EaP CSF Position Paper - Environment - Final

Position Paper: Environment and climate change
Prepared for: Platform 3 meeting on connectivity, energy efficiency, environment and climate
change
Prepared by: Ina Coseru, National Environmental Center, EaP CSF WG3 Coordinator
Contributions from: Anna Golubovska Onisimova, Amalia Hambartsumyan, Elchin Sultanov,

Manana Devidze
Date: 25/05/2018
Introduction
The state of the environment in the EaP countries is continuously deteriorating, manifested in the
pollution of waters, soil and air, biodiversity loss, depletion of natural resources and climate change
consequences, combined with the low priority of environmental agenda for the governments and
absence of adequate environmental institutions.
Hydro energy is an increasingly popular alternative and renewable source of energy in the EaP
countries, however, its excessive development causes rapid decrease of water resources in rivers and
has a negative impact on drinking water supply and on aquatic ecosystems of the rivers in entire
regions.
Climate change affects the whole EaP region. Whereas sustainable environment is integral to
human rights, such as the rights to life, proper nutrition, health and water, the conceptual solutions for
mitigation and adaptation to climate change are urgently needed in order to guarantee human rights.
Arguments
In the context of this Platform, it is of paramount importance to acknowledge that the environment is
an overarching factor, which should be taken into account in all areas, including transport and energy,
as well as within the investments into various economic sectors.
The integration of environmental policy into sectoral economic and natural resources management
policies is the main challenge for the EaP countries and therefore the main risk for investments, because
according to the EU directives, any infrastructure projects can be approved only if they are not damaging
the environment.
At the same time, even in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, countries with AA/DCFTA in place where the
EU directives on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) were already transposed, which is a great achievement in itself, the implementation process has
just started.
Therefore, we call for environmental responsibility of international financial institutions (IFIs) to

impose the EIA and SEA procedures according to the EU requirements within all funded projects in the
region, even if the national legislation or practice in some EaP countries does not require such a step.
The Secretariat of the Steering Committee of the EaP Civil Society Forum
Rue de l’Industrie 10, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
On the approach to environmental governance in the EaP countries, the proposed discussion paper for
the EaP Platform 3 and the Work Programme are usefully focusing on main environmental sectors such
as waste, water, air etc. It is important to go into details and focus on the most problematic
environmental sectors, especially when discussing investments. Without comprehensive
understanding of the environmental governance, including checking the future investments against its
sustainability, i.e. “environmentally enabling environment”, we are running the risk of investing
resources with little success.
When discussing environmental sectors like air, water, waste, etc., the discussion should always aim at
one level up, reflecting good environmental governance requirements. When investing, the IFIs should
take into consideration the following: presence of sound(er) environmental policy; ongoing
modernisation of environmental institutions (unlike, for example, in case of Georgia and Moldova,
where the Ministries of Environment were eliminated from the structure of government); good
communication with the stakeholders; support from the stakeholders built on an adequate dialogue and
capacity building, as well as transparency and accountability of the government.
There is no doubt that water, waste and air are the most costly environmental sectors in terms of
reforming and achieving good quality standards. The reforms in these sectors depend on rebuilt
environmental monitoring system. It might not be so attractive for investments but the funds in this
area are badly needed, especially for the purchase of equipment. To establish an adequate
environmental monitoring system in the EaP countries, comparable to those in the EU, is of utmost
importance in order to provide reliable data for informed decision-making.
On water: wastewater treatment is a priority since untreated wastewater constitutes up to 34 pre cent
of wastewater discharge
On waste management: separate collection, reuse and recycling versus incineration – the latter, only
the Best Available Technologies (BATs) should be introduced in the region. Even if it might seem
profitable, no outdated technologies, which could bring about yet another environmental hazard with
residues of toxins such as dioxins and furans, should be passed on to the EaP region.
On air: the currently dominating system of heat and power plants requires decades to reduce pollution
caused by burning coal. Approach based on innovative technologies in the energy sector should be
followed and funded, such as large biogas and wood pellets plants or solar energy plants.
Conclusions
- It is necessary to closely observe the dangerous trends of reforming environmental institutions

in some EaP countries where ministries of environment are downsized or even shut down
(Georgia and Moldova).
- It is necessary to implement the Luxembourg Declaration aiming at better environmental
governance with more transparency, participation, accountability, effectiveness and better
functioning institutions; to continue efforts to implement the Luxembourg Declaration Action
Plan. To include where possible the environmental and climate change objectives into the
overall conditionality approach.
- The “more for more” principle of the EU support with regard to the EaP countries should
primarily apply to environmental compliance (EIA and SEA procedures).
- It is necessary to incentivise other renewable energy solutions and support hydro-energy
projects only in case the environmental impact assessment was carried out and the local
communities and wider public support the project. One of the urgent cases is the intention of
Ukraine to build a range of hydropower plants on Dniester River. Dniester already suffers from
water deficiency caused by the Novodnestrovsk Hydropower Plant in Ukraine, harming the
water supply of 4 million people in Moldova and Ukraine.
- It is necessary to promote meaningful reforestation actions in the whole EaP region by
increasing the share of forested lands by a minimum of additional 5 per cent of forest coverage
as of 2017 in each of the EaP countries by 2030. It is crucial to put an end to illegal logging aimed
at illegal timber exports, which is currently a major cause of deforestation in the EaP region.
More Information
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) is a unique multi-layered regional civil society
platform aimed at promoting European integration, facilitating reforms and democratic transformations in
the six Eastern Partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Serving
as the civil society and people-to-people dimension of the Eastern Partnership, the EaP CSF strives to
strengthen civil society in the region, boost pluralism in public discourse and policy making by promoting
participatory democracy and fundamental freedoms.
For more information, please visit the EaP CSF website at www.eap-csf.eu
Include a short paragraph about your organization and the goals it hopes to achieve. It is obligatory to
include a link to the EaP CSF website, and the paragraph about it above.

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Position Paper: Environment and climate change

Contributions from: Anna Golubovska Onisimova, Amalia Hambartsumyan, Elchin Sultanov,

Therefore, we call for environmental responsibility of international financial institutions (IFIs) to

- It is necessary to closely observe the dangerous trends of reforming environmental institutions

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