Western Balkans Environment Programe

Study Tours

Programme Progress Meeting

The final Programme Progress Meeting has been held on Friday, 11^th June in Podgorica, Montenegro. The main goals of the Programme Progress Meeting were to exchange information on the results and impacts achieved in all participating countries/territories and of the regional component; to show the difference the Western Balkans Environmental Programme made during the last 30 months, to compare the situation before and after the interventions and to emphasize the benefits and impacts of the programme results.

Publication on Policy Integration and Needs Assessment

In frame of the Western Balkans Environmental Programme Capacity Development and Policy Integration needs Assessment Reports were developed in all participating countries/ territories. Having in mind the importance of the studies the Regional Programme Management Unit prepared a publication The Western Balkans Environmental Programme: Review of Policy Integration and Capacity Development Need Assessment Studies

Environmental Monitoring Publlications

Environmental monitoring and field surveillance is a very important step in the Western Balkans Environmental Programme implementation and it is needed to demonstrate whether the physical works have contributed and to what extent to improving the environmental situation at all hotspots. Having in mind the importance of this issue the Regional Programme Management Unit developed two publications on the subject: Regional training on Environmental Monitoring and Field Surveillance and Environmental Monitoring and Field Surveillance Reference Guide.

Regional Expert Meeting

Regional Expert Meeting took place on November 18^th-19^thin Budva, Montenegro. The Expert Meeting hosted the environmental experts from six countries/ territories involved in the Western Balkans Environmental Programme, programme beneficiaries and partners such as representatives of the national and local governments, management authorities of the remediated sites, civil society organizations, etc., as well as representatives of the international community. During the meeting participants had an opportunity discuss the importance of regional cooperation in reducing pollution and remediating the “brownfield” sites located in the Western Balkans, to present the results and the achievements of the Western Balkans Environmental Programme, and to discuss the national challenges and priorities, as well as next steps for further regional cooperation in this area.

Non-virtual Programme Management Board Meeting

The fifth Programme Management Board (PMB) meeting, but the first non-virtual one, was held on 24th June in Montenegro.

The goals of organizing the meeting were threefold:

a) To present and discuss about the Environmental Hot Spots Project Proposal submitted to MB IPA; b) To discuss the draft concept of the regional expert workshop to be held in late October or early November this year; and c) To discuss the theme of the third and final regional study tour which will be policy orientated one (regional study tours organized so far were of more technical nature).

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