Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network

Progress Monitoring of the Transposition and Implementation of the EU Environmental and Climate Acquis

Date: 20.04.2015
Place: Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Organizer: ECRAN Secretariat

One of the main prerequisites for accession is the approximation of national legislation to the EU acquis to achieve compliance with the laws of the European Union. Because of the cost implications of approximation in the environment and climate sector, efficient systems for managing transposition and implementation are essential tools in achieving timely and cost-efficient progress.

Candidate countries will need to have up-to-date information on their progress in environmental approximation in order to guide negotiations with the EU for this sector. In particular, they need to document that the legal obligations set forth in the environmental and climate acquis have been satisfactorily transposed and implemented. Thus, Progress Monitoring of transposition and implementation of EU environmental and climate legislation continues to be an instrumental activity for both candidate countries and potential candidates.

The main purpose of the activity is to provide an updated, comprehensive overview of the current situation in the ECRAN beneficiary countries on the status of transposition and implementation of the environmental and climate acquis, as well as to identify the progress achieved on a yearly basis in each of the beneficiary countries. This activity aims to continue the system for progress monitoring for use by:

1. the candidate countries and potential candidates themselves, as a means to assess and track the development of the approximation process;
2. DG ENV and DG Clima, to objectively track progress and evaluate the way the candidate countries and potential candidate countries are transposing and implementing the environmental and climate acquis, in order to better assist them in this task.

The period for progress monitoring for year 18, is April 2014- April 2015.

Objectives of the Start-up meeting:

• To provide information on the value, main objectives, and expected outcomes of the Progress Monitoring activity;
• To introduce the work schedule for Progress Monitoring for year 18 and discus distribution of tasks;
• To discuss lessons learnt from the PM year 17 and provide training on Progress Monitoring Methodology.

Expected Results of the training

• Capacity building of public administration for progress monitoring, transposition and implementation of newly adopted EU environmental and climate-related legislation.