1. UNEP / Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA)
EEA TACIS PROJECT “DEVELOP-MENT OF C.S.I. ENV’L INDICATORS METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE AND COMPENDIUM” FOR EECCA.
Presentation for the 8th Session of the UNECE/CEP
“Working Group on Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment (WGEMA)” held at the U.N.
Palais des Nations, Geneva, June 2007

2. Towards the EEA’s Belgrade Report …the Belgrade Report of the EEA.
The “Core Set of Indicators Compendium for EECCA Countries” as a companion product to…
UNEP has so far published three volumes of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report series: GEO-1 in 1997, GEO-2000 (GEO-2) in 1999 and GEO-3 in 2002 prior to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The first three GEOs characterized a unique approach for global assessment of the environment by linking process and product. An increasing number of people, countries and institutions are now using the GEO approach for integrated environmental assessment. GEO-4 will build on past experiences while introducing a new, strengthened production process.
…the Belgrade Report of the EEA.

3. EEA TACIS Project Background
Main Purpose:
Improve capacities in the EECCA countries to develop, apply and maintain an agreed “core set of env’l indicators” (CSI), using a guidelines manual prepared by UNECE, to support pan-European reporting on env’l state and trends.
Main Output:
An “Indicators Compendium” covering part of the CSI, to accompany the next (4th) pan-European ~ Belgrade Assessment report.
The objective of GEO-4 is to provide, by 2007, a comprehensive, reliable and scientifically credible, policy-relevant, up-to-date assessment of, and outlook for, the state of the global environment.
GEO-4 will draw upon, assess and synthesize the state of knowledge from best available resources, including data and relevant assessments at global and sub-global levels. More specifically, it will analyse environmental conditions, trends and emerging issues; pressures and driving forces; primary and secondary effects; environmental values and costs to society; and, policy responses, response options and their future implications.

4. EEA TACIS Project Players/Roles
Overall Project Coordination: EEA
Project Management: UNEP/DEWA
Project Consultants: L. Gornaja (EEA / independent); G. Giuliani and S. Kluser (UNEP/GRID-Europe); and E. Veligosh (UNEP/GRID-Arendal).
Project collaborators:
Above plus EEA and UNECE staff; EECCA country expert participants (WGEMA et al.); workshop organisers from partner centres in Dushanbe, Kyiv and Tbilisi, and others…
The objective of GEO-4 is to provide, by 2007, a comprehensive, reliable and scientifically credible, policy-relevant, up-to-date assessment of, and outlook for, the state of the global environment.
GEO-4 will draw upon, assess and synthesize the state of knowledge from best available resources, including data and relevant assessments at global and sub-global levels. More specifically, it will analyse environmental conditions, trends and emerging issues; pressures and driving forces; primary and secondary effects; environmental values and costs to society; and, policy responses, response options and their future implications.

5. EECCA Indicators Compendium
Activities up until publication in 2007:
Preliminary indicators and their analyses (trends etc.) prepared and translated (Jan.-March).
Consultation on-line on preliminary indicators with EECCA country experts; “gap-filling” (late March through mid-May; extended).
Revised version Indicators prepared (late May).
Present to UNECE WGEMA 8th Session 12 June
Final indicators and translation (late June).
Layout and printing of CSI Compendium for EECCA Countries (throughout July).
Launch with Belgrade Report (10 October)

6. EECCA Indicators Contents/Structure
What is the key Policy question addressed?
What key Message(s) are derived/explained?
Overall Assessment for each of ~15 indicators.
The Policy context / link for all 15 indicators.
Methodology / References for each indicator.
Link to Definition and Rationale in UNECE’s Indicator Guidelines document.
Each indicator in four pages text & graphics (English/Russian, so eight pgs. overall).
All 12 EECCA countries covered, within the limits of data availability…

7. EECCA Indicators Development
A reminder that the 15 indicators selected as a subset of the CSI (36 altogether) were chosen for reasons of practicality (data available from international sources).
More details on the methodology (i.e., how the 15 indicators were developed & modified). (Elena Veligosh)
More details about the on-line consultation and results based on participants’ inputs. (Stephane Kluser)

8. UNEP’s GEO-4 Assessment Report
Originally slated for release and joint launch with the Belgrade Report at the Ministerial Conference, this is now delayed until late October 2007…
UNEP has so far published three volumes of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) report series: GEO-1 in 1997, GEO-2000 (GEO-2) in 1999 and GEO-3 in 2002 prior to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The first three GEOs characterized a unique approach for global assessment of the environment by linking process and product. An increasing number of people, countries and institutions are now using the GEO approach for integrated environmental assessment. GEO-4 will build on past experiences while introducing a new, strengthened production process.

9. Annual “GEO Yearbooks” First two volumes covered
2003 and 2004/05
Third volume dated 2007
covers the year 2006

10. Other recent UNEP Assessments
Just released on 5 June for
World Environment Day
Thematic along with global
and regional GEO reports

11. Merci
Spasebo
Thank you

12. EECCA Indicators Compendium
Lessons Learned and Remaining Challenges:
Data are not always available, or adequate, to support the indicators and their analyses.
Standardised “international” data sources are sometimes contested - or even contradicted by - national sources (how to resolve?).
Gap-filling on a “voluntary” basis is not most efficient or effective method, particularly w/o strong participation at the country level.
Further corrections and harmonisation needed.
To serve as a useful stand-alone product, even while being closely linked to the Guidelines document and the Belgrade Report itself…