Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network

1st Annual Meeting of the Environmental Assessment Working Group

EIA International Congress and ECRAN EIA side event

Date: 07-10.11.2013
Place: Istanbul, Turkey
Organizer: ECRAN Secretariat with EC TAIEX Unit

The tasks implemented under the Environmental Assessment Working Group of ECRAN are building on the results achieved by the EIA/SEA Sub-group of the Regional Environmental Network for Accession – RENA (2010 – 2013). Under the RENA, the activities implemented under the EIA/SEA Sub-group concentrated on the level of harmonization and implementation of the EIA and SEA Directives. Despite the relatively high level of transposition, the implementation of two Directives in all RENA/ECRAN countries is still at the very early stage. All these countries are facing a lack of capacities for appropriate implementation, specially in terms of SEA procedures.

Consequently, the ECRAN activities are focused on capacity building, enhancement of the regional cooperation, exchange of information, awareness-raising and practical application of EIA and SEA.

The tasks of EA WG are designed to be of cross-cutting nature and implemented in close collaboration with other Working Groups established under Environment Component of ECRAN, especially with the Nature, Water and Strategic Planning and Investment Working Groups. During 1st annual meeting, the work plan of EA WG will be presented to the country coordinators in order to obtain their comments and final approval.


Wider Objective: To initiate activities of the Environmental Assessment Working Group within ECRAN project and get a feedback from the ECRAN project countries on:

(i) proposed EIA/SEA activities to be supported by ECRAN,
(ii) (ii) the workplan
(iii) ToT criteria and scheme
(iv) (iii) selection of the SEA pilots.

Specific Objectives:

• To present overview and main outputs from RENA project as a baseline for ECRAN activities
• To present and discuss proposed ECRAN activities in SEA and EIA fields
• To present and discuss the workplan of the Environmental Assessment Working Group
• To present and discuss proposed approach to SEA pilots´ support and criteria for pilots´ selection

Expected Results:

• EIA/SEA activities specified and fine-tuned in order to reflect needs of the ECRAN project countries
• Work plan finalized
• Proposed approach to SEA pilots´ support and selection criteria endorsed by the beneficiaries