Policies for a Better Environment PROGRESS IN EASTERN EUROPE, CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA Policies for a Better The political and economic landscape in the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Environment Asia is evolving. Are environmental policies keeping pace? What major environmental policy measures have been taken by each country? What are the main barriers to further progress? What are the PROGRESS IN EASTERN EUROPE, emerging policy issues and priority areas for action? CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA In 2003, the Ministers of Environment of the 12 countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA), together with their partners in the “Environment for Europe” process, adopted the EECCA Environment Strategy. The Strategy aims to promote sustainable development through environmental policy reform and environmental partnerships. This book provides a review of progress in achieving the Strategy’s objectives, and provides a solid analytical base for discussions on future environmental co-operation between EECCA countries and their partners. Preparation of this report has involved a unique process of collaboration among all the major international institutions active on environmental issues in this region. By focusing on the policy actions taken by EECCA countries, it complements Europe’s Environment: The Fourth Assessment – prepared by the European Environment Agency – which assesses environmental conditions in the pan-European region. The full text of this book is available on line via these links: www.sourceoecd.org/environment/9789264027343 www.sourceoecd.org/transitioneconomies/9264027343 Those with access to all OECD books on line should use this link: www.sourceoecd.org/9789264027343 SourceOECD is the OECD’s online library of books, periodicals and statistical databases. For more information about this award-winning service and free trials ask your librarian, or write to us at [email protected]. Policies for a Better Environment Better a for Policies UNECE ISBN 978-92-64-02734-3 97 2007 10 1 P www.oecd.org/publishing����������������������� -:HSTCQE=UW\XYX: POLICIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT Progress in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 democracies work together to address the economic, social and environmental challenges of globalisation. The OECD is also at the forefront of efforts to understand and to help governments respond to new developments and concerns, such as corporate governance, the information economy and the challenges of an ageing population. The Organisation provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The OECD member countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD. OECD Publishing disseminates widely the results of the Organisation’s statistics gathering and research on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the conventions, guidelines and standards agreed by its members This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member countries, nor those of the governments of the non-members who have participated in this work. © OECD 2007 © 2007 IBRD/The World Bank: Objective 4.4 Agriculture, Forestry and Environment No reproduction, copy, transmission or translation of this publication may be made without written permission. Applications should be sent to OECD Publishing [email protected] or by fax 33 1 45 24 99 30. Permission to photocopy a portion of this work should be addressed to the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CFC), 20, rue des Grands-Augustins, 75006 Paris, France, fax 33 1 46 34 67 19, [email protected] or (for US only) to Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, fax 1 978 646 8600, [email protected]. Foreword FOREWORD Since 1991, the “Environment for Europe” process has provided a framework for improving environmental policies and outcomes in the pan-European region. In 1993, the Task Force for the Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP Task Force) was established to support the integration of the environment into the broader process of economic and political reform in transition economies. With the enlargement of the European Union, the focus of the EAP Task Force’s work has shifted east, and is now concentrated on the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). In 2003, at the fifth “Environment for Europe” Conference in Kiev, Environment Ministers of the pan-European region adopted an Environment Strategy for EECCA countries. Ministers asked the EAP Task Force to lead the effort to facilitate and support the achievement of the objectives of the EECCA Environment Strategy. This report assesses the progress that has been made so far in achieving the objectives of the Strategy and focuses on actual policy measures taken by EECCA governments. It will serve to support discussions at the sixth “Environment for Europe” Conference, to be held in Belgrade in October 2007. The report was prepared by the EAP Task Force Secretariat, located in OECD’s Environment Directorate, in collaboration with a number of international organisations and regional stakeholders – UNDP, UNECE, UNEP, WHO, World Bank, the Regional Environmental Centres for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Moldova, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and the NGO network European ECO-Forum. Work on the report was also closely co-ordinated with the European Environment Agency’s Fourth Assessment of environmental conditions in the pan-European region, and was overseen by the EAP Task Force which currently is co-chaired by the European Commission and Kazakhstan. EECCA governments have driven the report’s intent and structure, provided a wealth of information and reviewed its final draft. Several donors – the European Commission, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – have supported financially its preparation. The main message is that, in a still difficult context, EECCA countries have made some progress in improving environmental management, but a major implementation gap persists. In an increasingly diverse region, progress is not even across countries or environmental policy areas. Finance is a barrier in all areas, but it is not always the most important one: creating a more effective incentive structure for environmental improvement through policy and institutional reform is also essential. The report delineates the main elements of a more coherent and effective reform agenda, both at the general level and within each policy area. We are confident that it will provide a good basis for discussion by Ministers at the Belgrade Conference. Soledad Blanco Nurlan Iskakov EAP Task Force Co-chair EAP Task Force Co-chair Director for International Affairs Minister of Environment DG Environment – European Commission Government of Kazakhstan POLICIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT Progress in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia 3 Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed in different ways to this report. In OECD’s Environment Directorate, the project was managed by Roberto Martín-Hurtado, who also drafted the report. Brendan Gillespie and Eija Kiiskinen provided overall guidance. Carla Bertuzzi was in charge of the statistical work. Aziza Nasirova co-ordinated the publication and communication efforts. Shukhrat Ziyaviddinov provided administrative support. Victor Cotruta (REC-Moldova) and Yelena Yerzakovich (CAREC) assisted the OECD core team in the collection of information. OECD’s Public Affairs and Communication Directorate was responsible for the publication of the report. Beatrix de Koster edited the report for English language. Stanislav Kuld translated the report into Russian. The Translation Division of the OECD was in charge of the translation of the Executive Summary into French. Chapter 1 on environmental institutions and policies is based on a background paper prepared by Angela Bularga and Eugene Mazur (OECD). Chapter 4.4 on agriculture and forestry is based on a background paper prepared by a World Bank team including William Sutton, Peter Whitford, Suzette Pedroso-Galinato and Emanuela Montanari Stephens. Chapter 6.2 on public participation and Chapter 6.3 on environmental education are based on background papers prepared by the NGO network European ECO-Forum. Other colleagues who have provided input, whether in the form of early advice, short written input or comments to different drafts, include Franck Wefering (CABRI-Volga project), Bulat Yessekin (CAREC), Palle Lindgaard (DHI), Mary Crass, Stephen Perkins (ECMT), Peter Bosch, Jaroslav Fiala, Adriana Gheorghe, Pawel Kazmierczyk, Gabriele Schoning, David Stanners (EEA), Gevork Arakelyan, Lidia Astanina, Muazama Burkhanova, Ibragimjon Domuladjanov, Victoria Elias, Fikret Jaffarov, Oleg Pechenyuk,