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EU Negotiations on the Environment: Over 100 European Directives and Regulations Processed

Ljiljanka Mitos Svoboda
Osjecki zeleni

19 May 2006

The working group on Chapter 27: Environment, which is part of the Croatian negotiation team for accession to the EU is close to completing the bilateral indepth screening. The process, taking place in Brussels, started on May 15, 2006. The topic of this session related to approximation and transfer of EU environmental directives into Croatian national legislation.

During the five days of intensive negotiations between the members of the Working Group, led by dr. Nikola Ruzinski, and the EC members in charge of environmental issues, led by David Daly, over 100 European directives and regulations in the field of environmental protection were processed and compared with the appropriate Croatian regulations. A total of 65 presentations were made, and the screening included 80 representatives of different Croatian institutions.

The members of the European Commission showed particular interest in the issues related to waste management and mechanisms of operation and structure of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Urban Planning and Construction. The Croatian negotiators provides exhaustive explanations and arguments that demonstrate and guarantee quick progress in the introduction of European environmental standards into the civil and business sector. EC members paso payd special attention to the results achieved by the Ministry in the area of transplantation of EU Waste Directive, as well as implementation of the Law on Waste Management and the appropraite rules and regulations.

Showing their support for the ambitious plan and programme, according to which Croatia aims to implement all requirements for correct and sustainable waste management by the end of 2006, the EC members invited the Croatian Working Group to join the consultations on the preparation of new EU directives, as well as other forms of cooperation open, at this time, only to EU member states.

The Croatian working group (including representatives of a variety of institutions and environmental associations, joined the work on EU directive in the field of civil protection, protection of nature, CITES, oil markets and oil derivates, water protection and management, issues related to reduction of air pollutant emmissions, public inforamtion and Croatian positions regarding the Kyoto Protocol.