Public Policy Institute organized on 18 February, 2014 in Belgrade the Panel discussion „Negotiations as a priority – priorities in the negotiations“.  Panelists were: – representatives of the PPI : Prof. Nikola Samardzic, Prof. Stevan Lilić, Prof. Mijat Damjanovic, Prof. Anđelka Mihajlov, Gordana Lazarevic, and – representatives of the Government of Serbia: Dr. Tanja Miščević, Head of the Serbian negotiating team with the European Union,Nikola Selaković, Minister of Justice and Public Administration and Lazar Krstic, Minister of Finance.

The important issues of priority in the negotiations were addressed, including the background information why environmental sector should be among the priorities. Prof. Anđelka Mihajlov raised the question: If the knowledge is used as a tool and we know that one-third of the EU acquis is in environment sector, should that sector be among the priorities of European integration? She pointed out that the answer is self-explanatory and that Chapter 27 should be among priorities. She underlined that Chapter 27 is very difficult to negotiate, among other things, because it affects the competence of many ministries with the significant responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. In addition, she pointed out that other sections of the negotiation, such as food security, rural development and agriculture, fisheries and energy, in many areas depend on the infrastructure achieved in waste management, waste water management and industrial pollution control.  She also said that now it will be good to take advantage of momentum when we are because after more than ten years of “ knocking on the EU’s door, have the door opened,” and mobilize teams for each chapter.

Representative of the ENV.net project  (ENV.net Serbia/EASD) participated at this meeting.

Serbian Ministry of Energy, Development and Environment positively respond, and will support upcoming ENV.net event: EnE14-ENV.net Conference, June 5 – 2014 in Belgrade . Having in mind that Thematic Focus of Conference is CHAPTER 27 : Environment and Climate Change , this is important milestone in CSOs-Government partnership and new opportunity for dialog and cooperation.

Simona Pogliani, Network coordinator of the ENV.net project from punto.sud, Italy visited the TEMA office in Istanbul on February 6-7, 2014. The visit was designed to evaluate the project process, to meet with the project and discuss the workplan of the second year and to clarify  any questions.
Following the introductory meeting and agreement on the program with project coordinator, there was a meeting with the staff involved in the project to prepare
agenda for the 2 days. Activities with TEMA volunteers (meeting, capacity building, activities implemented in the field in the framework of ENV.net project) were presented by the project staff followed by the definition of workplan for the following months and until the end of the Project.
Besides the project team, there have been meetings with the Education Department about possible themes to be developed for the training session of May in Istanbul and for the distance learning courses, Fundraising department for discussing on sub-grants modalities and launching of call for proposals within the ENV.net project, Corporate Communications and Environmental Policy Department  to talk about communication activities around the “big projects” activities and how to improve ENV.net visibility in Turkey.

Regional Water Company “Prishtina” reports that the artificial lakes Batllava and Badovc, ​​from which more than 500,000 residents of Pristina region get the water supply, are losing their level to 2 cm per day.

Because of the current situation of water, Regional Water Company” Prishtina”, has been frequenting outages, which may worsen even more, if there will be no further rainfalls…

We are glad to announce the launch of two calls for proposals in the framework of the sub-grants scheme of the ENV.net project.

The overall objective of the calls is to expand the ENV.net, by involving other CSOs from Western Balkans and Turkey in the organisation of public advocacy/lobbying actions, and enable them to capitalize their ongoing initiatives. The main aim of these actions is to make awareness among citizens and influence public sector reform processes on the approximation of Western Balkans and Turkey to the EU environmental standards.

The call of Albania is focusing on “Small Scale Environmental Inventions Initiatives” and the deadline for submission of applications is the 24^th of February 2014

The call of Serbia is titled “EU: we watch and learn to be ready!” and closed on the 28^th of February.

You can find more information and the whole application package here.

Soon other calls for proposals will be launched for the other Western Balkans and Turkey.

So, do not miss this opportunity, join the ENV.net!

By invitation of the Delegation of the European Union  in Serbia, EASD -ENV.net Serbia representative participated   to the public hearing by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Study Group ,  held in Belgrade on  30 January 2014. The main purpose of this public hearing was presentation  and discussion of  EESC opinion on The role of civil society in EU Serbia relations adopted in July 2013. In addition, CSOs were informed about the EU-Serbia Joint Consultative Committee (JCC).

The EESC Study Group Delegation was composed of Dimitris Dimitriadis, Former President of the EESC and President of the Study Group on The role of civil society in EU-Serbia relations (Employers’ Group, Greece), Ionut Sibian, President of the Western Balkans Follow-up Committee and Rapporteur for this Opinion (Various interests’ group, Romania), and Christoph Lechner, Co-Rapporteur for this Opinion (Employees’ Group, Austria).

