EU EASTERN BORDER ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY BELT Project concept UNEP/GRID-Arendal Environment Agency of England and Wales

New Eastern border of the EU New EU border: Northwest Russia Belarus Ukraine Moldova (after the accession of Romania)

Environmental safety The environmental safety of the border areas in the neighboring to the EU countries is one of the key factors of the regional stability. This safety depends on countries’ technological capacity, but even more fundamentally on the effectiveness of decision making regarding environmental issues and timely access to relevant and objective environmental information.

Interests / Needs EU: Environmental safety on the eastern border Access to objective information on the environmental situation/risks in the border countries EU border countries: Cooperation with the EU Help in decreasing of environmental risks Cities in the EU border countries: Safe environment Environmental management systems Control of local private businesses Environmental information for decision making Citizens of the cities in the EU border countries: Improvement of quality of life Local environmental information system Guidance for concrete actions aimed at improvement of the quality of life

Problems Environmental information is scattered in different organization and owned by different stakeholders Environmental information has low impact on decision-makers and general public It is difficult to obtain information on pollutants’ release. Russia and Belarus have not signed the PRTR Protocol, Russia has not signed the Aarhus Convention National environmental information is of little relevance to a lay person General public has mistrust of “official” information State environmental agencies regard environmental NGOs as “non-professional” and politically engaged

Background Workshops on environmental information management (Kiev, January 2004, and St. Petersburg, May 2004) Development and presentation of the Pskov pilot local environmental information system at the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention in May Creation of 4 multi-stakeholder Environmental Information Centers in Northwest Russia

What do we have? Aarhus Convention ratified in 3 of 4 border countries PRTR protocol signed by 2 border countries Aarhus centers in 2 cities of 2 border countries EICs in 4 cities in NW Russia based on multi- stakeholder approach Potentially sustainable Pskov pilot model of the local environmental information system Partnership with EA / WIYBY platform Support of UNEP

EU Eastern border Environmental Safety Belt

Suggested location of EIN hubs CountriesCitiesAarhus centers Environment al Information Centers BelarusNovopoltsk Minsk Gomel ○ MoldovaChisineu ● RussiaMurmansk Apatity Arkhangelsk Petrozavodsk St. Petersburg Pskov Kaliningrad ○ ● ○ ● UkraineKiev Vinnitsia Lviv Odesa ● ○ ● hub exists ○ hub to be set up

Strategic objective: Improvement of environmental situation along the new EU border through: Access to timely and relevant environmental information as a basis for environmental decisions by governments and the rest of society Raising the environmental awareness of the population Involvement of the public in border countries in decision-making on environmental matters

Goals To provide a strategic framework for the efficient and effective delivery of environmental information services; To increase the accessibility of environmental information on all levels (from decision makers to grass-roots) according to the principles of the Aarhus Convention; To build an environmental information network in border countries; To enhance the outreach capacity of government bodies in border countries; To increase the impact of environmental information along the whole information chain, especially down to the levels of local self-governance bodies (municipalities) and the general public.

How? Creation of environmental information hubs in the cities posing environmental risk, providing with data on pollutants release and state of the environment and delivering of processed information to decision-makers and the general public through local environmental information systems; Integration of hubs into a cohesive environmental information network. Interoperable systems and common standards will allow information to be shared, accessed and used across the boundaries. Stakeholders’ cooperation in sharing of environmental information, assessment of environmental risks, their prevention and gradual improvement of the overall environmental situation in the border countries.

Environmental Information Network Hub resources Environmenta l Information Network Hub UNEP/ GRID-Arendal EA of England and Wales Donor agencies Regional/City Administration Funding and Equipment Fees Know-how & tech. support Management Premises Information Legal support Polluting enterprises Payment for information General public Businesses (e.g. realtors) State environmental agencies Environmental NGOs Universities & Educational institutions

Activities Set-up of environmental information hubs in 9 cities Strengthening the existing information hubs in 6 cities Capacity building of national and local environmental institutions Set-up of local environmental information systems in 15 cities Environmental media work (media training, media tours to ecological hot-spots, creation and support of professional associations of environmental journalists) Environmental awareness-raising programs with the general public Enhancement of the use of environmental information on the municipal level through joint capacity-building training in social marketing /outreach for joint groups from state and non-profit sectors Development of information products

Improve accessibility to timely and relevant information Provide access to environmental information for decision makers and general public Assist national organizations in further development of data collection systems, analysis and processing of environmental information Create Internet-based local environmental information systems, serving as the building blocks for national PRTRs or their equivalents Integrate the hubs into an environmental information network, including creation and use of standards for data and presentation, as well as exchange of information

Support a stakeholder approach to decision making Promote cooperation among the holders of environmental information and its free sharing between administration, state agencies, educational institutions, public and non-profit organizations, and mass media Extend public participation in environmental matters through seminars, trainings, study circles, round tables, presentations and press conferences

Raise environmental awareness Reinforce public demand for quality environmental information and its dissemination to decision- makers and general public Work with mass media, including organization of media tours to ecological hot-spots and training of environmental journalists Support teachers and trainers by supplying information suitable for all kinds of education concerning the environment as well as environmental aspects of sustainable development Promote ecological culture and environmental awareness among the general public