ECO

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

In 1998, the European Union started its largest enlargement process since its existence, which is of unprecedented complexity. This is partly due to the fact that the countries that are involved have a much lower level of economic welfare than the current EU members. Furthermore, some of them are in a process of deep social and economic changes. The complexity has also increased due to the process the EU is going through itself. More and more areas of competence have moved from the national to the EU level, so the current accession countries need to undergo a deeper transformation than previous newcomers did.

These changes will have a profound effect on the citizens of the accession countries. Yet the awareness of these impacts is low among the general public. This is due to the lack of a coherent government policy to inform its citizens of this process and its consequences. That is why to date, there is very little knowledge and involvement of civil society in national and international debate on accession to the EU. Public participation and support is a necessary prerequisite to ensure that the enlargement process is successful.

The enlargement process is generating many questions and the environmental movement is among those who are raising them. Environmental NGOs believe that the adoption of the environmental acquis communautaire will have an overall positive impact on the environmental policies and practices in these countries. But we also see the risks of accession, such as increased pressure on natural areas, accelerated growth of transport, increased waste problems and intensification of agricultural practices. We are concerned that our governments may fail to develop decisive policies that bring all the EU challenges into a sustainable development policy.

The way enlargement is being steered will affect the perspectives for sustainable development in Europe. Taking into account the complexity of this process and its importance and in order to assure that this process contributes to sustainable development, environmental organisations from the candidate countries and the EU have started to work together to enhance public awareness and NGO consciousness of the EU. This specific project aims to increase capacity of environmental NGOs in the accession countries to be involved in the process, to serve as a link to civil society and to co-operate with local, national and European authorities.

OBJECTIVES of the Project

Raise the level of understanding of the EU and the enlargement process in the accession countries with special emphasis on environmental aspects.

Facilitate and promote the influence of environmental organisations and the general public in the accession countries so that the accession process in Central and Eastern Europe/CEE promotes sustainable development in this region.

Promote dialogue between environmental NGOs, other parts of society, public authorities and decision-makers with regard to the potential environmental and social impact of the accession

Involve civil society in a process to find least costs options to reach the environmental acquis communautaire.

Ensure the promotion of sustainable development principles in the negotiations for the accession.

KEY PRINCIPLES of the Project

This project is following three key principles for the EU environmental policies for the coming years, namely Information, Integration and Implementation:

Information: Dissemination of information about the EU and the enlargement process and its implications for sustainability. Informing and educating environmental NGOs how to make a useful contribution to the enlargement process.

Integration: Raising awareness on the need for environmental integration in all EU policy areas with regards to the enlargement process.

Implementation: Monitoring the implementation of EU legislation in the course of the accession process and informing local authorities about EU legislation (being the future implementation bodies).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In 1998 six environmental organisations in six accession countries, namely Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, started a co-ordinated awareness and training project to prepare environmentalists for the accession negotiations and the public discussion around these. Most environmentalists have a rather general idea about the possible advantages and disadvantages and many of them do not see how they can influence the process. But it is clear that the accession will have such a dominant impact on the future of these countries, that environmentalists cannot neglect it.

The first phase of the project was to prepare for quality information. Quality means on the one hand relevant factual information about the history of the EU, its main political motives, its decision-making procedures, the acquis communautaire on environment, the key policies of the EU, like agriculture, structural and cohesion funds, transport, energy, biodiversity and waste. On the other it means that it is involved, written from the position of environmental organisations.

The information distributed in booklets in all 6 languages, have proven very popular, and not only with environmentalists. They clearly are fulfilling a need. The training sessions (in the form of workshops and round tables) were well visited. Follow-up activities were agreed, in particular in developing more knowledge and positions on specific issues.

The workshops have proven also a place for officials and environmentalists to meet. The timing was perfect; it was in the months before the official negotiators were preparing for the screenings. The issue of the financial impact of the implementation of the acquis communautaire was one of the issues that were dealt with at all meetings, going into specifics as much as possible at this moment.

The project was combined with several other events, set up by its regional European partners, giving it a larger added value: the Vienna Conference on Rural Development in an Enlarged Europe, organised by EEB, and the Visit to Brussels organised by FoE Europe in particular.

