Swiss contributions to the Environment for Europe process
The Swiss Government, in cooperation with other countries, has made significant contributions to the Environment for Europe process since the 1991 Dobris Ministerial Conference. For example, in 1993 the Swiss Government hosted the second Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. In addition, Switzerland supported the work of the EAP Task Force, the PPC, UNECE and other implementing organizations. Switzerland has also supported the biodiversity work carried out under the Environment for Europe process and has been active in supporting environmental municipal infrastructure in Eastern Europe (see brochure published in 2003 – English version, French version, German version) and the development of and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.
In the period 2003 -2007 (since the Kiev Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference), the Swiss Government made the following contributions to the Environment for Europe process:
Biodiversity and nature protection
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has made contributions to the PEBLDS Joint Secretariat (UNEP). In addition, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment has supported several PEBLDS activities, including work related to: Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators – “SEBI2010” (contribution to UNEP); Identification of High Nature Value Farmland (contribution to UNEP); Invasive Alien Species (contribution to the Council of Europe). At the PEBLDS Council Meeting held in March 2007, the representative of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) was elected Chair of the PEBLDS, to take office after the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference.
Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention)
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) supported work related to facilitating the implementation of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context. During 2003-2005, Switzerland supported workshops in Serbia, FYR Macedonia and Central Asia related to the elaboration of regional guidelines on the application of the Espoo Convention. Switzerland also supports two regional workshops in Ukraine and Armenia on the application of the Espoo Convention (workshops have not been held yet). During 2006-2009, Switzerland supports a capacity building project for Central Asia and Azerbaijan on Environmental Impact Assessment at national levels, with links to the Espoo Convention.
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has made contributions to enable the participation of representatives from countries with economies in transition to the main meeting of the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) in Geneva. Switzerland also supports the implementation of the action plan for the EECCA region adopted in 2005. This action plan was later updated to also include the specific needs of the SEE region.
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes
Under the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has helped realizing two recent seminars, a “Seminar on the Role of Ecosystems as Water Suppliers” held in 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland and the “Seminar on Environmental Services and Financing for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Ecosystems” held in 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland. On the basis of the seminar outcomes and recommendations, two booklets on “Nature for Water: Protecting Water-Related Ecosystems for Sustainable Development” and on “Nature for Water: Innovative Financing for the Environment” were produced and promoted in relevant fora. In addition, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is planning to organize a side-event on “Payments for Ecosystem Services” at the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference.
Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (TEIA)
In the period 2000-2006, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has made contributions to the Trust Fund of the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (TEIA) and thus contributed to enabling activities to implement the Convention: The current focus of activities carried out under TEIA is the “Internationally Supported Assistance Programme”. In addition, FOEN experts have held the posts of the Chairman of the Conference of Parties in 2000-2004 and the post of Chairman of the Working Group on Implementation in 2002-2006. Currently, FOEN holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Conference of Parties.
EAP Task Force and EECCA Environmental Strategy
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has regularly made contributions to the work of the EAP Task Force. In recent years, these contributions helped implementing the EECCA Environmental Strategy.
Green/Sustainable Public Procurement
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has made a financial contribution to UNEP to elaborate the chapter on “sustainable public procurement” in UNEP’s new report on “Sustainable Consumption and Production in EECCA and SEE countries”. This report will be submitted to the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. The chapter financed by FOEN represents the first attempt ever made in reviewing experience with sustainable public procurement in the EECCA and SEE regions. Click here to view the draft report (see chapter 3.3 for the text on sustainable public procurement and annex 2 for respective data) Click here for more information on Sustainable Consumption and Production work undertaken in the framework of the Environment for Europe process.
PPC cooperation
Since its establishment at the 1993 Lucerne Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) has cooperated with the Project Preparation Committee (PPC). In the period 2003-2007, Seco participated in one PPC project, the Khujand Water Supply Improvement Project in Tajikistan. This project was signed in 2004 and addresses the rehabilitation of the water treatment plant and chlorination plant and will include the installation of water pumps and the rehabilitation of the pump stations and boreholes. For more information on this project, see the PPC’s project database.
PRTR Protocol to the Aarhus Convention
At the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is planning to organize a side-event related to the PRTR Protocol.
Sustainable Development in mountain regions
The Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (which is leading the preparations for this side event) and the Government of Liechtenstein are organizing a side-event “Mountain Partnerships” at the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. This side event will link to the ongoing work on “sustainable development in mountain areas” under the Environment for Europe process and the outcomes of the “CAMP” project, which focuses on sustainable development in Central Asian mountain areas and is supported by the Swiss Development Agency (SDC). In addition, parties to the Alpine Convention, including Switzerland, have recently agreed to work towards enabling sustainable development in the Carpathians, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asian mountain areas. This work is based on the “Global Mountain Partnership” initiative, which was initiated at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and which is supported by the Swiss Government.
Toxic wastes and chemicals
The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is currently supporting a project implemented by the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz), Institute for Ecopreneurship (website in German). This project is carried out in Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic and contributes to implementing several of the UNECE multilateral environmental agreements in the two countries. The project goals include capacity building in the area safe handling and management of toxic chemicals and wastes: technical and safety experts from industry and relevant government offices will be trained. In addition, the project will implement several demonstration and pilot projects. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the project will also focus on health care wastes. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
UNECE work
Through its contributions to UNECE’s Environment, Housing and Land Management Division, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has supported, among others, the preparations for the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference and the elaboration of Environmental Performance Reviews.
Last update of this page: 17 September, 2007.