European ECO-Forum News Digest

1.MEDIA REGISTRATION TO BELGRADE CONFERENCE - BY 31 AUGUST 2007

Media agencies are invited to take part in the Sixth Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (10-12 October 2007, Belgrade). In order to do so, agencies should accredit their members. Each member of the crew delegated by the agency should complete a registration form in order to access the conference venue.

Applications should be submitted not later than 31 August 2007. The application form should be accompanied by a letter of assignment by the editor in chief and copies of the press card and passport. The application form is available at http://www.efe-belgrade2007.org/media/index.htm

There will be a workshop organized for the media on the 9th of October in Belgrade, prior to the "Environment for Europe" Conference.

For more information please contact:
Ms Katarina Stefanoviж
Public Relations Officer
Serbian Ministry of Environmental Protection
E-mail: katarina.stefanovic@ekoserb.sr.gov.yu

2.NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS ON THE AARHUS CONVENTION

The new reporting cycle on implementation of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public.Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) has started in May 2007.

National reports, submitted by the Parties to the Aarhus Convention and, possibly, by its Signatories and other States will be reviewed by the Third Meeting of the Parties (MoP-3) scheduled for 11-13 June 2008 (Riga, Latvia).

This is the second reporting cycle in the history of the Aarhus Convention. The first reporting cycle undertaken before MoP-2 in 2004-2005 proved to be quite successful. It also showed a number of shortcomings and gaps of the reporting process which were taken into account by the Aarhus Convention's Compliance Committee when drafting the Guidance on reporting requirements for the second reporting cycle
(See http://www.unece.org/env/documents/2007/pp/ECE_MP.PP_WG.1_2007_L.4%20e.pdf ).

Giving the nature of the Aarhus Convention, public participation in its reporting process is considered to be one of its important essential elements. It is, therefore, an opportunity for the general public and NGOs, as well as their duty as stakeholders, to get actively involved in the reporting process.

Public participation in the reporting process, referred to as "public/stakeholder consultations" is structured in two stages:

1. an early consultation on which issues should be reflected in the report (prior to the development of the first draft of the report) - should take place now already - mid-May to mid-August, and

2. a follow-up consultation on the draft report - suggested to take place from mid-September to mid-November.

Any invitation or notification for a consultation would need to provide information on the reporting requirements and the content of the previous national report (if applicable). Information collected from the public and other stakeholders would then be reflected in the first draft of the report. Once the first draft of the report is completed, its text could be published on the agency's (or other body's) website with an invitation to provide comments. The Guidance document also states that it is important that any drafts elaborated by multi- stakeholder groups (if formed) be publicly available (for example, through the Internet) and that the general public should have an opportunity to be involved both at an early stage and throughout the consultation process.

The Guidance document also indicates that the second reporting cycle has a number of "aspects" which should be taken into account when discussing the report's structure and content:

- MoP requested each Party to submit to the secretariat new information and, where available, a consolidated national implementation report (building on the report prepared in the previous cycle). It is therefore recommended that reports submitted in the first reporting cycle be used as a basis for the preparation of the new reports.

- In identifying which information is new and should be included in the reports, the following issues should be considered:

a. Whether any significant amendments have been made in the laws, regulations and official instructions/guidance since the first report was prepared;
b. Whether any new official interpretation of the laws, regulations and official instructions/guidance has been introduced since the first report was prepared (such interpretation could include decisions of courts, circulars or other forms of instructions issued by central government authorities);
c. Whether implementation reports prepared in the previous reporting cycle have been adapted to provide guidance to members of the public on the exercise of their rights under the Convention and the relevant implementing legislation;
d. Whether any new practical measures or arrangements have been introduced by public authorities.

Having reviewed the reports submitted in the first reporting cycle, MoP-2 noted that there was insufficient information on practical measures taken to implement the Convention at the national and local levels. It invited the Parties to provide more information on the practical implementation of each of the Convention's provisions and indicate any major differences of opinion emerging from the consultation process. This indicates that, among other things, some of the new information should relate to practical measures, institutional arrangements (such as establishing special posts or work units), establishment of relevant working groups, special budgetary allocations, and capacity-building actions (e.g. training events, training and analytical materials, support provided to NGOs) initiated or undertaken by environmental and other relevant ministries, agencies and authorities.

Action required from you:

Pursuant to the adopted timeline, national consultations on the content of the report should be finished by mid-August 2007. Therefore, we would like to invite you to concentrate on this stage of the reporting process first. National agencies, responsible for the preparation of the national report should have published an invitation or notification regarding the national consultations on the content of the report (accompanied with information on the reporting requirements and the content of the previous national report).

