ENPI-SEIS Project‘Towards a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) in the European Neighbourhood’
UNECE Joint Task Force on Indicators Meeting, 11-13 July 2011
European Environment Agency
Gordon McInnes, Deputy Director,Gordon McInnes, Deputy Director,Head of ProgrammeHead of Programme Governance and NetworksGovernance and Networks
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Overall objective:• Promote the protection of the
environment in the countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy area
Project objectives of the ENPI-SEIS project
Specific objectives:
• Promote the setting up of national and regional environmental information systems in line with SEIS principles
• Improve capacities in the field of monitoring, collection, storage, assessment, and reporting of environmental data
• Identify / further develop environmental indicators
• Track progress of the regional environmental initiatives (European Neighbourhood Policy, Eastern Partnership, Horizon 2020 , etc)
Main activity areasAgreed priority themes andother EU projects in the East region
Priority themes1. Water: fresh water2. Waste: household / municipal3. Air (emissions + climate change)
Other EU projects in the region:• Co-investment funding in the field of water and sanitation • Environmental collaboration for the Black Sea • Multi-country cooperation instruments (East): CBC, NIF,
TWINNING TAIEX, SIGMA • Support to Kyoto Protocol Implementation, SKPI • Air Governance project• Waste Governance project • Transboundary river management for the Kura river - Phase II • Water Governance in Western EECCA
Development of the SEIS with different country groupings
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Southern neighbours
Eastern neighbours
W.Balkans
Central AsiaDCI
ENPI
EEACore
budget
Russia&
IPA
SEIS Conceptual Framework
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Data and information services
Reportnet, ICT, EEA SDI, Inspire, GMES,...
Data and information
Air
Lan
d u
se
Inte
gera
ted
pro
d.
Clim
ate
Ch
an
ge
Bio
div
ers
ity
Soil
Fore
sts
Waste
Wate
r
Natu
ral re
sou
rces
...
Networking, Eionet, Group of 4, EPAs, ENP, agreements
Household/ Municipal waste,
Freshwater,Air emissions,
climate change etc. …
Data and informationServices, SDI
Data flows +Indicator development(Joint Task Force)
SEIS (tools and systems)
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Environment & Statistics, UNECE etc.Bilateral cooperation
Applying SEIS Conceptual Framework to ENP East region
Spring-cleaning & use of EEA indicators 2011 and beyond:
1) EEA indicator spring cleaning (technical review)
2) Mapping of EEA indicators to policy needs
3) Continuation of indicator-based SoE reporting, including review of technical infrastructure, follow-up of Astana Conference and development of ENPI-SEIS project
4) Annual indicator-based cross-cutting assessment
Envi
ronm
enta
l
scenari
os
indic
ato
rs
(45 / 0
CSI)
La
nd &
Soil
indic
ato
rs
(2/ 2 C
SI)
Tra
nsp
ort
indica
tors
(38 / 3
CSI)
Clim
ate
change
indca
tors
(42+
4 / 5
CSI)
Water indicators (7+7 / 7 CSI)
En
erg
y
ind
icato
rs(2
9 / 5
CS
I)
Tou
rism
in
dic
ato
rs(7
/ 0
CS
I)Air pollution indicators
(6+5 / 5 CSI)
Biodiversity
indicators
(25+2 / 3 CSI)
Waste indicators
(2 / 2 CSI)
Fisherie
s
indicato
rs
(3 / 3 CSI)
Agricultu
re
indicato
rs
(2 / 2 CSI)
EEA core indicators(37 CSI)
Tier 1: EEA core indicators
•CSI (core set of indicators)
Tier 2: EEA indicator themes •Agriculture (CSI)•Air pollution (APE+CSI)•Biodiversity (SEBI + CSI)•Climate (CLIM + CSI)•Energy (ENER + CSI)•Transport (TERM + CSI)•Waste (CSI)•Water (WEC, WEU, WHS + CSI)•Fisheries (CSI)•Land & Soil (CSI)•Tourism (YIR)•Env. Scenarios (Outlook, FLIS)
The starting point for the indicator mapping exercise:
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Overall objectives of the Astana Assessment of Assessments (AoA) report
To reform the pan-European environmental assessment knowledge system by: •Contributing to the development of a Regular Assessment Process (RAP) on Europe’s environment •Facilitating the establishment of a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS)
To meet the objectives in time for Astana it was agreed to focus the report on water resources and green economy/resource efficiency
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Main outcomes of the Assessment of Assessments
• Report for Environment for Europe ministerial conference, Astana, September 2011 (Astana Report)
• A knowledge base of European environmental assessments
• Proposals to develop a regular process to keep the pan-European environment under continuous review as part of a Shared Environmental Information System
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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
SO
ER
Pan
Eu
rop
ean
2015
SOER 2015
1998 2003 2007
Aarhus Kiev BelgradeDobris
2011
Astana
2016
Dobris +25
EEA regular assessment reports
Key EEA product: The European EnvironmentState and Outlook 2010
SOER 2010- Synthesis -SOER 2010
- Synthesis -Thematic assessments
Understanding climate change
Air pollution
Biodiversity
Water resources: quantity & flows
Soil
Freshwater quality
Consumption and environment
Material resources and waste
Land use
Mitigating climate change
Adapting to climate change
Marine and coastal environment Assessment of global megatrends
Political megatrends
Country assessments
Urban environment
Environmental megatrends
Each EEA member country (32) and EEA cooperating country (6) assessed all six environmental themes above.
