SMAP meetings
SMAP

 

*   3rd MEETING OF THE SMAP CORRESPONDENTS

The Correspondents of the Euro-Mediterranean Partners for the Short and Medium-Term Priority Environmental Action Programme (SMAP / environmental programme for policy and funding orientation at regional and national levels) met for the third time, in Brussels, on 25-26 June 2001. The Network of the SMAP Correspondents was complete for the first time, since all Partners had appointed national Correspondents. Over 60 people including representatives of several Commission services attended the meeting. Members of environmental NGOs (the "Steering Committee"), representatives of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the Mediterranean Environment Technical Assistance Programme (METAP) were invited as observers.

The major agenda items were:

1. Review of the implementation at regional and national levels

(Information was exchanged on the implementation of the SMAP policy objectives in the form of brief National Reports, which were presented in oral and written form)

2. Terms of Reference for the SMAP Correspondents (pdf ~60K)

(The participants discussed the Terms of Reference for the Correspondents Network. The ToR were intended to reflect the new more substantial role the Correspondents are invited to play in order to give impetus to the SMAP)

3. Information on the selection process of proposals submitted under the SMAP 2000 Call for Proposals / Orientations for future work

(The meeting was informed about the selection procedure applying to the regional projects and focused the discussion on orientations for future action, in a joint effort to improve performance)

4. Preparation of input for the Ministerial Meeting scheduled for mid-2002

(The participants welcomed unanimously the Greek invitation to host the 2^nd Euro-Med Ministerial Conference on the Environment in mid-2002 and exchanged some first views on the preparation of this event)

5. Environmental integration, in particular in view of the EMFTA

(The need for environmental integration in particular at national level and for a sustainable EMFTA was clearly stressed)

On the basis of the discussions, the Chairman of the meeting (DG Environment) drew the following conclusions on the follow-up of the joint activities for the Euro-Mediterranean environment:

1. The SMAP Correspondents will send to the European Commission by the end of July 2001 comments and/or additional information in order to complete their National Reports. To allow for comparison it was agreed to follow the suggested outline, which will be adapted to the conditions in EC-MS and non-EC Med Partners. The National Reports will be used by the Commission to prepare a Compendium, which will be put on the SMAP web site along with the National Reports.

2. On the basis of these National Reports and the experience gained from the implementation, the EC will prepare a first Regional Interim Report to be discussed at the 4^th SMAP Correspondents meeting and reviewed at the 2^nd Euro-Med Ministerial Conference on the Environment.

3. All members of the SMAP Correspondents Network (including the NGO Steering Committee) would continue systematic efforts to enhance visibility of the SMAP activities.

4. There was a general acceptance of the Terms of Reference for the SMAP Correspondents Network, with a few modifications proposed during the discussion. It was made clear that these ToR are not legally binding; they are seen as a tool facilitating the joint work and can be adapted to new needs and conditions in the future.

5. The SMAP Correspondents assisted by National Institutes are expected to increase activities at national level (information, contacts with other Ministries, national NGOs, environmental projects in NIPs, etc), mobilise potential interested applicants and encourage preparation of projects of high quality, better-focused activities and more coherent and sustainable policies. The Commission undertook to make some financing available for the work of the National Institutes, which have yet to be designated.

6. On the basis of a brief oral presentation, there was no objection on the proposed orientations for the next phase of regional SMAP (to be reflected in the 2002 Call). The proposals which are under discussion within the Commission, envisage that joint work would focus on more visible results, including through projects related to the 5 SMAP priority fields, Environmental Performance Evaluations of countries volunteering for such an exercise, and Training Courses for Project Managers.

7. The EC will try to improve the effectiveness of its procedures, including through an envisaged regional monitoring unit.

8. The members of the NGO Steering Committee were invited to promote environmental integration in the context of the forthcoming Mediterranean Civil Forum (Brussels, 19-20 October 2001), which for the first time does not foresee a separate meeting of environmental NGOs.

9. On the assumption (since confirmed) that there would be no objection of the Euro-Med Committee on the proposed 2nd Euro-Med Ministerial Conference on the Environment (to be held in Greece, in the first half of July 2002), participants were invited to send to the Commission at their earliest convenience input for the evaluation of SMAP implementation, as well as for the proposed strategy on environmental integration. The Commission, in co-operation with the host country and the EU Presidency at the time, and taking into consideration the inputs sent by participants, will prepare a draft strategy paper as a basis for discussion and adoption by the Ministers. The exact agenda of the Conference will be announced, in co-operation between Commission and host country. The dates for the Experts Meeting in Malta to prepare the Conference will be defined as rapidly as possible. There will be a broad consultation process, as usual, involving in particular the NGO Steering Committee, the MAP Secretariat and Contracting Parties, METAP, as well as Secretariats of major relevant Conventions.

10. The 4^th SMAP Correspondents meeting would probably also focus on the preparation of the Ministerial Conference in order to finalise the documents for adoption. As a result, it should be held in the first quarter of 2002 and not in June as in the past. The exact dates will be announced in due course.

11. After being updated on on-going activities in different contexts related to the EMFTA and the environment, the meeting expressed its satisfaction over the Commission's intention to launch a Sustainability Impact Assessment of the EMFTA by the end of this year, ensuring complementarity with the relevant on-going studies.

 

Texts available in French:

"BREF RAPPORT ET CONCLUSIONS DU PRÉSIDENT"  (3ème réunion)

"TERMES DE REFERENCE POUR LE RESEAU DES CORRESPONDANTS SMAP"   

(pdf ~60K)