The training took place virtually on 29 February 2024.
Meeting objectives, expected outputs and outcomes
- To promote sound application of the SEA in the Republic of Moldova in line with the European Union’s Directive on SEA and the UNECE Protocol on SEA
- To introduce the amended Law on SEA, its main requirements and the key steps in the SEA procedure
- To increase understanding of the participants on the principles of the effective SEA application and to discuss how to address potential challenges related to the SEA 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 SEA 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 strategic environmental assessment application. Also, with the UNECE assistance under the EU4Environment, the draft Regulation on the organisation and functioning of the Expert Commission for the quality analysis of the environmental strategic assessment report and the analysis of the draft policy and planning document was developed in the end of 2023. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment of Republic of Moldova requested further support organize the training to explain the main requirements stipulated by the national SEA legislation and the key steps in the SEA procedure.
The training workshop therefore served as a platform for the discussion on the key issues related to the effective SEA practice and on how to address potential challenges related to the SEA procedure outlined in the amended Law and the related Regulation. The workshop was facilitated by experts/consultants to UNECE.