REPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC List of contents I Introduction II Summarized Evaluation of the State and Development of the Environment of the Czech Republic III Components of the Environment IV Economic Sectors and the Environment V Instruments of Environmental Protection VI Environmental Protection Expenditures VII Environment and Society VIII International Aspects of Environmental Protection IX Environmental Indicators X List of Abbreviations I Introduction The Report on the Environment of the Czech Republic in 2005 continues in the tradition of previous reports on the environment that have been presented to the Government of the Czech Republic since 1991. Pursuant to Government Resolution No. 446 from 1994 the report shall be submitted to the Government by 30 September of each year. Since 1999 the Ministry of the Environment has been responsible for the preparation of the report pursuant to Act No. 123/1998 Coll., on the Right to Information on the Environment. Section 12 thereof stipulates that the report includes, above all, information on the quality of the environment and on the environmental burdens impacting the environment. In compliance with the above Act the report, having been considered and approved by the Government of the Czech Republic, is submitted to the Parliament. The report shall be published no later than within three months after the approval. II Summarised Evaluation of the State and Development of the Environment of the Czech Republic II.1 Summary Based on the information provided in this Report it can be said that the state of the environment of the Czech Republic has largely stabilized during the first decade of the 21st century (after a dramatic improvement between 1990 and 2000), showing both positive and negative year-to-year differences. Nevertheless, some indicators, especially those related to the quality of air, may indicate the beginning of new negative trends. The most significant signs of improvement of the environment of the Czech Republic are as follows: - Considerable decrease and subsequent stabilization of sulphur dioxide emissions in the air; - (Almost) global compliance with emission limits for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and lead; - Relatively high and continuously growing percentage of people connected to public water and sewer system with wastewater treatment; - Improvement of water quality in major watercourses (elimination of quality classes VI and V); - High degree of waste sorting and recycling, and the use of waste for material purposes; - Faster land reclamation after mining and reduction of areas impacted by mining; - Significant decrease in the energy intensity and certain signs of a decrease in the material intensity of the Czech economy. The following areas of the environment continue being in the same condition or have worsened: - Over limit air pollution with suspended dust particles (PM10) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has been observed in up to one third of the area of the Czech Republic, including most big cities; - Global over limit pollution of the Czech Republic with ground (tropospheric) ozone; - High specific emissions (per capita) of the main greenhouse gas – carbon dioxide; - Big noise load upon the inhabitants; - High specific pollution of some less important watercourses; - Eutrophization of water reservoirs due to global pollution; - Missing sewer system and wastewater treatment plants in municipalities of 2,000 to 5,000 inhabitants; - Continuing high percentage of ploughed farm land; - Low land retention capacity; - Significant impact of water and wind erosion on soil; - Unfit condition and species, age and spatial composition of forests from the long-term view; - Big number of endangered animal and plant species due to anthropogenic activities and non-original invasive species; - Big percentage of municipal waste deposit in landfills; - Hard to solve problems with illegal waste management (waste import form abroad). The biggest risk of environmental deterioration exists in the following areas: - Remaining / growing air pollution with suspended dust particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ozone; - Increase in emissions of solid pollutants from tyre, brake and road surface abrasion related to increase in conveying capacity of both domestic and transit transport; - Increasing emissions of solid pollutants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into the ground air layer caused by the return of small sources of pollution (households) to solid fuels; - Increased risk of flooding and other undesirable climatic phenomena; - Risk to the landscape and biodiversity due to unreasonable land appropriation; - Risk of environmental deterioration in case the lignite extraction limits are broken as contemplated by the State Energy Policy of 2004, - Permanent risk of environmental accidents (road transport, burdens form the past, industry). The above risks may be aggravated by insufficient financing of environmental protection from central resources, missing interconnections between the elements of environmental law and insufficient staff enforcing the environmental law. Positive development can be particularly expected in the following areas: - Decrease in carbon dioxide emissions released into the air due to proactive measures in energy saving, the use of renewable sources and nuclear energy; - Decrease in pollutant emissions released into the air, wastewater discharge and waste production from industrial sources due to natural technology modifications and proactive measures (both mandatory and voluntary); - Mid-term decrease in pollutant emissions from road transport (with the exception for tyre, brake and road surface abrasion) provided the car pool will change; toll charges will regulate international transit road transport; - Gradual increase in forest and green areas; - Decrease in land appropriation for construction purposes provided the use of brown fields is actively supported; - Improvement of waste management structure (increased reuse, recycling or energy and material use); - Very gradual improvement of age, species and spatial forest composition and slow improvement of the condition in view of the long-term horizon. Positive development of the environment may be significantly supported by greater attention the inhabitants pay to the environmental issues, their increased awareness and a larger use of the so-called soft or voluntary instruments of environmental protection. A comprehensive evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, threats (risks) and opportunities (positive expectations) for the components of the environment and relevant economic sectors is provided in form of a modified SWOT analysis in subchapter II.3. II.2 Evaluation of the Fulfilment of the State Environmental Policy of the Czech Republic for 2004-2010 II.2.1 Components of the Environment Air and Climate The Czech Republic has fulfilled the obligations resulting from the Kyoto Protocol, i.e. an 8% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the reference year 1990 by 2008 – 2012 (the emissions dropped by 25%). However, stagnating aggregated greenhouse gas emissions have been a problem since 2000. The priority 4.2.1 of the State Energy Policy (SEP) related to the accomplishment of the requirements of Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on national emission ceilings, transposed by Government Resolution No. 417/2003, is being implemented as follows: − The Czech Republic is able to meet with reserve the national emission ceiling of 265 kt for sulphur dioxide by 2010; − The Czech Republic will probably meet the national emission ceiling of 220 kt for volatile organic compounds by 2010; − The Czech Republic will probably meet the national emission ceiling of 80 kt for ammonia by 2010; − The Czech Republic will closely meet the national emission ceiling of 286 kt for nitrogen oxides by 2010. In line with the State Environmental Policy, emissions from combustion processes of big resources have been successfully decreased (the National Programme of Emission Reduction in Existing Very Large Combustion Sources). However, local solid fuel burning furnaces pose a serious problem as emissions have increased since 2005. The priority 3.2 – to reduce the area with excessive critical burdens of the air – has been only partially accomplished. While the limits for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead have been only rarely exceeded, the imission limits for health protection in suspended particles in the PM10 fraction, valid as of 1 January 2005, have been exceeded in most parts of the country, especially in cities, and the total imission ozone limit has been exceeded in all parts of the country. Water Pollution discharge into surface water has been going down, but global pollution of surface and ground water, particularly by nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, remains to be problematic. Ground water monitoring, in line with the State Environmental Policy, covers also deep springs nowadays (315 objects in total); the ground water quality criteria in these water objects are exceeded with less frequency than in shallow surface water. A total of 91.6% of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic are connected to the public water system. The objective of the State Environmental Policy to supply 91% inhabitants with drinking water by 2010 has been met. The objective related to the construction or renovation of wastewater treatment plants has been also fulfilled in compliance with the implementation