The first phase of the EU Enlargement project helped environmentalists to identify their potential role in the accession process, a role motivated by their aim to be effective for the environment in their own countries, regionally and globally. The accession is a long way to go, and even after the official membership, the environmental question in the accession countries will not be resolved. The new member countries can contribute greatly to the improvement of Europe's environment, protection of its biodiversity etc. But they can also become a serious problem for EU-progress on environment and sustainable development. For the current members the strength and effectiveness of the environmental movement in applicant countries is of great importance.

ACTIVITIES

1. INFORMATION SERVICE

In each country, an information service was set up, which is specialised in answering, detailed questions and giving advice on where to find sources of information. We also work closely with the EU Information offices in each country. Activities of the information service include:
- collection of relevant information (building up a library)
- telephone information line
- web page
- quarterly newsletter in national language
- consultation with different stakeholders
- comprehensive database with contact addresses, a list of stakeholders, etc.

The information service makes use of the materials produced during the first phase of the project as well as the new publications and receives regular information from the Brussels based networks.

2. PUBLICATIONS

To complete the series of publications of the first phase of the project(see Background information), a booklet on EU Water policies was produced. This area has special relevance to all accession countries as the adoption of water related legislation in the accession countries is foreseen to be difficult and rather expensive.

Another publication foreseen will be the training material on the EU Policy Integration.

This booklet will cover:
a) the implications of the integration (Helsinki) process for the accession countries
b) the need for further integration of environmental considerations in all policy areas of the EU from the perspective of the accession countries. The later has special relevance because several EU policies (such as agriculture, transport or energy) could have negative effects on the environment of the accession countries, if further integration of environmental considerations is not achieved.

From the existing materials, an updated summary (based on the booklet EU accession and the Environment: An introduction) will be produced.

3. WORKSHOPS AND POSITION PAPERS

Several training courses, workshops and NGO roundtables took place which helped to inform all interested environmental NGOs about the accession process and environment related issues. . These workshops helped the NGOs to get involved in political processes, exchange information and update their positions. On average, two workshops were organised in each country and they will cover issues on integration and impacts of implementation of the acquis communautaire at the local level.

The national statements covered the following themes:
i. Energy
ii. Waste
iii. Transport
iv. Biodiversity
v. Agriculture
vi. Water
vii. Horizontal Issues
viii. Structural and Pre accession funds

4. SURVEY

A survey was conducted among the eleven environmental NGOs in Malta to assess the level of awareness about EU policies and legislation and their opinions about various issues. As a result of this study (the results can be seen in the first issue of Stakeholder), the need for this project was confirmed and the support of the Maltese NGOs was achieved.

5. CASE STUDIES

Two case studies are being carried out on the implementation of the environmental acquis communautaire and its consequences on the environment. These studies will give the possibility to compare and further discuss national strategies as well as evaluating least cost options for reaching the acquis on environment in Malta.

6. NEWSLETTER

A newsletter called STAKEHOLDER was published (eight issues over the two year project period). This title was chosen because the newsletter is targeting all the stakeholders in the accession process, particularly those involved in the environment.

Apart from explaining what the campaign Towards Improved Information, Integration and Implementation in the EU Enlargement Process, is all about, the newsletter included the results of the survey conducted among the Maltese NGOs about enlargement, an update of negotiations in each country, and information on each one of the themes that were dealt with during the workshops.

7. ACTIVITIES AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

A. EXPERT MEETINGS
Two meetings with participation of experts from 12 accession countries took place aiming to:
- foster an exchange of ideas and flow of information between NGOs from the accession countries and representatives of EU institutions
- deepen knowledge of NGO participants on the EU institutions,
- brainstorm with Commission officials about least cost options for the adoption of the environmental acquis communautaire,
- internal NGO exchange on the enlargement process,
- experience in lobbying. Subjects for these meetings will be defined at the later stage by the participating NGOs but most likely will cover issues like agriculture, energy, water etc…

B. INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATION MEETINGS
Two meetings were organised throughout the period of the project for better management of the project and discussions on upcoming political priorities related to the enlargement issues.

