With a set of annual reports approved yesterday, the European Commission adopts its “Enlargement package 2013” – a set of documents explaining its policy on EU enlargement and reporting on progress achieved in each country. This Communication assesses the current state of the European Union’s enlargement agenda.
Based on the accompanying in-depth country analyses, the package takes stock of what these countries have achieved preparing for membership, where they stand today, assesses their prospects for the coming years and in this regard makes a number of recommendations. On this regard, the EC recommends granting EU candidate status to Albania and, for the fifth time in a row, the opening of accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Commission also assesses the progress towards EU accession made elsewhere in the Western Balkans and in Turkey over the past year.
Most importantly, the Enlargement package includes the annual Enlargement Strategy Paper which sets out the way forward for the coming year and takes stock of the progress made over the last twelve months by each candidate country and potential candidate. In addition to this strategy paper, the package contains the so-called Progress Reports (see those of Albania, Kosovo, Kosovo, and Turkey) in which the Commission services present their assessment of what each candidate and potential candidate has achieved over the last year. In fact the Commission has been mandated by the member states to report annually on progress achieved by all candidates and potential candidates. This monitoring process ensures that aspiring countries are admitted only when they have met all requirements. The conditions and concrete requirements for accession have been spelled out to all the countries wishing to join.
Public spaces in Albanian cities over the past 20 years, have been transformed into parking lots, cafeterias & bars, or piles of uncollected waste. More often, they are also transformed into additions to existing buildings, or multistorybuildings. Along with the public space, There are very limited chances for people to stay together and socialize, play, or simply watch the world go by. Today, children and the elderly are two of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to lack of public space.
In order to showcase that community willingness is enough when coupled with commitment, creativity and recyclable materials, Co-PLAN, POLIS University and the Slovak Governance Institute, under the project City for Citizen, financed by the EU, decided to build a playground for children and a modest recreational area for the elderly.
POLIS University students, together with architects, urban planners and engineers, with the support and collaboration of the Municipal Unit 11, Tirana, worked for three weeks toproduce a multifunctional, colorful playground.
The project built on children’s wishes, and suggestions from the residents of the area, which were then transformed into practical games produced by the students and specialists. The project relied on the use of recyclable materials, such tyres and wooden pallets, all of which are very easy to find.
On September 9th 2013, TEMA received visit from the Consulate General of the Republic of Kosova. The visit was a further step to develop the good relations between the two countries and to discuss possible future cooperation for the protection of environment in both countries.
Information about the ENV.net project and the ATRC partner, were provided to the occials during their visit. Reforestation and environmental education projects in both countries were discussed. Many suggestions came up regarding the organization of an event on Current Environmental Problems in Kosova and Turkey, as well as simultaneous bilateral actions on environmental topics.
This meeting is considered as the start of a good cooperation between the Consulate General, TEMA Foundation and other ENV.net partners.
2nd October2013, Ankara: TEMA Foundation attended the Sectoral Sub Comittee Meeting on Environment and Climate Change organized by the Ministry for EU Affairs . Representatives from relevant Ministries, EU Delegation and several NGOs were present at the meeting. The discussions focused on the availabilitty of IPA funds for EU acquis approximation process and capacity building projects in the Environment and Climate Change sector. The particpants shared their experiences regarding the projects implemented in the last period, sectoral analysis and their monitoring results. Representative of the Result Oriented Monitoring Group indicated that the Environment and Climate Change Sector, perform below average compared to other sectors in their project implementation. There were also hopeful news for the CSOs from the Ministry for EU Affairs, regarding their involvement under the upcoming IPA II Phase.
During the events of Tirana Design Weeks, Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development (in the frame of ENV.net project), and POLIS University, engaged students and Tutors to build a Green House using recycling materials, where students curated to grow bio plants and vegetables.
