all sorts of residential and commercial buildings, putting a blight on the landscape, and damaging natural areas. A growing disrespect for the rule of law in general has led to various abuses of natural resources, with increased wildlife and fisheries poaching and illegal tree cutting being mentioned by a few of the experts. In such conditions the regulatory offices have little real power to enforce the laws. Political power struggles also hinder the passing of needed laws as the politicians are often more concerned about elections that in public policy.
Unlike the Czech Republic, Slovakia established independent regional environmental authorities. There are plans to integrate them into the State administration. While State officials consider this "horizontal integration," where the heads of the regional authorities are representatives of the State Government, environmentalists criticize the plan as a tendency towards centralization and reducing the power and independence of the regional offices.
Between 1990-92, almost the whole system of environmental law was renewed. After the split, Slovakia adopted all the new environmental acts from the Federation. As the creation of the new regulative system occurred in a very short time, new amendments are necessary.
From 1990-92, the environmental lobby had more political influence than now. The Minister of Environment was Vice-Prime Minister for the first six months after the revolution. The Green Party had six deputies in the Slovak Parliament from 1990-92. After the elections in 1992, the Green Party was no longer represented in Parliament. There are now fewer people in Parliament and Government with experience in environmental protection issues. Ongoing conflicts in Parliament over a variety of contentious issues further complicate the political process. For instance, since 1992, no major new environmental law has been passed by the Slovak Parliament (EIA, water act, nature protection act, and the risk assessment act remain to be adopted).
Experts noted that after the split of the Federation in January 1993 environmental concerns moved down the priority list to a greater degree than in the Czech Republic because of political and economic reasons.
One of the most crucial steps in the environmental field was the adoption of the new environmental framework law. The government is still working on the sectoral laws and also plans to strengthen the ministry to enable it to implement the law. Some see this legislative achievement as the only positive result of the past three years. On the national level several environmental problems remain unsolved (Krsko nuclear power plant, disposal of nuclear waste, Triglav national park), because the decision-making system is overloaded. Public participation is not functioning in a new and efficient way. The decision-making system is not open to experts and NGO's and they have little influence. There is no real center of power and decision-making in the MoE now, though it was able to elaborate a new environmental concept together with experts and NGOs. The green movement has regained its dynamic character. In the previous period, the movement was divided over the issue of using only political channels for expressing disapproval.