As the Commission closes it public consultation on the future of the EU’s renewable energy policies, their success greatly depends on the questionable sustainability of bioenergy. The EU’s aim is to be a global number one in renewable energy. This goal only makes sense if the renewable energy is both environmentally sustainable and actually contributes to climate change mitigation.
The seminar, organized by ETNAR and DEM, which was held on 9-10 February 2016 in Skopje, was intended to raise public awareness about the connection between the use of land / forests and protection of water resources. During the seminar, variety of topics were discussed including: exercise of rights in the field of water – right in specific procedures related to management of water resources; Water Framework Directive and EU institutions in the field of water; General procedures for protection with application of the EU law; Cases of successful campaigns for protection of water resources; Relationship between forest protection and conservation of water resources; Cases relating to the Lake, and alike.
Representatives from ENV.net Macedonia took active part in this two day seminar.
The seminar included an interactive session in which participants had to develop campaigns for specific cases or for cases where unsustainable agriculture pose a threat to water resources due to excessive and uncontrolled use of pesticides.
Seminar participants concluded the event by adopting conclusions that would be disseminated to the key stakeholders and wider public.
In February 2016, as many as 76 public health, environmental, civil society, organic farming and animal welfare organisations wrote open letter on the opening of the trilogue negotiations on the National Emissions Ceilings Directive. They call for improving air quality, that requires strong action and commitment at EU level. The time to take this action is now. Each delay will result in additional unnecessary deaths, increased health impacts and suffering, and continued strain on healthcare budgets.
With aim to provide support to the implementing organisations under the FPA programme, the regional TACSO office from Sarajevo organised an advanced training on advocacy and lobbing. The training was held on 9 – 12 February, 2016 in Skopje. Topics in focus included problem identification and analysis, stakeholders and policy process, and planning for effective advocacy.
Representatives of ENV.net team from Macedonia, together with 40 representatives of 13 FPA projects implemented by organisations from all Western Balkan countries and Turkey participated in this four-day training. The event provided a forum for meeting, learning and exchange of knowledge and experience among the participants.
The restricted call for proposals for the local CSOs, working in the area of environment, titled “Active Citizens for Greener Future” was closed on 15th February, 2016.
The overall objective of the call was to expand the ENV.net, by involving other CSOs from Western Balkans and Turkey in the organisation of public advocacy/lobbying actions. The main aim of these actions was to raise awareness among citizens and influence public sector reform processes on the approximation of Western Balkans and Turkey to the EU environmental standards.
The Specific objectives of this call were:
Awareness raising campaigns on important environmental issues related to water protection, climate change and waste management.
Actions promoting and stimulating citizens’ and youth involvement in environment initiatives at local level, related to marking international environmental days in 2016
Applications submitted under this call were evaluated by the ENV.net partners with assistance of external assessors. Official announcement of the awarded applicants and signing of contracts is envisaged to take place during the first week of March, 2016.
Milan, February 22nd 2015. A first meeting was held in Milan between punto.sud staff and LIR evolution, to discuss the implementation of their project ” ELAA – Environmental Legislation Analysis and Advocacy“. The project is funded under the call “Fostering the environmental process reforms in Bosnia&Herzegovina and Montenegro for a greener Europe”
The objectives of the ELAA project is to collect, all in one place, the existing Bosnia and Herzegovina environmental legislation, to compare it to EU environmental acquis and find existing gaps in BiH legislation. The second specific objective is to raise awareness of citizens and promote importance of compliance of national environmental legislation with EU environmental acquis. The project will start at the beginning of MArch for a duration of six months.
What does the EU accession in the Western Balkans and Turkey means for the environment? What is role of CSOs in this process? Will the state of environmental protection be improved or not?
If you are interested in this questions please join us at Webinar: Environmental Approximation In Western Balkans And Turkey, on Wednesday 24th February and Thursday 25th February.
If you are interested in the participation, please send us e-mail at: info@etnar.net by Sunday 21st February 2016, with the following info: Name, organisation, town, country and a telephone number (in a case we will need to call you regarding logistics)
On Monday 22nd February, you will receive information how to log in the webinar. You’ll need a sound Internet connection and web browser with installed flash.
The ENV.Net sub-grant program for increasing the capacity of local NGOs is ongoing in Turkey and two local projects were selected after careful evaluation by a jury committee. The representatives of the two subgrantees, Kazdağı Doğal ve Kültürel Varlıkları Koruma Derneği (Mount Ida Natural Habitat and Cultural Heritage Conservation Association), from Çanakkale and Doğal Kaynak ve Biyolojik Çeşitliliği Koruma Derneği (The Association for Conservation of Natural Resources and Biodiversity) from Antalya were in the offices of the Turkish ENV.Net partner, TEMA Foundation, on 3 February 2016. The meeting consisted of a detailed training of the representatives about project management and reporting (both technical and financial), followed by a lively Q&A session and discussion.
The ENV.Net sub-grant program for increasing the capacity of local NGOs is ongoing in Turkey. Under the call for application in December 2015, 29 applications from several cities were sent to TEMA Foundation. After careful evaluation by a jury committee, two of these 29 local NGOs are selected as sub-grantees:
i) Kazdağı Doğal ve Kültürel Varlıkları Koruma Derneği (Mount Ida Natural Habitat and Cultural Heritage Conservation Association), from Çanakkale with their project entitled “The local people of Mount Ida will protect their nature”, a local capacity building and advocacy project, and
ii) Doğal Kaynak ve Biyolojik Çeşitliliği Koruma Derneği (The Association for Conservation of Natural Resources and Biodiversity) from Antalya, with their project entitled “Tunceli Lynx Communication Network”, a conservation project for endangered lynxes. .
The representatives of the two associations are invited to TEMA Foundation on 3 February 2015, for a short training and for signing the project contracts.
As part of the EU funded TASK-GHG Project, a Legal, Technical and Institutional Analysis report is published, with the aim of assessing and improving of the legal and institutional situation and identification of the steps needed in Turkey. The findings of the report are presented to the invited stakeholders, including the Turkish ENV.Net partner TEMA, on 21 January 2016, in Ankara. The project has the aim of contributing to the enhancement of the existing institutional arrangements to assist Turkey in meeting its international GHG emissions reporting commitments, consistently with Regulation 525/2013/EU (MRR) requirements. According to the report, Turkey has many challenges in terms of institutional capacity and legal framework, but is showing a strong will to overcome the barriers to approximate its national system to the UNFCCC and EU GHG emissions monitoring and reporting requirements. The full report can be accessed here.
