Reform of the Environment for Europe process
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At the Belgrade Conference ministers agreed to undertake a reform of the "Environment for Europe" process.
In paras 38 and 39 of the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration, Ministers and Heads of delegation from 51 countries in the UNECE region and the Representative of the European Commission stated:
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We agree to undertake a reform of the EfE process in order to ensure that the process remains relevant and valuable, and to strengthen its effectiveness as a mechanism for improving environmental quality and the lives of people across the region. The reform should focus on, although may not be limited to, the following aspects:
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The format, focus and priorities of the process and Ministerial Conferences;
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Evaluating the performance and impact of the process;
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Attracting the broader interest and more active engagement of all stakeholders, in particular the private sector;
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Expanding the use of partnerships as vehicles for improving implementation;
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Leveraging external contributions of expertise, manpower and resources;
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Assessing ways and means to promote more effectively the UNECE region-wide dimension of environmental cooperation;
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The full cost of the process and the effective allocation of available resources;
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Future secretariat arrangements.
In order to address these questions in depth and with due consideration, we invite the UNECE/CEP to develop by the end of 2008, in consultation with EfE partners, a plan for EfE reform so that it can be endorsed, at a political level, by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe at its next session in spring 2009. Our next EfE Ministerial Conference will be organized on the basis of the agreed reform.
While awaiting the UNECE Commission’s endorsement and our subsequent implementation of a meaningful reform of the EfE process, we:
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Agree that the UNECE/CEP should regularly consider and assess progress achieved under the EfE process. We also invite UNECE to provide the secretariat for the preparation of the next EfE Conference;
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Invite the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to continue providing the EAP Task Force secretariat, but some of these functions should be gradually transferred to the RECs in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, as their capacities allow, starting with subregional, country and project-oriented tasks;
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Agree that the functions and activities of the Project Preparation Committee should be internalized within the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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Schedule and organization of the reform negotiations
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The 15th session of the CEP (which took place 21-23 April 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland) decided on the following provisional schedule for negotiation of the EfE reform:
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Current status of reform negotiations
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The 15th session of the CEP took place 21-23 April 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland and discussed an UNECE paper that was prepared based on initial EfE reform views expressed by 14 governments (Armenia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland). View this document, entitled "Outcome of the 6th Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe': The 'Environment for Europe' Process - Assessment and Way Forward".
On its dedicated EfE Reform webpages, UNECE has also posted the original/written views of selected governments and institutions:
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Last update of this page: 15 August, 2008.
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