Partnership Principle in Practice

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Partnership Principle in Practice OPPORTUNITIES
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEW COHESION FUNDS
REGULATIONS NGO Conference on NGO Involvement in
the EU Funds Programming, Management and
Control Brussels, October 21-23, 2004 Günter
Raad Unit D3 Cohesion Policy Environmental
Impact Assessments European Commission
Directorate General Environment
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Good morning !

• Presentation
• Partnership Participation
• New context ?
• New opportunities ?
• New management and efficiency ?
• New legal basis for participation in 2005

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Context for environmental partnership
association of the Public 2000 to 2007

• Cohesion funds up-dates
• (simplification decentralisation partnership
  on the ground)
• CONCENTRATION
• Clarification of objectives limited types of
  interventions more transparent political
  choices
• PROGRAMMING
• More strategic - more longer term priorities
  after identification of needs
• Validation of sustainable development as
  horizontal principle through incorporation of
  Lisbon Göteborg strategies in each Fund through
  a variety of activities much scope for
  constructive participation
• PARTNERSHIP
• Confirmed role new legal basis as per 2005 for
  NGO
• EFFICIENCY
• Monitoring transparency evaluations
  controls - management

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What are new opportunities ?

• More Strategic Approach
• endorsed guidelines Council mandate
• national framework linkage with national
  sustainable development strategy and EU LG
  Strategies more general integrated assessment
• thematic regional OP greater delegation of
  responsibilities to regional local levels use
  of local experiences (LA 21) addresses local
  needs
• aggregation of indicators comparisons possible
  evaluation
• annual strategic reporting, continuous
  strategy dialogue - less administrative more
  political - monitoring

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What are the core areas of action supporting
environment?

• Focus on
• Energy
• Transport
• Water Air Waste ( New Member States )
• Prevention and control of pollution and
  (natural) risks
• Environmental technologies and management
• Biodiversity Natura 2000
• Education
• - integration of environmental dimension

• Actions to apply policy priorities of
  Lisbon/Göteborg Strategies in practice

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What action which fund which objective ?

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What opportunities for environment in the ESF ?
European Social Fund

• Development of the employment potential of
  environmental policies, in particular in the
  environmental goods and services sector is one
  of the key areas to make progress implementing
  Lisbon-Göteborg strategies for sustainable
  development ltCOM (2004) 239 fin gt

• Promotion of good governance and partnership
  consultation of non-governmental stakeholders
  (art 5)
• Develop capacities of public sector in
  environmental field for good programming ,
  monitoring and evaluation through dialogue with
  public and private bodies (art 3 b i)
• Improved skills for policy and programme
  development (legal enforcement of also
  environmental legislation) through training also
  of relevant non-governmental organisations (art 3
  b ii)
• Support to innovative activities also through
  trans-national/inter-regional co-operation

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Other actions with environmental benefit
Scope for imagination and potential for
innovative approaches examples Urban
participative, integrated strategies to address
environmental problems, services (LA 21) Rural
new economic activities services (N2000 ?)
Disadvantaged economic activities promoting
the sustainable use of natural resources Transnat
ional Networks for promoting environmental
technologies supporting balanced territorial
development Regional / local authorities
Community wide networks (programmes and actions
studies, data, monitoring and analysis of
development trends) Intermediate bodies/global
grant also NGO part of OP (art.41)


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European status body EGCC opportunity for
environment ?
European Grouping for Cross-Border Cooperation -
EGCC

• European statutory legal instrument for a
  co-operative
• Members Member states regional/local
  authorities - local public bodies -
  financially liable
• Focus on Objective 3 European territorial
  co-operation ERDF
• Design implement manage cross-border
  co-operation programmes with or without Community
  funding (Convention)
• Opportunity for River basin management
  Regional/Local Agenda 21 processes Natura 2000
  areas - cross-border schemes (parks, waste,
  water) ???

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How to improve efficiency ?
I

• Programming
• Focus on priorities based on needs assessment
  (environmental SWOT ?)
• Responsiveness to Community policies for
  sustainable development
• General strategic framework to be followed by OP
• Quality depends on existence of corresponding
  policies/strategies at Member States levels
  (profile of co-funding)
• Joint programming of transport environment
  infrastructures
• Early involvement of partners
• Quality management Role of partners
• Certifying Authority for compliance check of
  rules and selection criteria (OP level) prior
  to applications for payment
• Environment coverage of system ?
• What kind of environmental quality assurance
  (legal compliance consistency with policies /
  priorities (art.8)
• Role of environmental authorities ? NGO ?

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How to improve efficiency ?
II

• Monitoring (art 62 pp.) - Conditions for payment
• Monitoring committees (with partners)
• Annual reports compliance declaration (Community
  legislation)
• No payment in case of infringement procedure
  (reasoned opinion) - recovery of funds in case of
  non-conformity
• Evaluations (art 45-46)
• Ex-ante(46) mid term (2010 latest) ex-post
  (45.3)
• Monitor strategic guidelines (47.1)
• Ad-hoc evaluations (46.5)
• Methods and standards to be determined (45.5)

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New Legal Context for environmental partnership
association of the Public 2000 to 2007 - EIA
IPPC
Strengthening of legal position for NGOs
Application Århus Convention Principles ( in
force 25 June 2005) DIRECTIVE 2003/35/EC OF THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 May
2003 providing for public participation in
respect of the drawing up of certain plans and
programmes relating to the environment and
amending with regard to public participation and
access to justice Council Directives 85/337/EEC
and 96/61/EC ? Certain plans and programmes
(waste, nitrates, packaging, air) early and
effective opportunities to participate ? EIA
Environmental NGO public concerned having an
interest in the environmental decision making
procedures ? IPPC
- - ? Access to information Directive
2003/4/ EC (in force 14/02/2005)
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Lisbon Göteborg a process to prepare the
future today
Cohesion policy needs to incorporate the Lisbon
and Gothenburg objectives and to become a key
vehicle for their realisation via the national
and regional development programmes COM(2004)
492 final/14/07/2004 (proposed Council
Regulation General provisions)
THANK YOU !