Climate change mitigation
Nature protection and biodiversity
National and regional stories
Freshwater
Air pollution
Land use
Country profiles
Common environmental themes
Waste
Economic megatrends
Technological megatrends
Social megatrends
Soil
Land use
Marine and coastal environment
Soil
Land use
SEIS principles
Information should be• managed as close as possible to its source;
• collected once, and shared with others for many purposes;
• readily available and easy accessible
• accessible to enable users to make comparisons at the appropriate geographical scale
• fully available to the general public at national level in the relevant national language(s)
• supported through common, free open software standards
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Fragmented reporting systems
Shortcomings in relation to timeliness, availability, reliability, relevance of information
Shortcomings in ability to turn data into policy-relevant information
Underexploited opportunities offered by modern technologies
Many initiatives and processes in the right direction, but inadequate co-ordination
A wealth of information is collected but:
EuroStat EC EEA OECD UNEP
ETC
DG
DG
National institutions
Users
UNECEWHO...
What is SEIS?Why SEIS is needed?
Example of application of SEIS principles
Online information servicesOnline information servicesCurrent data reportingCurrent data reportingCountriesCountries OrganisationsOrganisations CountriesCountries OrganisationsOrganisations
MS
MS
MS
MS
MS
EEA
OECD
UNEP
Data reporting
Data reporting
Data reporting
Data reporting
Data reporting
MS
MS
MS
MS
MS
EEA
OECD
UNEP
A
C
B
DE
A
C
B
DE
Information should be• Managed as close as possible to its source
> The process of decentralisation of data has started.
> The technical developments will make that change possible
National data,
information and
statistics
Regional assessments
Global assessments
National assessments
•Example of application of SEIS principlesCollected once, and shared with others for many purposes
• Example Water
• International river basin districts covers more than 60 % of the EU territory.
• International coordination is needed.
Why is SEIS needed?
Water Information System for Europe (WISE)Key WISE working agreements
Agreed and implemented in cooperation with DG Environment, JRC, Eurostat and EEA and its member countries
First implementation plan until 2010 – now second step until 2015
Developing a distributed system by 2015 linking to the member states
Bringing together SoE and compliance reporting Using electronic reporting (Reportnet) as tool for all
this reporting Merging water related directives and the needed data
work (WFD, UWWT, Bathing, Nitrates, water statistics ...)
Provide data and information to the public
WISE – partnership and integration
Overview on:activities planned/proposed for 2011
• Country visits currently in progress, first visits take place in April – Armenia, Azerbaijan (+ Algeria, Jordan, Egypt)
• Review of existing international and regional core sets of indicators (via Joint Task Force)
• Overview of available information sources to be prepared by national representatives – Country reports – comprehensive for all priorities or selected pilots?
• Overview of relevant regional projects and identification of synergy activities
• Steering committee meeting and regional workshops• Preparation of SEIS ‘Cookbook’• Preparation of ENPI-SEIS newsletters• Development and update of ENPI-SEIS website
Scope of SEIS Country Visit
1. To get a common understanding on what exactly SEIS is about
2. To bring together existing country networks which manage environmental information
3. To learn about the existing information systems and to analyse the current readiness for SEIS implementation
4. To obtain feedback on country specific needs
5. To exchange information about the latest developments on content, infrastructure and institutional cooperation
6. To collect recommendations for the further development of SEIS
SEIS and ENPExpected outcomes
Long term:
• Improved assessment of the quality of the environment at regional level by using common tools and methodologies
• Stronger institutional partnership at national level
• Trained experts in all SEIS components (from data to assessments and communication)
• Improved regional cooperation and partnership with regional and international bodies
Short term:
• Clear baseline of existing situation as basis for improved national and regional reporting
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Increased flexibility and greater use of data• More efficient trans-boundary analyses
Simplification and efficiency • Streamlining of data flows
• Reduction in administrative burden and costs
Better regulation, better policy• More consistent and integrated input
Empowering citizens• Widespread availability of information
Boosting innovation and intelligent e-Services• eGovernment, eEnvironment
What benefits will SEIS bring?
1. SShared (institutional cooperation)• Political commitment (legislative/non-legislative) • Partnership (win-win)• Networking (connecting)2. EEnvironmental IInformation (content)• Horizontal integration (thematic)• Vertical integration (local to global)• Policy-relevant indicators• Indicator-based assessments• For policy makers and public (multi-purpose)3. SSystem (infrastructure)• Existing ICT Infrastructure• New e-Services (e-Government)• Online access (near real time)
Conclusion: SEIS is about...
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Thank you for your attention!
Visit us at:
http://enpi-seis.ew.eea.europa.eu/
http://eea.europa.eu
