From Strategies to Actions: The Aarhus

Developments in South East Europe

Magda Tóth NagyPublic Participation Program

November 17, 2005

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REC projects implemented in Southern and Eastern Europe: Key objectives• Promote ratification and practical implementation of Aarhus Convention

• Develop implementation strategies and action plans in transparent and participatory process

• Assist and enable officials and NGOs to implement more efficiently the Convention

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Support Developing Implementation Strategies Southern Europe• Implemented in Albania, BiH, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Serbia &Montenegro, Kosovo (UNMIK)

• 2001-2003

•Funded by Netherlands Ministry for

Foreign Affairs

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Project Approach

• Assessment of status, needs and priorities

• Developing strategies and action plans

• Combination of technical assistance and different capacity building methods

• Regional, national and local activities

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Key Achievements

• 6 National strategies and action plans to implement Aarhus Convention

• 9 NGO pilot projects in 6 countries to apply AC in practice

• Over 1000 government officials and NGOs trained

• Manuals, handbooks, resource and training materials for officials and NGOs

• Network of Aarhus experts and NGOs

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Improving the Practices of Public Participation: Next Steps in Implementing the Aarhus Convention• Follow up project

implemented in Albania, B&H, FYR Macedonia, S&CG and Kosovo (UNMIK)

• Funded by the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs

• Project period: December 2004 - December 2006

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From Strategies to Actions: Objectives• To improve the practical implementation of

Aarhus Convention

• To support development and application of various mechanisms

• To increase the skills and capacities of officials

• To strengthen the capacities of NGOs and other stakeholders to use the available opportunities

and tools

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Activities

• Identify and prioritize the planned practical activities • Assistance to achieve legislative, institutional, practical improvements • Capacity building workshops, trainings on practical issues • 2 pilot projects/country• 3 regional experience sharing workshops

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Outputs/Outcomes

• Legislative, institutional recommendations• Further progress in ratification and

implementation• Strengthened government and NGO

capacities• Improved practices in municipalities• Common approaches, solutions or actions by a network of officials and NGOs • Resource/training/ guidance materials, brochures, web sites, etc.

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Contact Information

Magda Tóth NagyPublic Participation ProgramRECtmagdi@rec.orgwww.rec.org