challenges of developing national capacity for prtr systems in central and eastern europe
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Challenges of developing national capacity for PRTR systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Magda T ó th Nagy Public Participation Program June 2004. Contents. PRTR: an instrument for environmental and health information PRTR Protocol paving the way Challenges and needs in CEE countries - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Challenges of developing national capacity for PRTR
systems in Central and Eastern
Europe
Magda Tóth NagyPublic Participation Program
June 2004
www.rec.org
Contents
• PRTR: an instrument for environmental and health information
• PRTR Protocol paving the way
• Challenges and needs in CEE countries
• Building capacities for CEE and EECCA countries
www.rec.org
PRTR: an instrument for environmental and health
information The major benefits
for the Public:
• Public access to emissions release data• Information about toxic chemicals• Information about health
effects
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PRTR: an instrument for environmental and health
information• For the Government:• Pollution reduction and risk
reduction• Encouraging improvements
in environmental performance
• Monitoring and compliance• Setting priorities and
evaluating progress
For the Business:• Pollution reduction and
prevention• Introducing
environmentally sound technologies
• Better chemical management at the plant level/stimulates efficient or reduced use of chemicals
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PRTR: an instrument for environmental and health
information• Interest in CEE for
developing PRTRs in mid-90s influenced by the Rio process (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary)
• In the process of EU accession –– focus on EU requirements for candidate countries
• New momentum by UNECE Aarhus Convention process: leading to development of PRTR Protocol
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PRTR Protocol paving the way
• PRTR Protocol signed by 36 countries and the EU
• Decision of EU to develop a regulation to implement PRTR Protocol and upgrade EPER to E-PRTR
• Build PRTR through EPER in new EU Member States and accession countries
• Wealth of experience in OECD process and outside Europe
• Synergies of international processes on information systems should be used to meet European environmental and health goals
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Challenges and needs in CEE countries
• Development of legislation on chemical safety and community right to know• Implementation of PRTR Protocol
used as tool to develop/change legislation
• Accommodate national priorities and needs
• Institutional framework for integration of data collection and information flow• Overcome lack of coordination of
data collection and gaps in information flow
• Share responsibilities among national agencies
• Streamline reporting obligations and methodologies,
• Designate a single responsible agency
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Challenges and needs in CEE countries
Operational issues• Consistency of methodologies
for setting up thresholds, common identifiers and adapting to national priorities
• Resolve issue of confidentiality of statistical information collection: designating environmental authorities as data custodians
• Verification: unified methodologies and techniques of estimations, calculations and measurements such as sector-based unified estimation methods and factors
• Enforcement measures and powers of authorities
• Incentives for industry self-reporting and cooperation
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Challenges and needs in CEE countries
• Operational issues• Public accessibility: PRTR
databases in electronic form• Searchable PRTR system
according to parameters and accessible via internet free of charge.
• Data bases located in different places linked, public access points ensured.
• Stakeholder involvement in development and operation of systems: open and transparent process, information for and dialogue with public and users
• Involvement of health experts and NGOs to help interpreting data
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Building capacities for CEE and EECCA countries
• The REC Role• Provide forum for discussion for
stakeholders during drafting of PRTR Protocol
• Capacity building workshops for network of governmental and NGO experts to learn from international experience
• Pilot projects in accession and new Members states to assess legal, institutional, practical aspects and dialogue with stakeholders
• Support national authorities to set up an operational register, develop web site, provide guidance and information materials to users (NGOs and businesses) and training for officials in Czech Rep.
• Future projects in selected SEE and EECCA countries to support development of PRTRs through workshops, training, guidance materials and pilot projects