On January 30, 2014  in the premises of the Government of Serbia Office for European Integration held a thematic meeting of the SECO mechanism (established in Serbia in 2011,  enabling civil society participation in planning and monitoring of EU and other international development assistance) . EASD  – ENV.net Serbia is the leading organization for SECO sector environment and energy, together with  CEKOR – Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development and the Center for Civil Society Development Protecta.

Topics discussed include:

1 Presentation documents IPA 2014-2016 intervention logic: discussion on priority topics and the order of the sectoral support for IPA 2014-2016 (link to the objectives, priorities and measures over the document) – document was presented at the meeting;

2 Program support to the sector and the further course of programming;

3 The participation of civil society in the programming of IPA II – Indicative calendar of events for programming in 2014. year.

EASD – ENV.net Serbia representative  at this meeting was Filip Jovanovic. Representatives of other leading CSOs were presented, as well as representatives by competent Ministry (of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection) and Office for European Integration.

In 2013 while the threat posed by large-scale investments were in the public agenda, growing local environmental resistances and achievements provided hope. While the construction of projects that jeopardize Istanbul’s last forests , wetlands , grasslands and agricultural lands accelerated, local movements all over Anatolia that embrace nature continued.

TEMA Foundation assessed the best and worst developments regarding the environment in Turkey. 2013 was a year of harsh environmental struggles. Energy investments in Turkey was on the agenda throughout the year. The result is that people consumers 1.5 times the ecological capacity of the world, and by destroying nature continues to jeopardize their future . On the other hand, number of people who defend the rights of nature, who believe that in order to live one has to let live is growing.

The best events of the year 2013 in terms of environment

Gerze, beat the coal!

Gerze people who have been fighting a legal battle against the Coal-fired thermal power plant project for the last five years, and have been standing guard in front of the power plant site for the last two and a half years won a great victory. Environmental Impact Assessment of the plant planned to be built in Gerze, Sinop, was rejected by the Ministry of Environment and Urban Affairs on the grounds of the opinion delivered by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs that ‘coal fired power plants can’t be built in forest area. This is the fourth time the application of the project that is located within 100 acres of forest land was rejected.

Victory at Mount Ida belongs to the environmentalists

Canakkale Administrative Court  stayed the execution of Environmental Impact Assessments of 4 firms that explores gold in Mount Ida for 8 years. Under the leadership of Çanakkale Environment Platform, a lawsuit was filed arguing that the EIA report is given without adequate inspection and examination and that there should be a cumulative assessment of these activities. Court decided despite the positive expert opinion, in favor of the plaintiffs that the mining activities will harm the environment.

International Banks abandoned their support for coal

Institutions such as the World Bank , the European Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) whose loans and financing systems play an important role in investment areas in the world endorsed their new energy strategy this year . These three major investment banks announced that they won’t finance coal investments except for “very rare and special circumstances where a viable alternative energy source doesn’t exist. These developments provided hope and created expectations for more investments for renewable energy sources and energy productivity in the upcoming years from these institutions.

No to Mining at Artvin Cerattepe!

Since the 1990s, Artvin Cerrahtepe with its breathtaking nature was under the threat of mining activities countless times. 258 supporters of life and nature filed a lawsuit for the cancellation of the mining licenses in the area. Under the leadership of Green Artvin Association, supporters have organized ‘No to Mining’ meeting. 6000 people attended the meeting and the local struggle of  Cerattepe and Genya found place in the national agenda.

Each Forest has a Hero! UNFF chose TEMA’s Founder as a “Forest Hero”

United Nations , TEMA Foundation Honorary Founding President Hayrettin Karaca “Forest Hero” was declared. Hayrettin Karaca was selected from among 47 candidates from 30 countries as one of five forest heroes of 2013. Award is presented to individuals whose activities ensure the sustainability of forests and forest on a global scale. Award Ceremony took place during the UNFF 10th Session in Istanbul.

Government Officials Confessed HPPs are Harmful to Nature!

Turkish Grand National Assembly Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission declared that the HPPs (hydroelectric power plants) cause environmental damage and permissions will not be granted from now on for HPPs below 10 megawatts. While the threat of HPPs over 10 megawatts continue, we can’t help but wonder will we need to experience the damages of dirty, dangerous and expensive nuclear power plants to decide they are harmful.

Worst Events of 2013 in terms of Environment

We said 3rd Bridge is illegal and we were right!

Even though it doesn’t exist in the 1/100.000 scale Environment plan which is accepted as the Constitution of Istanbul , even though there are nearly 30 lawsuits against it at the moment, the construction of the ‘rd Bridge in Istanbul started on 29 May 2013. Those who live in the area of construction and connecting roads, as well as protestors from all around tried to point out and draw attention to the destruction of the forests and the fleeing rabbits, squirrels, birds. The bridge was declared exempt from EIA in this process, and its path was changed 1,5 months after the initial construction started by the General Directorate of Highways .

