Environmental Assessment in Countries in Transition
The countries included in this study on the regulations and practices relating environmental assessment are Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine. Each country study has been prepared by specialists from within the country concerned.
The publication is divided into four sections. Part I is an introduction to environmental assessment in countries in transition. Part II contains individual country studies on environmental assessment, legislation and practice. Part III examines a number of leading issues concerning the operation, effectiveness and training requirements for environmental assessment. Part IV presents overall conclusions and recommendations.
This study will be of interest to environmental assessment practitioners in public administration; development and consultant organizations; training and educational and research institutes; and international and bilateral aid agencies. Project level EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and, to a lesser extent, SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) for planning and other strategic-level actions have been, or are being, introduced in the great majority of countries in transition (CIT). As yet, however, most of the countries have only limited experience in formulating "state of the art" EIA regulations and applying them satisfactorily. Furthermore, such experiences in CITs that do exist are not yet sufficiently well documented and widely disseminated. This report should be of considerable value in helping to strengthen EA regulation and practice in the region.
PARTICIPANTS AND ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
1. Introduction .
Part I
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION
1. Environmental Assessment: Nature, Scope and Historical Development
2. Environmental Impact Assessment in the Former Soviet Union in Its Historical Context
Part II
COUNTRY STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT LEGISLATION AND PRACTICE
1. Establishing Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Through the Environmental Assessment Act in Armenia
2. Environmental Impact Assessment in the Republic of Belarus
3. Environmental Impact Assessment in Bulgaria
4. Environmental Impact Assessment in Croatia
5. Environmental Impact Assessment Legislation in the Czech Republic
6. Upgrading Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures in Estonia
7. Environmental Impact Assessment Implementation in Hungary
8. Environmental Impact Assessment in the Republic of Kazakhstan
9. Environmental Impact Assessment in Latvia
10. Environmental Impact Assessment in Lithuania
11. Environmental Impact Assessment in Moldova
12. Environmental Impact Assessment Implementation in Montenegro
13. Environmental Impact Assessment in Poland
14. Environmental Impact Assessment in Romania
15. Environmental Impact Assessment in the Russian Federation
16. Environmental Impact Assessment in Serbia
17. Environmental Impact Assessment in the Slovak Republic .
18. Environmental Impact Assessment in Slovenia
19. Environmental Impact Assessment in Ukraine: History and Recent Developments
20. Comparison and Evaluation of EIA Systems in Countries in Transition
Part III
SOME LEADING ISSUES: WORKSHOP GROUP FINDINGS
Workshop 1: Responsibility / Authority For Carrying Out EIAs
Workshop 2: Enforcement of EIA Legislation and Regulations
Workshop 3: Quality Control of the EIA Process
Workshop 4: Effectiveness of EIA As a Tool of Environmental Planning and Environmental
Management
Workshop 5: Integrating EIA into Planning and Decision Making
Workshop 6: Integration of Cost Benefit Analysis and EIA
Workshop 7: How to Integrate Social, Health and Risk Assessment into EIA
Workshop 8: Linkages between EIA and Other Environmental Legislation
Workshop 9: Consultation and Public Participation
Workshop 10: Determining The Significance of Impacts
Workshop 11: Strategic Environmental Assessment
Workshop 12: Training for EIA and SEA
Part IV
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Appendix. Use of Models in EIA