PROJECT PARTNERS

A. NGOs from candidate countries were responsible for day to day project activities and dealing with different partners in their countries. Participating organisations were:

1. Borrowed Nature Association from Bulgaria
2. Friends of the Earth from Cyprus
3. Society for Sustainable Living from Czech Republic
4. Estonian Green Movement-Friends of the Earth Estonia - LEAD APPLICANT
5. National Society of Conservationists from Hungary
6. Environmental Protection Club - Friends of the Earth from Latvia
7. Lithuanian Green Movement - Friends of the Earth from Lithuania
8. ECO The Malta Ecological Foundation from Malta
9. Institute for Sustainable Development from Poland
10. AIDROM from Romania
11. Environmental Training Programme/ETP from Slovakia
12. Umanotera from Slovenia

B.Western partners

Friends of the Earth Europe/FoE Europe, European Environmental Bureau/EEB and Milieukontakt Oost-Europa will assist to the NGOs in the accession countries by:
- providing a constant flow of relevant information from the Commission, the European Parliament and other relevant European institutions,
- prepare the English version of the quarterly newsletter and WEB site,
- prepare the English versions of the new publications together with the relevant experts,
- prepare the international meetings in Brussels and any other meetings with European institutions, requested by the participating NGOs and assist national NGOs in their activities at the national level whenever requested.

PURPOSE of the SURVEY

Since one of the main aims of the EU Enlargement project is to equip the NGOs with quality information, the first step in the process was to assess the level of awareness among NGOs regarding the EU. The survey was conducted among Maltese environmental NGOs and looked into their knowledge, understanding and interest of the EU and its enlargement, as well as the impact that they believe this will have on Malta.

Results
When asked whether the NGOs had discussed the environmental impact of eventual accession of Malta to the EU, all the NGOs who answered the survey stated that not only have they discussed it, but also that it is a priority for their organisation.

All participating NGOs agreed that the impact would be positive for the environment as a whole, both at a tangible level as well as the legislative dimension. They also think that it would improve air and water quality, biodiversity, waste problems, transport, energy and consumer rights.

With regards to trade, agriculture, nuclear safety and access to information, some NGOs think that the impact could be positive in some aspects and negative in others. The issue of genetically modified organisms is the one that NGOs know least about and are unsure of the impact that accession will have on GMOs.

Most NGOs admitted to having little or non-systematic knowledge on a large number of EU environmental policy areas. The answers to this question reflect the need for a project on ENLArgement, among Maltese NGOs, particularly because some organisations only know the basic principles about the EU institutions and their functioning.

Only the basic principles on the environmental dimension of Malta's accession strategy, are known by Maltese NGOs participating in this study. Besides, the majority of organisations agree with some aspects of this strategy and disagree with others like hunting and packaging.

Furthermore, when asked whether applicant countries can negotiate the conditions of accession so the eventual negative environmental impacts are mitigated, all NGOs agreed that they could in some cases.

All the NGOs believe that EU accession will positively affect the work of their organisations. However, they believe that they need more information on the specific legal norms that Malta has to adopt into its legal system and the environmental impacts of accession in general.

CASE STUDY

Soft drink Packaging in Malta. (by Julian Manduca)

Is theMaltese Government's current position on hunting and trapping in Spring in conformity with EU Law? (by Dr. Hubert Theuma)

POSITION PAPERS

1. Energy
2. Waste
3. Transport
4. Biodiversity
5. Agriculture
6. Water
7. Horizontal Issues
8. Regional Policies

(To download the whole set of Position Papers issued so far, click here)

STAKEHOLDER

STAKEHOLDER forms part of a project on EU enlargement and the environment that is being organised in all twelve applicant states, and is called "Towards Information, Integration and Implementation in EU Accession".

ECO, The Malta Ecological Foundation is co-ordinating the project in our Islands together with environmental NGOs. This newsletter is a medium by which different stakeholders in the accession process will be kept updated with the developments in the EU accession process that concern the environment.

As a stakeholder in this process, you play an important role in accession, and STAKEHOLDER aims to assist you by providing quality information about the consequences that accession has on the Maltese environment, particularly with regards to waste, water, energy, transport, agriculture, bio-diversity, structural funds and integration of environmental policies across sectors.

(To have a look at the editions of STAKEHOLDER issued so far, click here)