Residents of Istanbul mourned the destruction of last forests in north of the city. TEMA Foundation filed a lawsuit against the 3rd Bridge related Northern Marmara Highway Development Plan in 2011. The expert opinion for the case was presented in July 2013, 2 months after the construction began. While the construction continued, the expert opinion was discarded.

IPCC Report: Global warming in the climate is extraordinary and definitely anthropogenic.

While the world was struggling against extreme weather events in 2013 like hurricane, typhoon and floods, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC ) delivered their  5th Assessment Report, ‘ Physical Science Basis of Climate Change’ in September 2013.  More than 800 scientists from all around  the World including Turkey undersigned a crucial reality: Global Warming in our climate is extraordinary! There is warming in the temperatures of the atmosphere and the oceans, amount of snow and ice is reduced, the average sea level rose and the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased. Both our planet and us, we are under a huge risk.

Climate Network of Turkey, platform for various civil society organizations organized a press conference in Istanbul on the same date as the announcement of the IPCC report. Participants urged the Turkish government to abandon their “wait and see” policy. Turkey needs to be part of the global solution and set aside its vision of coal-based energy  and replace it with energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate change adaptation policies.

While Other Countries renounce Nuclear, Turkey signed an agreement with Japan for the second nuclear power plant

While the developed countries renounce their investments in nuclear energy because it is dirt, expensive and dangerous especially after the in Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Turkey which has experienced the effects of the Chernobyl closely, continued its plans of construction of nuclear power plants. After Mersin Akkuyu, a declaration has been signed in October between Japan and Turkey for the construction of a second plant in Sinop. This agreement is the first one signed by Japan after the Fukushima disaster in 2011.

While the second nuclear power plant deal was being signed, controversy over the first plans in Mersin continued.  Review and Evaluation Commission meeting was held for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant ‘s environmental impact assessment report. Non-governmental organizations who attended the meeting, pointed out that the reactor that is planned to be used at Akkuyu, VVER1200 model, has no other examples in the World and it doesn’t fit the ‘proven’ criteria. Also, there were no detailed information on how to dispose of nuclear waste in the EIA report or on how to dismantle the nuclear power plant.

Current Environmental Legislation paves the way for Environmental Destruction

Previously revoked by the State Council, the Provisional 3. Article of the EIA Directive that sets projects put under the investment plan before 1997 exempt from EIAs was added to the Directive again. This forms a crucial barrier against legal battles of the environmentalists against projects like the 3rd Bridge.

Another important embodiment was the Electricity Market Law. Provisional article 8 of the law, all public energy producers even if they are privatized will be exempt from environmental permits until 2021. They will also be exempt from administrative punishment from electricity production activities.

Moreover, with the Petroleum Law, the Turkish oil exploration in forest areas became possible. Tributaries of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Coastal Law Implementation Regulations were removed from the scope .  With the new Directive on Protected Areas, the degree of the protected sites to be removed or lowered became possible.

We are very glad to announce that the NGO 4x4x4 Balkan Bridges (BB) from the Republic of Macedonai joined the ENV.net to support the project activities in that country. The European Commission agreed on the enlargement of our network and soon ENV.net activities will start in the Republic of Macedonia.

The 4x4x4 BB was already involved in the ENV.net activities, with the active participation of its representative, Mr Dusko Hristov, to the last partnership meeting organised last November in Milan. After this event and the agreement from all partners to involve 4x4x4BB in the ENV.net, a proposal with concrete activities was agreed between the parties and sent to the EC that approved the involvement of this new partner.

See the activities that will be implemented by ENV.net in the Republic of Macedonia here.

On 12.18.2013, the Ministry of Economic Development organized a public debate on the Energy Strategy of the Republic of Kosovo, 2013 – 2022. The debate was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, KEK, KOSTT, Energy Regulatory Office, international donors, civil society, media and other stakeholders.

Minister of Economic Development Mr. Fadil Ismaili in the beginning of the debate said: “We received number comments, suggestion and recommendation and most of them are incorporated into the latest draft, especially those who have come from donors, from international financial institutions, also from civil society.

The drafting of the Strategy is prepared base on two important criteria: first, economic principles of production and supply of electricity and second, environmental principles.

“The plan for next year is to become a comprehensive study on the possibilities of facilitating all projects dealing with energy efficiency and include fiscal incentives for materials and products that have energy certificate – EE.

At the same time Kosovo Government will work in Construction Law which will specify the materials and products that are in compliance with the requirements for energy certificate”. Kosovo Government started negotiation banks or financial institutions that for supporting Commercial Banks during the implementation of projects that use materials and products that guarantee an energy certificate – EE for energy savings.