Please let us know:

1. who is the responsible agency in your country to prepare National Implementation Report (Ministry of Environment, Aarhus Centre or other agency), responsible person and contacts (email, tel&fax, if possible)

2. has an invitation/notification been published already and, if yes, where and

3. whether you are taking part (or have been invited to take part) in the national consultations on the content of the report on Aarhus Convention.

We would very much appreciate if you share this information with our colleagues either through the [aarhus.econet] listserve or through the discussion forum on PARTICIPATE website under the topic "Discussions about implementation". This is the first step to start an NGO evaluation of the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in each individual country and preparations for the upcoming Third Meeting of the Parties in Riga.

Please contact:
Mara Silina
E-mail: mara.silina@eeb.org
Serhiy Vykhryst
E-mail: serhiyv@bk.ru
Public Participation Campaign of the European ECO-Forum

3.CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH EVENTS IN VIENNA, JUNE 2007

The Intergovernmental Midterm Review (IMR) meeting took place on 13-15 June 2007 in Vienna, Austria. The aim was to take stock of the progress achieved since the Fourth Ministerial Conference "Environment and Health" (Budapest-2004) and to see how best to move forward to the Fifth "Environment and Health" Conference (Rome-2009). In particular, the IMR focused on the implementation of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE), adopted in Budapest in 2004.

The NGO Preparatory Conference "Taking Stock of Progress since the Budapest 4th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health" took place on 11-12 June 2007, right before the IMR. It brought together the non-governmental organisations from all over the region in order to highlight and report on good practice and progress made by the non-governmental sector in reducing environmental risks to children's health, as well as to agree on recommendations to give to the governments at the IMR. The conference was coordinated by the European ECO-Forum via Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), by the Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL), and by the Austrian Doctors for the Environment (ISDE).

At the IMR, Governments from 52 of the 53 countries of the European Region presented their progress on achieving CEHAPE goals and highlighted projects and experiences in the area of children's environmental health. The NGO community also reported on their experiences and presented solutions and recommendations for the way forward.

There was a definitive call for implementation of better primary prevention policy in the health sector as reflected in the European Commission's mid-term review of the EU Action Plan on Environment and Health, presented in Vienna. There were calls from many delegations to take their knowledge to other Ministries including transport, energy, finance and development. Finally, the delegates noted the importance of having youth and civil society involved.

While there were calls for the CEHAPE process to continue, it was made clear that the political support was lacking and more effort to explain the importance of children's environmental health was necessary. There was much talk about focusing attention on fewer priorities and striving to reach the "low hanging fruit." While the EU countries have come some way in being able to measure progress with the use of indicators, there was a call for solidarity with other European countries to ensure all countries have the resources and tools necessary to make concrete progress.

Topics highlighted for discussion at the Fifth "Environment and Health" Conference (Rome 2009) included: climate change and health, chemicals, children's health, the links between biodiversity and health, and environmental justice and East-West disparities.

At IMR, a ranking of countries on the basis of CEHAPE indicators was presented. It summarizes information on health and environment gathered by the European Environment and Health Information System - ENHIS. The information is aggregated over the 26 RPG indicators, selected on the basis of their policy relevance and scientific reliability. This "baseline assessment" provides a first evaluation of the status and trends of the priority environment and health issues, specified in CEHAPE and illustrates the large disparities in health-related environmental conditions both between parts of the WHO European region and between populations within the countries.

With the support of the Austrian Environmental Ministry, the NGO community handed out Children's Health and Environment Best Practice Awards. They were given for some of the best projects shown to improve children's health by enhancing their physical environment and reducing respiratory disease, reducing exposures to harmful chemicals, increasing access to better water and sanitation and preventing accidents and injuries. These awards were categorized by the four Regional Priority Goals of the CEHAPE process. There was a pool of approximately 100 applicants of which three winners were chosen per category, with one special winner receiving a 1,000 Euro award.

During the Inter-Ministerial program, NGOs gained great attention by presenting their input in the form of a lively 45- minute newscast, "RPG News: Beyond Budapest." Reporters for each RPG, "in the field," highlighted progress, challenges and recommendations for Member States to consider when aiming to reach CEHAPE goals in advance of Rome-2009.

More information is available at:
http://www.wecf.eu/cms/articles/2007/08/imr_2.php
http://www.euro.who.int/IMR2007

For more information contact:
Sascha Gabizon
Women in Europe for a Common Future
Coordinator of Environment&Health Issue Group of the European
ECO-Forum
E-mail: sascha.gabizon@wecf.org and
Jasmine Osorio -Van Wijgerden
Women in Europe for a Common Future
E-mail: jasmine.osorio@wecf.eu

4.UPCOMING FIFTH MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP ON PRTR

The fifth meeting of the Aarhus Convention Working Group on Pollutant Release Transfer Registers will take place on 22-24 October 2007 in Geneva.

