The close cooperation between the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan (UN Environment/MAP) on making a common Environmental information system a reality in the Mediterranean region continues.
A very busy period of joint work with the countries is in full swing to facilitate the multiple reporting processes and implement the ENI SEIS II South Support Mechanism which supports the Review and Monitoring component of the H2020 Initiative. The 2nd Joint EEA & UN Environment/MAP Report on Progress of the H2020 Initiative is due in 2020.
National monitoring programmes and the data they provide feed into assessments. Assessment reports in turn are what policy makers rely on to take decisions and bring forth policy change. The initial six Horizon 2020 indicators (wastewater, industrial emissions and solid waste including marine litter) were further refined in 2018 to be better aligned with those used by the Mediterranean countries for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (2016-2025), as well as with other relevant indicator-based assessment processes under the UN Environment/MAP Programme of Work 2018-2019 (the Quality Status Report, National Action Plan (NAP) mid-term evaluation, the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP), State of Environment and Development Report (SoED), SCP and other regional Action Plans). Other processes to consider are: the West Asia one as part of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) and the next Environment Outlook for the Arab region.
Operationalising the integration of these processes and elements and efficiently using all the existing efforts is a huge challenge toward supporting effective evidence-base policy making.
All of the above and much more were addressed by the 3rd Steering Committee of the ENI SEIS II South Support Mechanism and the 9th meeting of the H2020 Review and Monitoring (RM) Group that took place on 6-7 November 2018, in Vienna (read more here).
Numerous capacity building and technical assistance activities are taking place this semester to support countries with the effective production of the H2020 indicators and progress with the thematic assessments.
- Regional Meeting on Reporting of Releases to Marine and Coastal Environment from Land-Based Sources and Activities and Related Indicators, 19-20 March 2019, Tirana;
- CORMON Marine Litter and Regional meeting on Waste and Marine litter H2020 assessment, 4-5 April 2019, Podgorica, Montenegro;
- Regional Workshop on Water H2020 assessment, May 2019 (date and place TBC);
- National events – workshops, experts meetings on H2020 priority issues.
