The training took place virtually on 28 February 2024.
Meeting objectives, expected outputs and outcomes
- To promote sound application of the EIA (including transboundary EIA) in the Republic of Moldova in line with the European Union’s Directive on EIA and the Espoo Convention
- To introduce the amended Law on EIA, its main requirements and the key steps in the EIA procedure
- To increase understanding of the participants on the principles of the effective EIA application and to discuss how to address potential challenges related to the EIA practice.
Participants
The training workshop gathered around 70 participants from central governmental authorities as well as the representatives of the local governments and the environmental practitioners and experts from the environmental consulting companies active in the field of the environmental assessment.
Background
Within the framework of the European Union-funded EU4Environment programme (2019-2024), UNECE is assisting the Eastern Partnership countries, including the Republic of Moldova, in comprehensive capacity-building and institutional building on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in finalizing legal reforms in this area. In the Republic of Moldova, the amendments of the Law on EIA entered into force in October 2023 expecting to improve the legal framework for the development of a sound practice and strengthening of the overall institutional capacities for environmental impact assessment application. Also, with the UNECE assistance under the EU4Environment, the draft Regulation on the organisation and functioning of the Technical Commission for quality review of the environmental impact assessment report was developed in the end of 2023. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova requested further support to organize the training to explain the main requirements stipulated by the national EIA legislation and the key steps in the EIA procedure.
The training workshop therefore served as a platform for the discussion on the key issues related to the effective EIA practice and on how to address potential challenges related to the EIA procedure outlined in the amended Law and the related Regulation. The workshop was facilitated by experts/consultants to UNECE.