“In developed nations processing, packaging, transportation and storage of food accounts for 80% of the energy used to place food on the kitchen table” and all the processing and packaging of food has created a dissociation between consumers and food production and between food production and final products sold in stores. It is also surprising to find out that many children of the youngest generations often don’t even know where the vegetables and fruits they eat regularly come from; but how could they know that apples come from trees and carrots grow underground if they find them on a supermarket counter or in boxes stored in their freezer? Environmental damage caused by extensive agriculture (like contamination caused by excessive use of fertilizers) and the use of non renewable energies calls for a drastic change in attitude and many believe that urban agriculture – cultivation, processing and distribution of food within the city – would make processes transparent and it would re-establish food and its production as a social relationship and not just as a commodity. Urban farming not only offers a viable solution for architectural and urban innovation and a sustainable source of fresh food cultivation, but, by bringing the food back to where we live, it re-establishes the link between people and nature and it reactivates social interaction. Moreover the city can benefit from urban greening and the maintenance of open spaces and thanks to the “hand to mouth” process we could drastically reduce the amount of non renewable energy employed to produce, process, and transport, distribute and sell food”.
This workshop intended to raise awareness towards this topic and change people’s attitudes towards food production. We believe that the first step towards the establishment of a new social aesthetic could be a small project that demonstrates how with few resources it is possible to start growing our own food, engaging in social interaction and improving our environment.
The theme of the “POLIS_Grows-Green” Workshop will be the design of a low-cost, low-tech greenhouse in POLIS outdoor premises. The greenhouse element for the production of vegetables and plants will adopt a mix of technological solutions aimed at minimizing waste and maximizing productivity levels.
On 10th September, 18 officials from 6 universities and 4 CSOs, including TEMA, met up for a roundtable in the framework of the ENV.net project.
The discussion focused on the possible impacts of the “Istanbul Big Projects Plan” on the environment. This plan include the construction of a new bridge over the Boshporous, a 3rd Airport and the opening of a canal to connect the Black and Marmara Sea to the Northwest of the Boshporus.
The implementation of these projects surely represents a serious threat for the Northern forests, the watersheds, the agricultural and grazing lands.
Academicians and CSO representatives from different fields such as transportation, urban planning, marine science, environmental and marine law, nature protection, public health and forest ecology took part in the discussions on the effects of such projects on human and environmental health. The contribution of all the participants has been essential to develop possible strategies to raise awareness within the public.
In order to encourage the EU integration processes in South Eastern Europe, four European foundations – ERSTE Foundation, Compagnia di San Paolo, King Baudouin Foundation and Robert Bosch Stiftung – have set up the European Fund for the Balkans, designed to undertake and support initiatives aimed at bringing the Western Balkans closer to the European Union through grant-giving and operational programmes. Whether you are an individual or you work in an organisation, the Fund can support your efforts to contribute to the European integration processes of the Balkans.
After months and months of hard work, ENV.net is finally ready to launch its website!
This website is the result of long-time spent in researching, mapping, collecting documents, writing and editing photos. We hope you will find some inspiration here and you will provide us with some useful tips for make it more interesting and appealing for knowledge sharing.
Get inside and discover our collection of information and documents about the approximation process to the EU Environmental acquis Western Balkans and Turkey are leaving, the CSOs role in this process, their on-going initiates and best practices.
See also how to get involved in the ENV.net activities!
In the meantime you can check our novelties in the ENV.net blog.
Take a minute to browse the site and let us know what you think, send us a note if you spot a problem or just to let us know if you like it. You will notice this website evolving over the next months as we will working hard to tweak & populate it with more contents and updated information. We really hope you will like it!
On September 5th and 6th 2013 EASD representative participated on GEF (Global Environmental Facility) Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) for the constituencies of Eastern Europe, comprising the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine.
The ECW brought together GEF focal points, focal points from the main Conventions (Biodiversity, Desertification, Climate Change and POPs), representatives from civil society and representatives from GEF agencies. The participation to the ECW was an opportunity to discuss priority issues and share lessons and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks.
In July 2013, Prof dr Hristina Stevanovic Carapina, from ENV.net technical staff had plenary lecture, titled Reliability of data on waste generation in the application of LCA as a prerequisite in decision-making process about the introduction of recycling in Municipality of Bor, at the eight Symposium “Recycling Technologies and Sustainable Development”, held in Bor, Serbia.
Presentation addressed some concerns raised within the ENV.net process.
