Kaja Peterson

1
Experiences of implementation of Espoo Convention
in neighbouring countries of the Russian
Federation

• Kaja Peterson
• Programme Director
• Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre

2
Espoo Convention is largely about communicating
with neighbours, but not only.

• It is also about
• Availability of data and background information
• Access to and exchange of information
• Frameworks to communicate with the public and
  stakeholders
• Legislative and administrative frameworks to
  support the environmental assessment process and
  associated with this communication
• Sharing of experiences and knowledge
• Extending democracy and strenghtening civil
  society
• Working towards sustainable development
• Building trust across borders

3
EU and Espoo Convention

• EU as collective member (party) since 1997

But..
4
EU is comprising 27 countries with a variety
of administrative frameworks and cultural
backgrounds
5
The Russian Federation

• Signatory to the Espoo Convention, not a Party

6
22 neighbouring countries and EU
7
85 federal subjects

• 47 oblasts (provinces)
• 21 republics (states)
• eight krais (territories)
• six okrugs (autonomous districts)
• two federal cities (Moscow and St Petersburg)
• the Jewish Autonomous Oblast

8
Transboundary EIA issue being discussed
Caspian Sea Convention Baltic Sea Convention
9
A way forward

• Political decision on the launch of the accession
  procedure to the Espoo Convention
• Legal framework for EIA and transboundary EIA put
  in place
• Administrative framework to cope with the
  communication load
• Both legal and administrative frameworks put in
  place to ensure public involvement in the
  process
• Continuous capacity building process at all
  levels of the administration and the civil
  society