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

• As described in Chapter 7, domestic expenditure is one of the pillars of financing
environmental infrastructure investment. The level of expenditure
is an indication of national commitment and the relative priority that the
government attaches to the issue. International financial assistance is the other
major source of funding for environmental infrastructure. Investigating trends
and major figures provides an indication of the relative importance of this
source and of donors’ priorities. The European Commission has designed and
implemented several project preparation facilities that are making a significant
contribution to meeting project preparation needs in SEE. Regional cooperation
frameworks also play an important role in stimulating investments
and sharing good practice.
• One of the main deliverables of the PEIP are the lists of priority projects. The
analysis of their dynamics in Chapter 8 provides an insight into the speed of financing
and the changing of priorities.
• This book has a practical character in that the challenges outlined are associated
with potential responses. Chapter 9 presents the main findings of the PEIP
and provides recommendations for developing the environmental investments
needed in the SEE region.
Other considerations
Although this publication focuses on constructing environmental infrastructure,
this cannot be considered a remedy for all environmental problems in the region.
Viewed from the broader perspective of sustainable development, the
economic and social situation of the countries of the region must be taken into account
when addressing environmental problems. As the application of the polluter
pays principle would burden citizens with additional financial contributions, it is
important to take into consideration poverty levels and the social aspects of developing
infrastructure.
Although the conclusions and recommendations for the future presented in
this publication focus on developing environmental infrastructure in the SEE region,
minimising the need to develop such infrastructure by identifying alternative
solutions should also be discussed. For example, by minimising 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); or developing industrial technologies, the need for infrastructure
can be optimised. Nevertheless, environmental infrastructure is sorely
needed in the SEE region in order to improve environmental conditions.
Public versus private financing
The publication does not discriminate between different sources of financing
and considers increased and targeted domestic spending to be as important
as funding from the EC, loans from IFIs and other commercial banks, or bilat-
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