T he Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe (REReP) for South Eastern Europe Reconstruction Program he Regional Environmental The Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe (REReP) The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit organisation with a mission Building a Better Environment for the Future to assist in solving environmental problems in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Center fulfils this mission by encouraging cooperation among non-governmental organisations, governments, businesses and other envi- ronmental stakeholders, by supporting the free exchange of information and by promoting public participation in environmental decision-making. The REC was established in 1990 by the United States, the European Com- mission and Hungary. Today, the REC is legally based on a Charter signed by the governments of 25 countries and the European Commission, and on an International Agreement with the Government of Hungary. The REC has its headquarters in Szentendre, Hungary, and local offices in each of its 15 beneficiary CEE countries which are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia. Recent donors are the European Commission and the governments of the United States, Japan, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as other inter-governmental and private institutions. The Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe (REReP) The European Commission THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER Directorate-General Environment for Central and Eastern Europe The Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe (REReP) Building a Better Environment for the Future Edited by JENNIFER BRASWELL Szentendre, Hungary OCTOBER 2000 THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER for Central and Eastern Europe in cooperation with the European Commission Directorate-General Environment and the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe About the REC The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit organisation with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Center fulfils this mission by encouraging cooperation among non-governmental organisations, governments, businesses and other environmental stakeholders, by supporting the free exchange of information and by promoting public participation in environmental decision-making. The REC was established in 1990 by the United States, the European Commission and Hungary. Today, the REC is legally based on a Charter signed by the governments of 25 countries and the European Commission, and on an International Agreement with the Government of Hungary. The REC has its headquarters in Szentendre, Hungary, and local offices in each of its 15 beneficiary CEE countries which are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia. Recent donors are the European Commission and the governments of the United States, Japan, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as other inter-governmental and private institutions. The entire contents of this publication are copyright ©2000 The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe No part of this publication may be sold in any form or reproduced for sale without prior written permission of the copyright holder ISBN: 963 8454 87 3 Published by: The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe Ady Endre ut 9-11, 2000 Szentendre, Hungary Tel: (36-26) 311-199, Fax: (36-26) 311-294, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.rec.org/ Printed in Hungary by ProTertia This and all REC publications are printed on recycled paper or paper produced without the use of chlorine or chlorine-based chemicals TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations 4 Foreword 5 Introduction 7 Map of the Region 8 Environmental Profiles 9 Albania 11 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21 Bulgaria 33 Croatia 41 Kosovo 49 FYR Macedonia 57 Romania 67 Yugoslavia 77 Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program Framework Document 87 Program Summary 89 Program Background 93 Program Priorities 97 Annexes 113 Annex 1 Joint Statement by the Ministers 115 Annex 2 Terms of Reference 117 Annex 3 NGO Statement 119 Annex 4 REReP Task Force Contacts 121 THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BTF Balkans Task Force NEAP National Environmental Action Plan CEE Central and Eastern Europe NCESD National Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (Bulgaria) CH4 Methane NGO Non-Governmental Organisation CO Carbon monoxide NEPF National Environmental Protection Fund (Bulgaria) CO2 Carbon dioxide NH Ammonia COPS Convention of Parties 3 NIHP National Institute for Health Protection DG-ENV European Commission DG-ENV – Environment, (FYR Macedonia) Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection NMHC Non-methane hydrocarbons DU Depleted Uranium NO Nitrogen Oxide EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development NO Nitrogen Dioxide EC European Community 2 NO Nitrogen Oxides (non-specific) ECE Economic Commission for Europe (UN) x MOE Ministry of Environment EDC Ethylene dichloride MEW Ministry of Environment and Water (Romania) EEA European Environment Agency PAHPolyaromatic hydrocarbon EIA Environmental Impact Assessment PCB Polychlorinated biphenyl EIONET European Environment Information and Observation Network PEPA Priority Environmental Projects for Accession EU European Union REC The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe GDP Gross Domestic Product REReP Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program GNP Gross National Product for SEE HCl Hydrogen Chloride REWI Regional Environmental Inspectorate (Bulgaria) IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change SEE South Eastern Europe IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and SIDA Swedish International Development Agency Natural Resources/World Conservation Union SIEI Sofia Intiative on Economic Instruments KLA Kosovo Liberation Army SO Sulphur Dioxide MAC Maximum Allowed Concentration 2 SO Sulphur Oxides MEW Ministry of Environment and Waters (Bulgaria) x UN United Nations NASEM National System for Environmental Monitoring (Bulgaria) VCM Vinyl Chloride Monomers NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation VJ Yugoslavian Army NEA National Environment Agency (Albania) VOCVolatile Organic Compounds 4 THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOREWORD Foreword Environmental reconstruction in the countries of efforts by the Stability Pact to contribute to an early South Eastern Europe (SEE) is an important dimension of integration of the SEE countries into the political and Stability Pact concerns. There can be no long lasting sta- economic mainstream of Europe, should contribute to bility in SEE without adequate planning and reconstruc- greater awareness of environmental concerns by both tion of an often damaged environment. On one hand, policy makers and the wider public. The adequate the recent history of the region with its succession of management of the environment, as reflected in the wars has affected the environment. On the other hand, projects of REReP, has to be an integral part of this neglect of environmental matters by past governments effort. I am confident that the successful implementa- has often adversely affected the environment as an tion of the REReP can contribute significantly to a bet- important element of the region’s socio-economic tissue. ter life of future generations of the SEE countries. I am therefore pleased that the Regional Environ- mental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe decided Bodo Hombach to publish the documents of the Regional Environmen- Special Coordinator of the tal Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (REReP). This programme, which is part of the wider THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM 5 6 THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM INTRODUCTION Introduction This report provides an outline of the challenges, the REReP Task Force, has prepared this report. This goals and scope of the Regional Environmental Recon- activity has been part of the work program of the REReP struction Program for South Eastern Europe (REReP), Secretariat — which is supported by the Ministry of which has been designed and endorsed by the Minis- Environment of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Envi- ters of Environment of the six South Eastern European ronment of Italy, the European Union, and the Hungari- (SEE) countries that are currently party to the Stability an-American Fulbright Commission — and draws on the Pact for South Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and work of many individuals and institutions. The report Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia and Roma- has been prepared by Jennifer Braswell, in coordination nia. Yugoslavia has been invited as an observer during with Mihail Dimovski, REReP Program Manager, and the development of the program, and there is a contin- Dragana Tar, REReP Project Coordinator. The Secretariat