Bilateral Agreements on Transboundary EIA
The online Training Workshop on the Practical Application of Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Bilateral Agreements on Transboundary EIA took place on 16-17 March 2021.
The workshop objectives were to:
- enhance the capacity of environmental ministries to design and apply bilateral agreements for the effective implementation of transboundary EIA procedures in line with the Espoo Convention (Article 8) and the European Union’s Directive on EIA;
- contribute to accelerating and completing the work on the preparation of the draft bilateral agreement on transboundary EIA between Ukraine and Romania.
Day 1 of the workshop focused on the application of bilateral agreements, including their nature, scope and elements in light of the Espoo Convention and the European Union’s Directive on EIA.
Day 2 provided an opportunity for environmental authorities from Ukraine and Romania and legal experts to discuss the draft bilateral agreement and its relevant elements – to support the agreement’s further preparation and finalization with the EU4Environment funded assistance in 2021. The workshop was facilitated by an international legal consultant to UNECE.
Participants
The meeting gathered about 30 participants from Ukraine and Romania representing environmental ministries.
Background
The use of bilateral agreements on transboundary EIA is a practical way for the countries involved in transboundary EIA procedures, in particular, Ukraine and Romania to reconcile their national legislative requirements and procedures in advance, thereby improving capacities of environmental ministries to coordinate and supervise these procedures effectively. The Convention on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention), as set out in article 8, provides a legal basis for bilateral agreements as a way for achieving its effective application. The bilateral agreement that the two countries initiated negotiations on a decade ago will be useful in addressing differences between the two countries’ implementation practices and will support them in improving the implementation of the Convention.
Meeting documents