Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...
Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ... Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...
Introduction The aim of this chapter is to summarise some of the main issues addressed in the report and to outline possible ways forward. The recommendations provide suggestions for possible directions. The precise modalities of actions and interventions are to be developed by the countries. Overall challenges for national governments Political The insufficient level of political support potentially jeopardises or delays the timely and efficient implementation of environmental infrastructure investments. In a context of competing priorities, the importance of environmental investments and their impact on quality of life may be overlooked. Way forward • There is a need for strong and persistent political will to reform the government systems and institutions responsible for environmental financing. Persistent efforts are needed for the whole spectrum of reforms, from institutional to legal and financial. • It is vital that governments realise, and capitalise on, the political and financial opportunities presented during the pre-accession period. During this period political will for accession is strong and there are many resources available for financial and technical assistance. Economic and financial The countries of SEE have relatively low levels of GDP per capita, and the proportion of GDP directed to environmental infastructure investments is far lower than the respective amounts spent in new member states. As a result, the overall available funds for environmental investments are insufficient and fall significantly below the amounts needed. In addition, the global economic crisis has affected investments in environmental infrastructure, and some infrastructure projects have been suspended. Low income levels also explain the high rates of bill non-payment and the low level of affordability of major infrastructure investments. The serious structural reforms needed to increase national income are not feasible. Way forward • The capacity of society to afford environmental investments and the priority given to quality-of-life needs must be clearly analysed, and environmental investments must be structured accordingly. • A higher proportion of the budget could appropriately be earmarked for environmental infrastructure investments in order to reach the levels of new member states, which have secured tangible flows of domestic financial resources. S T R AT E G I C M O V E S 205
206 C H A P T E R 9 T H E WAY F O R WA R D S T R AT E G I C M O V E S • Domestic budgetary funds are also of huge importance for providing national co-financing for projects, for which a big share is financed from EU or bilateral grants and/or IFIs. • Planning for approximation, including accompanying investments, should become even more important. • In a situation in which budgets are tight and needs are big, there is a need to streamline available resources in order to avoid overlapping and wasting resources between institutions and on low-priority projects. • Advantage should also be taken of the subsidies available, particularly from EU programmes and bilateral donors, which can ease affordability problems. Legal Although progress has been made during the last four years there is still a relatively low level of transposition of many of the key investment-heavy directives, and the level of transposition varies significantly between the candidate countries and the others. Some of the countries still lack approximation strategies. Way forward • Rushing transposition may lead to low-quality national legislation without proper planning of the necessary human and financial resources. The availability of approximation strategies is of great importance. These should define feasible transposition and implementation dates that are linked to the real legal and political situation. • It is important to adopt high-quality, functional legislation that will not require too much modification in the future. • The EU environmental acquis has significant financial, institutional and enforcement implications that must be planned for in advance in order to guarantee enforcement. • It is beneficial for countries to use existing guidance documents, such as the EC guidance document and the EC Handbook on the Implementation of EU Environmental Legislation. Enforcement The level of enforcement of environmental legislation in the region is low due to the weak capacity of the inspectorates and long years of a legal vacuum in the field of environment. Enforcement is no less important than transposition, as some of the new water or waste management systems would not function properly without a sufficient level of enforcement of the legislation. The links between different inspectorates and between the inspectorates, police and prosecution are weak. There is little awareness on the part of companies and citizens of the importance of compliance with environmental legislation, which makes the inspectors’ obligations even more difficult to implement.
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- Page 253: THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER F
Introduction<br />
The aim of this chapter is to summarise some of the main issues addressed in the<br />
report <strong>and</strong> to outline possible ways <strong>for</strong>ward. The recommendations provide suggestions<br />
<strong>for</strong> possible directions. The precise modalities of actions <strong>and</strong> interventions<br />
are to be developed by the countries.<br />
Overall challenges <strong>for</strong> national governments<br />
Political<br />
The insufficient level of political support potentially jeopardises or delays the<br />
timely <strong>and</strong> efficient implementation of environmental infrastructure investments.<br />
In a context of competing priorities, the importance of environmental investments<br />
<strong>and</strong> their impact on quality of life may be overlooked.<br />
Way <strong>for</strong>ward<br />
• There is a need <strong>for</strong> strong <strong>and</strong> persistent political will to re<strong>for</strong>m the government<br />
systems <strong>and</strong> institutions responsible <strong>for</strong> environmental financing. Persistent<br />
ef<strong>for</strong>ts are needed <strong>for</strong> the whole spectrum of re<strong>for</strong>ms, from institutional<br />
to legal <strong>and</strong> financial.<br />
• It is vital that governments realise, <strong>and</strong> capitalise on, the political <strong>and</strong> financial<br />
opportunities presented during the pre-accession period. During this period<br />
political will <strong>for</strong> accession is strong <strong>and</strong> there are many resources available <strong>for</strong><br />
financial <strong>and</strong> technical assistance.<br />
Economic <strong>and</strong> financial<br />
The countries of SEE have relatively low levels of GDP per capita, <strong>and</strong> the proportion<br />
of GDP directed to environmental infastructure investments is far lower<br />
than the respective amounts spent in new member states. As a result, the overall<br />
available funds <strong>for</strong> environmental investments are insufficient <strong>and</strong> fall significantly<br />
below the amounts needed. In addition, the global economic crisis has affected investments<br />
in environmental infrastructure, <strong>and</strong> some infrastructure projects have<br />
been suspended. Low income levels also explain the high rates of bill non-payment<br />
<strong>and</strong> the low level of af<strong>for</strong>dability of major infrastructure investments. The serious<br />
structural re<strong>for</strong>ms needed to increase national income are not feasible.<br />
Way <strong>for</strong>ward<br />
• The capacity of society to af<strong>for</strong>d environmental investments <strong>and</strong> the priority<br />
given to quality-of-life needs must be clearly analysed, <strong>and</strong> environmental investments<br />
must be structured accordingly.<br />
• A higher proportion of the budget could appropriately be earmarked <strong>for</strong> environmental<br />
infrastructure investments in order to reach the levels of new member<br />
states, which have secured tangible flows of domestic financial resources.<br />
S T R AT E G I C M O V E S 205
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