Strategic Moves - Regional Environmental Center for Central and ...

20
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y
S T R AT E G I C M O V E S
It is hoped that this publication will be of use in the future development of environmental
investments in the SEE region through its analysis of key national and regional
constraints to environmental investments. It proposes a strategic and coherent
process for planning and developing environmental infrastructure projects; maps obstacles
and bottlenecks to environmental infrastructure development; and, where possible,
recommends ways to overcome them. The SEE region is to be understood here
as covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo (as defined under
UNSCR 1244), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
An overview of each country’s economic situation and approximation status is
provided, based on the premise that environmental investments do not happen in
isolation but are part of a wider system. The status of environmental infrastructure
in SEE is reviewed, as is the status of the utilities and of utility reforms.
The thematic focus of the book is water and waste, as the majority of public investments
are concentrated in these sectors. Since air falls mainly under the Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and Large Combustion Plants
(LCP) Directives and is, to a large extent, the responsibility of the private sector or
of individual state-owned companies, it is not examined extensively. However, the
importance of investments in air is acknowledged, and many of the conclusions
and recommendations are equally valid for the air sector.
Although this publication focuses on the construction of environmental infrastructure,
this should not be considered as a remedy for all environmental problems
in the region. Environmental problems should be considered from the broader perspective
of sustainable development, taking into account the economic and social situation
of the countries of the region. In a context in which the polluter pays principle
would burden citizens with additional financial contributions, it is essential to consider
poverty levels and the social aspects of infrastructure development.
The possibilities for minimising the need to develop environmental infrastructure
by identifying alternative solutions also need to be discussed. For example,
by cutting down on the use of resources (efficient water use, waste prevention,
recycling and energy efficiency), improving inefficient systems (reducing leakages
from water supply systems and improving maintenance) and improving industrial
technologies, infrastructure needs can be optimised.
The main findings in each chapter are presented below, including recommendations
for the way forward. Some conclusions present a level of generalisation
that, in some cases, does not fully take into consideration national differences and
specificities. The authors have tried, as far as possible, to refrain from conclusions
that are too general and to point out national differences where they exist.
The role of the Priority Environmental
Investment Programme
The PEIP has facilitated a process of strategic environmental investment planning
by national environmental authorities through identifying and prioritising
necessary and relevant projects. The programme has provided valuable informa-