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

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C H A P T E R 4
E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T A N D T H E E U A C C E S S I O N P R O C E S S
BOX 1: Planning for approximation
National Strategy for Environmental Approximation, 2007
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
The National Strategy for Environmental Approximation (NSEA) was adopted in 2008 and provides a roadmap for
the full and effective approximation process, addressing the required legal transposition and practical implementation
actions, the timeframe, the responsible institutions and the related investments to achieve full compliance with EU environmental
legislation. The main goal of the strategy is to set out the government’s approach to the complex obligations
of the EU environmental acquis: it defines a sustainable, comprehensive framework of actions, with associated
costs, for legal transposition and technical implementation in all 10 environmental sectors.
Human and financial resources are optimised through the prioritisation of EU obligations and requirements. The
NSEA provides financial arrangements to secure full compliance with environmental legislation and standards,
taking into account the national economic circumstances and priorities, and the available and potential foreign
aid for infrastructure projects. To this end, compliance with the heavy-investment directives is foreseen after the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has become a member of the EU.
The NSEA prepared 19 directive-specific implementation plans (DSIPs) and nine sector approximation strategies
(SASs) based on 73 pieces of EU legislation. The process of developing the DSIPs, SASs and NSEA involved determining
the present status of the approximation process and of specific national conditions and requirements;
selecting the EU legislation on which the SASs and the NSEA should be based and for which DSIPs should be
prepared; preparing gap analyses; defining all the actions necessary for full approximation; preparing the DSIPs
and SASs; prioritising the implementation of EU legislation across sectors; and preparing the NSEA. An approximation
plan was developed as an integral part of the NSEA, based on the prioritised EU legislation and taking into
account the governmental priorities already identified and the financial implications and constraints.
S T R AT E G I C M O V E S
litical and economic reforms, including institution building and public administration
reform. Further reforms are needed in order fully to enjoy the benefits of the
agreements (EC COM [2006] 27 final). Kosovo (as defined under UNSCR 1244)
participates in the SAP through the Stabilisation Process Tracking Mechanism
(STM) that has been specially devised to promote policy dialogue between the EU
and the Kosovan authorities on EU approximation matters.
Financial Assistance from the European Community
The EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) 5 provides focused financial
aid to the candidate countries and potential candidate countries. Introduced
in 2007, the IPA replaced the mechanisms available between 2000 and 2006, notably
CARDS, SAPARD, ISPA and Phare. Financial assistance through the IPA is
given to support countries to introduce the political, economic and institutional reforms
required in order to achieve conformity with EU standards. European Union
funding aims at medium- and long-term changes in society and the economy as a
whole, and the pace of reform is closely related to the pace of the accession process.
The total IPA allocation for the period 2007 to 2013 is EUR 11.5 billion.