Aims :

• Continued assistance to ECOs (Environmental Citizens’ Organisations) in Accession Countries in their efforts to have a positive impact on the accession process. Among other means, by promoting the positive environmental impacts of the enlargement process for the countries concerned. Preventing any slowdown in EU environmental and sustainable development policies due to the accession process.

• Following preparations and involvement of the Accession Countries in the preparations of the new EU environmental legislation.

• Monitoring of the implementation and enforcement of the EU environmental legislation in the Accession Countries.

• Intensified co-operation with ECOs throughout the EU and in the Accession Countries for a Sustainable Europe.

• Stimulating discussions about environmentally, economically and socially viable agriculture in the Accession Countries.

• Stimulating discussions about the possible negative consequences of EU requirements regarding the administrative requirements linked to Structural and Cohesion Funds.

• Integrating environmental organisations in both regions (EU and Accession Countries), and ensuring that EEB members in the Accession Countries are taking part in the EEB to improve EU environmental policies.

• Assisting EEB members in the Accession Countries to strengthen their position in their own countries. Increase the EEB’s Membership in the region.

• Explore and potentially expand EEB activities to Croatia, FYRO Macedonia and other countries, which have either a Partnership and Co-operation Agreement or Stability and Association Agreements with the EU. The focus of this work will be more on the EU Environmental Policy rather than the enlargement practice.

Activities:

In the short term we will concentrate on the points the EEB raised as lacking in the 6^th Environmental Action Programme (6EAP):

• A critical review of the orientation and practical use of pre-accession funds and the instruments of the cohesion policy after accession in order to ensure a maximum contribution for sustainable development and prevent any negative impact on the environment.

• A special policy, for the Accession countries, attractive for the vast majority of its farmers, focused on preventing deterioration of its biodiversity, the impoverishment of its rural areas, increase of water quality and quantity problems and chemical exposure.

Other activities include:

• Maintaining and strengthening the EEB Working Group on Enlargement, to communicate via its list-server and organise at least two meetings of this group.

• Provide ongoing reliable information for EEB's members and partners about issues relevant for the accession process, as well as relevant EU policy developments.

• Produce 4 pages on the enlargement process in each issue of EEB’s magazine Metamorphosis (4 times a year).

• Produce the following publications, which will support further activities related to enlargement, on: regional development policy, agriculture and rural development, organic farming in the ACs and sustainable development.

• Ongoing involvement of AC environmentalists in the work of the EEB, in particular through our working groups.

• Capacity building workshops around issues AC environmentalists have chosen as most urgent, and publication of materials to support these workshops and the follow up.

• Monitor implementation and enforcement of the acquis in each of the Accession Countries, including preparation of series of publications on consequences/impacts of the implementation of the legislation to the environment using technologies proposed as well as elaborating on possible alternatives.

• Follow preparations of the Accession Treaties in each of the country, dissemination of the information to broader public and active ECO involvement in preparations for the actual enlargement (referendum, questions to politicians etc.)

• Organise a major conference on regional policy and Structural Funds in the Accession Countries.

• Involve AC environmentalists in the work of the EEB on implementation of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS).

• Possibly organise, in co-operation with Milieukontakt Oost-Europa, and introductory seminar/training on EU issues (institutions, decision-making, environmental policy-making, role of ECOs) for non-EU and non-AC countries (Croatia, FYRO Macedonia).