Second BERCEN Plenary Meeting Ohrid, September Agenda item 11 Key achievements in environmental enforcement and compliance, and discussion on the selected issue/problem in CROATIA Slađana Miocic Anita Pokrovac Patekar Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning

INTRODUCTION The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning (MEPPP) was constituted by virtue of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Structure and Competence of Ministries and State Government Organisations which came into force in the year 2000

MEPPP activities: Preparing regulations, performing administrative control and other administrative and expert duties Providing conditions for sustainable development; protection of air, soil, water, sea, plant and animal life in the totality of their interactions; Proposing, promoting and monitoring measures for environmental improvements; Ensuring maintenance of the pollution cadastre (monitoring); Managing environmental information system; Establishing environ. protect. measures, requirements and compliance; Waste management; Preparing proposals for environmental standards; Carrying out environmental inspection activities;

CURRENT STATUS AND KEY PROBLEMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 2002 the Inspection Division employed 9 senior environmental protection inspectors and 25 environmental protection inspectors positioned in 7 county offices (insufficient number of environmental protection inspectors, particularly in large industrial centres such as Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek) unsynchronised action of inspection services of certain ministries (for health, labour, waters) lack of modern quick-reaction technical equipment and support of IT equipment & solutions unharmonized regulations underlying the activities of all bodies of the MEPPP and other inspectorates

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2002 AND 2003 new organization in Inspection Division - 11 County offices and the Head office in Zagreb increased number of environmental inspectors in county offices in large industrial centres, from 25 to 32 (due to Annual Report presented to the Goverment) new equipment – every inspector has it’s own computer and the computer network is established among them as well as access to the internet

improvement of differnt skills and knowledge (project management courses, computer skills) and ability to continue with the further education possibility for participation in scientific courses and congresses organization of annual meetings for all inspectors to develop better communication and improve information flow and knowledge in the field of laws, court cases and etc. organization and planning of all activities yearly and monthly, planning of jointed actions with inspectorates of other closely related bodies – still to be improved (“on going activity”) establishment of new ways of reporting – monthly and annual and detailed reporting of such jointed actions

active work on new regulations in the field of environmental protection (new Law on Environmental Protection, Law on Waste and other by-laws and rules, National strategy for waste management) the decision of Croatian government to increase the number of environmental protection for 30 people (reprt prefo.2002.) increased number of reports on the perpetration to the relevant State body and punishments for the violation set by the law and other regulations active participation in BERCEN Network (training programs, exchange programs and study tours, as well as daily exchnage of knowledge – “networking”)

OVERVIEW OF BERCEN NETWORK PARTICIPATION MEPPP was involved for the first time in the ReREP Project 1.7 Strengthening National Environmental Protection Agencies and Their Inspectorates in the South Eastern European Region in May 2002 participating in Training program “Train the Trainer 1” that was held in Seregelyes, Hungary second Training program “Train the Trainer 2” that was held in September 2002, in Szentendre, Hungary the First plenary meeting of the Balkan Environmental Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement Network that was held in September 2002 in Budapest, Hungary the first exchange programme on Brijuni Island held in Croatia in November 2002.

the second exchange program that was carried out in April 2003, in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. the first study tour in March 2003 in Germany the second study tour in May 2003 in Finland the third Training program “Train the Trainer 3” held last week in Ohrid the BERCEN Focal point for Croatia participated in the 20th IMPEL meeting and the joint meeting of IMPEL and AC IMPEL held in December 2002 in Copenhagen, Denmark the 21st IMPEL meeting held in May 2003, in Athens, Greece

SELECTED PROBLEM IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN CROATIA Waste management is the major problem primarily due to: non-compliance with existing legislation of the Republic of Croatia insufficient and inadequate control waste generation and flows almost complete absence of efforts to reduce the amount and/or hazard characteristics of waste inadequate (wild) waste disposal both in the past and now low degree of waste recycling and negligible amounts of the waste treated/processed a great number of problems encountered and unsolved

there is no list of “wild” disposal sites, but their number is estimated to thousands only 140 “official” disposal sites cover a surface of 434 ha and contain an estimated amount of 15.2 million tons of waste currently only a few disposal sites (7) posses the necessary building and operating permits only 2 disposal sites have operating permits for the disposal of the industrial waste there are no disposal sites for hazardous waste

The major unsolved problems are still: the management of clinical waste waste from leather industry meat bone powder waste hazardous waste from shipyards animal waste waste from wastewater treatment plants

IN-COUNTRY TRAINING PROGRAMME the Croatia was approved the budget of € for organizing two In-country trainings the sessions are planned to be held in November two sessions will take place at the same dates in Zadar and Zagreb in each session will participate 12 environmental protection inspectors from county offices and 2 trainers that were educated by BERCEN Network

The training will cover: presentation skills minimum criteria for inspections frequency of inspections on-site inspection permitting self-monitoring monitoring reporting The program will be interactive, including lectures, discussions, teamwork and individual presentations. The on-site visit will be organized to the installations that represent its specific industry group.

The objectives of these In-country Trainings are: introducing the minimum criteria for environmental inspectors to ensure that environmental inspection tasks are carried out according to minimum criteria strengthening compliance with EU environmental laws contribution to its more consistent implementation and enforcement.

THANK YOU