Environmental Dimension of the Eastern Partnership

1. Environmental Dimension of the Eastern Partnership Perspectives for Cooperation and the role of Civil Society by Yauheniya Pazdniakova

2. Plan • What is EaP? • Why should we enchance the cooperation? • How do Belarusian NGO’s participate in EaP? • Policy Recommendations

3. What is Eastern Partnership? Eastern Partnership is a common initiative of Sweden and Poland that has been announced in 2009. That initiative is intended on broadening of the European integration processes.

4. 4 Platforms of the Eastern Partnership • Democracy, Good governance, Human rights and Stability • Economic Integration and Convergence with EU policies • Environment, Climate Change and Energy Security • Contacts between people

5. 4 Platforms of the Eastern Partnership • Democracy, Good governance, Human rights and Stability • Economic Integration and Convergence with EU policies • Environment, Climate Change and Energy Security • Contacts between people

6. The Fraimwork of the 3rd Platform • EU consumes gas and oil from Russia • Belarus is a transit country • ‘Gas / Oil’ wars between Belarus and Russia • Need for guaranteeing efficient mechanisms of energy transit • Sharing experience in environmental management programs, finding alternative sources of energy, waste recycling • Improvement of the accessibility of information

7. Main Actors • Heads of the States and Governments • Ministries • Officials • NGOs CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM – institutional platform to tell its opinion on the main dimensions on the Eastern Partnership Initiative

8. Belarusian NGOs at the First Civil Society Forum, Brussels16-17 November, 2009

9. Next Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum will takeplace at 17-18 November, 2010 in BerlinA  call for expressions of interest to participate in it has now been launched and the dead line for applications has expired on 2 of July 2010

10. How Belarusian Civil Society Organizations behave? • The EaP has provoked a great interest among Belarusian civil society. • In order to draw up a common position, the conference “Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership: the Agenda for Belarus” took place on November 2, 2009; • the National Civil Society Forum in the Resolution of the Conference "Roadmap of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus” on 5-6 July, 2010

12. Road Map Recommendations These are the strategic conclusions and suggestions with reference to platform "Environment, climate change and energy security" that have been admitted at the National Civil Society Forum in the Resolution of the Conference "Roadmap of the Eastern Partnership for Belarus”: • 1. To consider creation of effective mechanisms for public participation in significant environmental decision-making; • 2. To make information about programs and projects submitted by state agencies open and accessible; • 3. To consider the necessity to use the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) mechanism for developing programs and projects within the Eastern Partnership framework; • 4 To initiate the monitoring procedures of construction and operation of nuclear power plants that are planned to be build;

13. The main role of the Road mapRecommendations • to provide opinion to the institutions involved in decision-making; • to influence on the decision-making process; • to create a framework for further work, because NGOs intend to conceptualize on each point proposed in the Resolution;

14. Policy Reccomendations For EU: • To insist on involving neighbors in joint decision of common environmental problems, providing energetic diversification, improve mechanisms of energy transit; • To intend that Belarus should take into account the CSF opinion. For Belarusian Authorities: • To intensify the participation in transboundary and local environmental projects, public education programs; • To launch a process of convergence with EU Environmental Acquis, world environmental standards; • To take into consideration the opinion of NGO’s, as well as to provide Belarusian civil society with the more space for participation in state projects and decision making process; For NGOs: • To intensify aggregation and articulation of public opinion, as well as informal education and promotion of sustainable development.

15. References • http://eurobelarus.info/content/view/68/64/ • http://www.eeas.europa.eu/eastern/index_en.htm • http://www.eeas.europa.eu/belarus/index_en.htm • http://www.eeas.europa.eu/eastern/civil_society/index_en.htm • http://www.eeas.europa.eu/eastern/civil_society/first_csf_meeting_2009_en.htm • http://eeas.europa.eu/eastern/civil_society/second_csf_meeting_2010_en.htm

16. Thank you!