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

of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive and the
Large Combustion Plants (LCP) Directive. They are primarily the responsibility
of the private sector or of individual state-owned companies and are not therefore
a priority within the PEIP. References to other sectors are included only in order
to provide a broader context.
In this context, environmental infrastructure investment projects are understood
as projects that require significant financial resources and time to complete.
Examples include infrastructure for the provision of systems and services such as
drinking water supply, sewage treatment or waste management leading to compliance
with EU environmental directives.
The publication gives priority to describing projects that have a regional (SEE)
impact on the environment. Wherever generic comments are made on infrastructure
development, they are of relevance to both urban and rural infrastructure development.
Nevertheless, the focus of the analyses is on urban infrastructure development.
Targeting the environmental investment challenge means addressing all stages
of project cycle management. However, the present publication focuses on the early
stages of project cycle management, such as programming and project preparation.
The experience of the new EU member states illustrates how mistakes during the
early stages of project cycle management can significantly reduce the chances of
completing a project successfully. With this in mind, particular emphasis is given
here to project cycle management up to the point at which funds are secured for
project implementation. Later aspects of project cycle management are also mentioned
but are not analysed in detail.
Methodological approach
Sources of information
In drafting the present publication, the following main sources of information
were used:
• Related reports and publications on the situation in SEE and CEE.
• Two regional surveys linked to the drafting of the PEIP water and waste manuals.
The surveys were prepared by the PEIP team in summer 2008 (water) and
spring 2009 (waste) and circulated to relevant ministry officials and national authorities
in the water and waste sectors. The information was cross-checked
against the available national strategic documents by the REC country offices
in the SEE countries.
• An additional survey carried out in all SEE countries in August 2009 for the
present publication. Like the surveys carried out for the manuals, this survey
was circulated to national authorities and the information provided was
checked against national strategic documents in the relevant sectors.
• Desk research on the experiences of new EU member states and candidate
countries in relation to the preparation and implementation of infrastructure
investment projects.
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