Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network

ECENA

The first international environmental inspection and enforcement network that specifically covered the Balkans area was BERCEN that was implemented in 2001. In 2005, BERCEN was replaced by ECENA. Over the years ECENA has developed considerably and the network activities closely mirror the activities developed and implemented by the EU IMPEL network. ECENA intensively uses products that were developed under IMPEL, as well as reports and manuals developed under other networks such as International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE), Interpol and GREENFORCE. Until the establishment of Regional Environmental Network for Accession (RENA), ECENA was supported by an independent secretariat.

Within the RENA programme, the overall objective of ECENA was to improve the ability of RENA member countries to implement and enforce the EU environmental and climate acquis by increasing the effectiveness of inspecting bodies and promoting compliance with environmental requirements.

The activities for the period 2010-2012 were based on a Multi Annual Work Plan, covering the following areas:

• Training and exchange;
• Institutional and methodological development;
• Cross border enforcement.

The activities implemented by ECRAN in this area will build on the results achieved under RENA. Since the work of inspectors and permit writers has to be more coordinated and connected to other activities within the environmental protection area, ECENA within ECRAN is designed to be more of cross cutting nature than before. This is particularly important as the work of ECENA is dealing with both implementation and enforcement of the EU acquis. Cooperation with policy makers and law drafters has to be strengthened in order to enable developing better implementable legislation.

The activities are focused on the following topics:

Capacity building on compliance with environmental legislation;

External country assessments;

Methodological development - application of IRAM/easy Tools;

Compliance with REACH/CLP Regulations;

Trans frontier Shipment of Waste (TFS);

Inspection and enforcement in other policy areas;

Inspector’s participation in networking activities.