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4th Meeting of RAC/CP National Focal Points. Cleaner Production Status in Albania by: M.Sc. Mirela Kamberi Director of Environmental Pollution Prevention, Ministry of Environment Barcelona, on June 12,2003. Introduction to Albania.
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4th Meeting of RAC/CP National Focal Points Cleaner Production Status in Albania by:M.Sc. Mirela Kamberi Director of Environmental Pollution Prevention, Ministry of Environment Barcelona, on June 12,2003
Introduction to Albania • With 28,748 km2, Albania is one of the smallest countries in Europe;Population - 3,411,000 • Albania has a 476 km-long coastline on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas; • Approximately three fourth of its territory consists of highlands above 300 m: the highest peak is 2,753 m; • Forest and woodlands cover 38% of Albania; • Albania is rich in mineral resources, natural beauty and biodiversity.
The environmental context • Industries using obsolete technology and the fleet of old vehicles are generating much air pollution; • Urban waste and industrial discharges are polluting the soil and surface waters; • Polluted ‘hot spots ‘ often abandoned industrial sites have high concentrations of toxic substances, exposing the local population to health risks and contaminating the surrounding environment
Policy framework and institutional arrangements • Albania established its first Ministry of Environment in September 2001 based on the existing Agency for Environmental Protection;MoE is still small and not powerful • One of the most important directorates is Environmental Pollution Prevention one • MoE has been restructured during the first part of 2003 with assistance of DFID after which there will be one specialist of CP within DEPP.
Policies and strategies • In the updated NEAP of 2002, the following priorities have been identified: • Developing sustainable environmental policies; • promoting the sustainable use of natural resources; • Monitoring the industrial and urban pollution; • Developing an adequate strategy with business on environmental issues.
Legal Framework • 11 environmental laws passed the Parliament last year and a number of CoM Decisions: • Law on Environmental Protection; • Law on Environmental Impact Assessment; • Law on Air protection; • Law on Environmental Administration of Solid Waste; • Law on Environmnetal Treatment of Used Waters
Legal Framework • Law on Sea and Coastal Defense and Protection; • Law on the Protected Areas; • Law on Biodiversity; • Decision of CoM on air emissions standards from stationary sources; • Decision of CoM on temporary air emissions standards from stationary sources;
Legal Framework • In the above-mentioned laws is mentioned as principle the rational use of the environment and reduction of discharges into and pollution of the environment, prevention of its damage, rehabilitation and restoration of the damaged environment. • International Environmental Conventions and protocols, • Problems with the enforcement.
Absence of CP Centre • In the NEAP 2002 is stated the objective for creation of CP Center; • In the recommendations of EPR (UNECE 2002) for Albania is stated that: MoE in close cooperation with private sector and line ministries should promote the establishment of a CP Center, which would: conduct environmental audits, provide training and disseminate information on CP, and promote the introduction of ISO 14000 standards.
Efforts to create CP Center • MoE has started efoorts to create CP Centre within the framework of UNIDO/UNEP activities for the creation of CP centers in countries in transition, taking into account the positive experience of other countries in transition; • In March 2003 a mission of UNEP came in Albania and started the process of CP Center creation with the establishment of a Consortium with representatives of MoE, industry and social society.
Other experiences in the field • The functioning of Albanian-EU Energy Efficiency Centre; • Experience with some training in CP offered by Industrial Ecology association and other NGOs; • Still prices of electricity (energy) and water are law to promote the real need of CP Centre; • Environmental legislation in place.
Current activities • Experience gained through RAC/CP we have intended to spread out through our Regional Environmental Agencies, as ports to industrial business; • We have been promoting the experiences of our science institutions with small projects from the budget fund; • We have been promoting and attracting the good experiences of industry itself in the CP
Current activities • We have already listed the enterprises which are using waste recycling technologies and other energy/water/raw materials saving schemes and pay a visist to some of them in Tirana, Korca, etc; • We have been working with international donors (SIDA, Italian Cooperation) towards identifications of CP potentials in Albania; • Workshops and seminars have been organised relating to better waste administration, air and water protection where need for Cp tech. has been among conclusions.