Progress made by countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia in producing Indicator-based Environment Assessment Reports: Review Report Merab Sharabidze

Review Report based on: Target countries’ responses to questionnaires Findings from the April meeting of the Focal Points for SoE reporting Open search of available data and information

Legal and regulatory basis Legal and regulatory basis for the production and publication of the SoE reports seem to be in place in the majority of the countries Challenges/shortcoming: - Regular preparation and publication of the reports/compliance with the intervals set for reporting - Sufficiency of national resources for the production of reports/high reliance on external assistance or funding

Institutional mechanisms Most of the target countries seem to have established institutional procedures for the production of SoE reports Challenges/shortcomings: -Institutional procedures for the initiation of data collection where these were insufficient or lacking -Institutional procedures for validation and quality assessment of data - Availability of electronic inventories for effective data management

Structure and content: consistency with the Guidelines The target countries only partially follow the recommended structure and content for the SoE report as set out in the Guidelines Challenges/shortcomings: - Availability of comparisons - Provision of specific chapter with the conclusions and recommendations - Provision of environmental topics as suggested by the Guidelines

Structure and content: Use of environmental indicators The target countries use most of the recommended indicators Challenges/shortcomings: -Use of the prescribed format for the presentation of the indicators -Use of DPSIR framework and SWOT analysis - Explanation of projections, targets and the relevance for environmental policy

Structure and content: Data assurance and control systems Data used in the national SoE reports are provided by the relevant State agencies and institutions responsible for their primary collection Challenges/shortcomings: - Availability of procedures for data assurance and control - Quality and consistency of data

Structure and content: Use of modern technologies for data presentation All the target countries use different kinds of visual materials Challenges/shortcomings: - Use of GIS or satellite imaging - Use of modern technologies for data sharing

Publication and dissemination SoE reports are issued both in paper and electronic formats, disseminated to interested stakeholders and available through the Internet Challenges/shortcomings: -Visibly of the reports on the respective web pages/Access to reports

Links with other assessment reports Most of the target countries publish other types of environmental assessment reports, which are interlinked with SoE reports Challenges/shortcomings: - Application of corresponding indicators across different assessment reports

Use and evaluation SoE reports appear to be used for environmental decision making, socioeconomic planning and for supporting the development of various policies Challenges/shortcomings: -Use of the ex-ante and ex-post evaluation procedure

Recommendations (slide 1/4) The target countries should: - Enhance legal framework and adjust internal budgets for reporting - Eliminate procedural gaps (including for data assurance and control) - Establish electronic inventories WGEMA should: - Help in eliminating legal and institutional gaps

Recommendations (slide 2/4) The target countries should: - Introduce assessments of environmental topics as per the Guidelines - Include comparisons and conclusions and recommendations chapters WGEMA should: - Help countries in sharing and making available the information and data for enabling cross-country comparisons

Recommendations (slide 3/4) The target countries should: - Use DPSIR framework and abridged SWOT analysis - Better refer national projections, international and national targets - Enhance use of visual material (GIS or satellite imaging) and of modern technologies for data sharing WGEMA should: - Help is using prescribed format for description of indicators - Promote electronic data sharing and facilitate this process

Recommendations (slide 4/4) The target countries should: - Improve access to SoE reports on Internet - Use corresponding indicators across various assessment reports - Introduce/improve ex-ante and ex-post reports evaluation WGEMA should: - Promote use of corresponding indicators across various assessment reports - Help in elaborating procedures for ex-ante and ex-post evaluation

Thank you