SEIS development and regular environment assessment since the Astana conference

Dr David StannersHead of International CooperationEuropean Environment Agency

European Environment Agency

Global assessments

Regional (EEA) assessments

Shared Environmental Information System

From national to regional to globalNational assessments

National data,

information,

analyses and

assessments

SEIS addresses the whole Policy Cycle

MDIAKKnowledge

Base

(1) Issue identification

(2) Issue framing

(3) Policy measure

identification(4) Policy measure

development / adoption

(6) Policy measure

effectiveness

(5) Policy measure

implementation

European Environment Agency

SEIS principles

Information should be:

● managed as close as possible to its source

● collected once, and shared with others for many purposes

● readily available and easy accessible

● accessible to enable users to make comparisons at the appropriate geographical scale

● fully available to the general public at national level in the relevant national language(s)

● supported through common, free open software standards.

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• Data• Indicators• Assessments• …

• SDI -Spatial Development Infrastructure

• Standards• Web services• …

• Networks• Governance• Agreements• …

SEIS components

European Environment Agency

Cooperation

European Environment Agency

Content

European Environment Agency

Infrastructure

European Environment Agency

Extending SEIS and the regular assessment process to the pan-European

region

EEA in cooperation with stakeholders:

Developing the basis on which to implement the process: Outline of the process (Oct 2012)

Taking stock of progress:Review of progress (Oct 2013)

European Environment Agency

Where do we see progress? (1)

In countries:•Increased use of core indicators/data flows in national SOERs (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan…)•A more sustainable national SOER reporting process (Kyrgyzstan, Georgia…)•Modern tools for information sharing (Moldova…) •Increased cooperation between networks (env. & statistics..)•Reflected in recent EPRs -addressing SEIS and regular reporting (Albania, Croatia, Moldova, Morocco)

European Environment Agency

Where do we see progress? (2)

• In Policy and legal initiatives: clear reference to SEIS in 7EAP, Copernicus, Arctic policy…

• In SEIS-related projects: found across the region ENP/SEIS, FLERMONECA, AWARE, AoA+, Caspian Environment Information System…

• In organisations: promoting SEIS principles (UNECE, LRTAP, PRTR, RECs, UNEP,…)

• In global processes: SEIS-related initiatives in Rio+20 outcome, UNEP-Live…

However, progress is uneven and information is patchy

European Environment Agency

Why is progress uneven and information patchy?

No joint-responsibility to monitor overall progress in SEIS and regular reporting •Required actions: • Establish a partnership for regular information exchange

(Eionet-type);• Exchange data and information from MEAs & organisations

& strengthen interaction of existing networks• Share tool & methodologies• Agree on performance indicators for progress• Establish stable governance structure (with sustainable

funding) to track & assess progress and coordinate future pan-European reporting

European Environment Agency

Why is progress uneven and information

patchy?

No clear responsibility and ownership across the reporting chain• Required actions:

•Consolidate the national SOE reporting base; •Increase use/reuse of core indicators •Tailor/focus reporting demands on a clear/pre- defined need•Review, re-connect and integrate existing processes (pan-European forest, health, EfE; GEO…)

European Environment Agency

Learning from each other: SEIS ENPI - Cookbook

•A set of case studies collected from EEA Member and Cooperating countries and ENPI partner countries.

•A SEIS Checklist containing a set of questions to help assess the status of SEIS development and identify gaps and areas for further enhancement.

•Steps to be considered when planning SEIS implementation.

•Useful links.http://www.seiscookbook.net

European Environment Agency

How to bring this process forward

• Through some specific thematic discussions (e.g. PRTR)

• SEIS side-event in Aarhus MOP in June 2014• “Friends of SEIS” (inputs from the Convention?)• Monitoring & evaluation of progress (with clear

targets & performance indicators)• With Convention support (e.g. promoting the

development of regular national SOE reports as input to the 2016 pan-European environmental ministerial)

European Environment Agency

Thank you!

www.eea.europa.eu