The Working Group is expected to give a second reading to the draft rules of procedure and draft compliance mechanism, as well as the draft decision on financial arrangements. The Secretariat will present draft decisions prepared by the Bureau on the establiashment of an intersessional subsidiary body, the future programme of work and reporting requirements under the PRTR Protocol. The Working Group will review and comment these documents.

The Working Group will also consider the prospects for scheduling the first session of the Meeting of the Parties of the PRTR Protocol back-to-back with the Third Meeting of the
Parties to the Aarhus Convention. The PRTR Protocol needs 16 ratifications to enter into force. By now, the Protocol was approved by the European Community and ratified by Luxemburg and Switzerland. At the same time, a number of European Governments have reported to the Aarhus Convention's Working Group of the Parties that they were actively working toward ratification of the PRTR Protocol.

All meeting documents will be available from the Working Group's webpage :
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.docs.htm#WG5officialdocs

If you would like to apply for participation and would like to receive financial support for that, please send your financial support request form and your registration form to the Secretariat (Ms. Maricar De La Cruz, e-mail maricar.de.la.cruz@unece.org) and copy your message to Mara Silina, Coordinator of the Public Participation Campaign of European ECO-Forum (e-mail: mara.silina@eeb.org). Official deadline is 17 September 2007 but as the Public Participation Campaign Committee will need to do a selection, please send your response as soon as possible.

5.CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE AARHUS WORKSHOP ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING

At its sixth meeting (April 2006), the Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention.agreed to hold a workshop.on public participation in strategic decision-making. The.two- day.workshop will be held on.3-4 December 2007 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The workshop has been developed between Austria, Bulgaria and the Aarhus Convention Bureau in consultation.with the Espoo Convention Bureau.

The workshop will discuss existing practices for public participation in plans, programmes and policies as well as in the preparation of laws and regulations that may have a significant effect on the environment (Articles 7 and 8 of the.Aarhus Convention). There will be a strong focus on presenting concrete good practice examples of how the public can be effectively involved in certain types of strategic.decisions. The workshop is intended to provide an opportunity.for a broad exchange of different views amongst experts of.the Aarhus and Espoo Conventions and the Protocol on.Strategic Environmental Assessment, and interested NGOs.

It is envisaged that 50-60 participants will take part in the.workshop. English will be the working language of the.workshop with Russian interpretation and translation of key.documents provided.

Call for abstracts:

In light of the workshop's intended focus on presenting good.practice examples of how the public can be effectively.involved in strategic decision-making, the organizers are currently seeking concrete examples of such good practices. Please read the 'call for abstracts' for more details. The.deadline for two-page abstracts is 17 September 2007.

The outline of the workshop and the call for abstracts are
available at http://www.unece.org/env/pp/ppsd.htm

For more information contact:
Fiona Marshall
Aarhus Convention Secretariat
E-mail: fiona.marshall@unece.org.

6.BIODIVERSITY AND SPAC AT BELGRADE-2007 - ECO-FORUM'S CALL FOR READY FILMS

During the upcoming "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference (Belgrade, 10-12 October 2007), the European ECO-Forum and the PEBLDS jointly organize a roundtable on biodiversity with participation of environment ministers and NGOs.

As part of the preparatory activities to the biodiversity roundtable, the European ECO- Forum Strategy Meeting (March 2007) has proposed to make a short film about
biodiversity and sustainable production and consumption (SPAC) for Belgrade Conference. The preparation of such short film is currently taking place.

The aim is to make the film about the whole Pan-European region. The film would consist of a few (4-6) example pairs, presenting good and bad examples.

In order to make it truly Pan-European, the film would give some data about the whole region connected to each topic. It would be also very good to have some short shootings (10-30 seconds) from various countries of the region.

However, the current budget is only enough to shoot in Croatia and neighbouring countries (max. 3 or 4 countries).

Therefore, we are looking for ready films, shootings form Western Europe and EECCA or even CEE, which can be used for this film! Unfortunately we cannot pay for this short
shootings, but we need to get the official authorization and of course give the credits to the authors.

Please think about possible short shootings (10-30 second long) from your region and use your contacts to check if those films would be available for this low-budget NGO movie.

Any kind of help, idea, contact would be more than welcome. Please let me know about your ideas as soon as possible, as the shooting shall be made in August!

More details about the film can be requested from the contact below. For any questions and to contribute your ideas please contact:

Klara Hajdu
E-mail: hajdu@ceeweb.org
Tel: +36-1-398-0135
Fax: +36-1-398-0136