As a partner organization, REC participates in the implementation of the project “Enhancement of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) in the Western Balkan countries and the Republic of Moldova” financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, and the German Federal Agency for the Environment within the Advisory Assistance Program (AAP) for the environmental protection in the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucus and Central Asia.
Overall Objective of the project: The project aims to support Western Balkan countries and Moldova in developing or upgrading their PRTRs and enable relevant authorities, operators and CSOs for the implementation of the E-PRTR and the LCP integrated reporting, the reporting to the EU Registry on Industrial Sites and the Industrial Emissions Directive, and the UNECE PRTR Protocol, with a view to achieve more informed decision-making for sustainability.
Specific objectives:
- Assessing the current status of legal, institutional, technical and capacity building needs and difficulties in BiH, developing an discussing a proposal for establishing/improving the PRTR
- Developing the proposal for establishing/improving
- Providing technical assistance to set up an integrated online reporting tool for operators, database and related webpage/s at all levels of government in BiH.
- Raising awareness about the benefits of online reporting and build the capacities of operators in FBiH, RS and BD on using the online reporting system and preparing report on PRTR.
- Increasing transparency of decision-making on PRTRs by organizing a stakeholder consultation event at the level of BiH with representatives of responsible ministries/agencies as decision-makers, operators and CSOs and other key stakeholders.
- Building capacities of CSOs to enable them to understand what PRTR is for, how to use the PRTR data and the coming E-PRTR and LCP integrated data reporting, the EU Registry on Industrial Sites, and the IED, how to access, interpret and use PRTR data, and take initiatives at different levels to reduce/prevent pollution, enforce permits and advocate for broader initiatives to increase sustainability.
- Building the capacities of responsible authorities, operators and CSOs to enable them to prepare for the implementation of IED, and the E-PRTR and LCP integrated reporting, and the reporting to the EU Registry on the Industrial Sites.
- Sharing information and experience with the countries from the region.
Project activities:
The activities are divided into five components and include:
- COMPONENT 1 – ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION
- COMPONENT 2 – SUPPORT TO INSTITUTIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRTR PROTOCOL RATIFICATION
- COMPONENT 3 – ESTABLISHING ONLINE REPORTING TOOL/SYSTEM FOR PRTR REPORTING
- COMPONENT 4 – STRENGHTENING CAPACITIES OF RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS, OPERATORS AND CSOs
- COMPONENT 5 – NETWORKING AND COOPERATION
Project results:
- A Needs Assessment Report has been prepared which includes a legal, technical and institutional assessment and a proposal for the development of PRTRs including the possibility of integrated reporting of E-PRTRs and LCPs and reporting to the EU Register of Industrial Emissions.
- Draft laws/regulations on PRTR are drafted and submitted for adoption (Rulebooks for PRTR in FBiH, RS and BD, respectively, addressing the possibility of E-PRTR and LCP integrated reporting and reporting to the EU Registry on Industrial Sites, with a view to the possible future implementation of IED).
- PRTR database, online reporting tool and publicly accessible websites have been established and enable regular PRTR reporting and public access to PRTR data at all levels of government in BiH.
- Documents of ratification for PRTR Protocol are preparted and submitted for approval to the relevant institutions.
- Practical methodological guidelines have been prepared in the local language for operators within the priority sectors.
Project duration: 24 months (May 2021 – May 2023)
Overall project value: 299.997 EUR
Coordinator: Participatio Ltd. Mađarska
Project partners: REC – Resource Environmental Center
Source of funding / Donor: German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, and the German Federal Agency for the Environment
