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Accession to the EU

Assistance in Implementation of the Directive 94-62-EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste for Estonia.pdf

Environmental accession negotiations


• Opening of the Environmental Chapter with the “Luxembourg group” of associated countries
– December 1998
• Bi- and multilateral screening
– 6 January – 26 February 1999
• Estonia’s first Position Paper
– 28 July 1999
• European Union Common Position
– November 1999
• Official opening of negotiations on Chapter 22
– 7 December 1999
• The first addendum to Estonia’s Position Paper
– 2 June 1999
• The second addendum to Estonia’s Position Paper
– 7 July 1999
• Estonia’s second Position Paper on the “new acquis”
– 25 July 2000 
• European Union Common Position
– 29 November 2000
• The third addendum to Estonia’s Position Paper
– 7 February 2001
• Provisional closure of Chapter 22
– 1 June 2001

Result of negotiations concerning some of the main directives

• Directive 94/63/EC on the control of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions
– Transition period (TP) agreed until the end of 2006 for construction of petrol vapour regeneration systems taking into account the throughput of stations and terminals

• Directive 91/271/EEC on urban waste water treatment
– TP agreed until 2010 for renovation/construction of sewerage systems and waste water treatment facilities

• Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption
– TP agreed until 2013 for renovation/construction of water supply systems and water treatment facilities

• Directive 1999/31/EC on landfill of waste
– Estonia confirms that as from 16 July 2009, the requirements of the Directive will be fully applied to waste, which is landfilled
– The EU can accept transitional measure and agrees that for existing landfills the requirements for liquid and corrosive waste only apply to oil shale ash as from 16 July 2009
– The EU agrees that necessary technology needs to be developed and put in place by 2009

• Directive 91/676/EEC on nitrate pollution from agricultural sources
– Estonia will establish an Action Programme upon accession
– The EU confirms that implementation of the Programme can be completed by 31 December 2008

• Directive 80/68/EEC on the protection of groundwater
– Estonia will provide adequate monitoring and permitting upon accession

• Directive 76/464/EEC on discharge of dangerous substances into surface water and its “daughter” directives
– Estonia implements fully the Directive with regard to the List I substances upon accession
– With regard to the List II substances, Estonia will establish pollution reduction programmes by accession
– These programmes must be implemented no later than 6 years after their establishment

• Directive 79/409/EEC on wild birds
• Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats
– Estonia will apply, upon accession, the protection measures foreseen in Art. 6(2), (3) and (4) of the Directive 92/43/EEC for all sites included in the list of sites eligible as SCI as well as for all sites designated as SPA under Directive 79/409/EEC 
– The issue of amendments to the annexes of both Directives will be tackled at a later stage of the negotiations


Progress report (November 2001)

Achievements

• Continuous progress towards achieving full and effective alignement with the environmental acquis
• Integration of the environment into other policies: 
- action programme for sustainable development “Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea region”
• Horizontal legislation: 
– Ratification of the Espoo (2000) and Århus conventions (2001)
– Accession to EEA (2001)
• Air Quality
– Act on the Accession to EMEP (2000)
– Improvement of legislation
– Air Accession Twinning Project
– National Programmes on Air Protection and for Phasing out Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
• Waste Management
– Improvement of legislation
– Elaborating National Waste Management Plan
• Water Quality
– Improvement of legislation
– Water Protection Programme
– Environmental Monitoring Programme 
• Nature Protection
– National Programme “Estonian NATURA 2000 for 2000-2007” 
• Industrial pollution control and risk management, genetically modified organisms and chemicals
– Improvement of legislation

Assessment and Suggestions

• Advancement has been made in most areas in relation to both transposition and implementation of the acquis 
• However 
– administrative capacity and enforcement of all environmental legislation needs to be improved 
– acceleration of the implementation of the acquis in the areas of
• waste, particularly the landfill of waste
• discharge of dangerous substances in the aquatic environment
• strengthening efforts to meet microbiological parameters for drinking water
• integrating environmental protection requirements into the other sectoral policies with a view to promoting sustainable development
• Administrative capacity needs to be strengthened at local level in smaller municipalities
• Considerable investments need to be insured
• Enforcement of environmental legislation needs to be improved in the areas of air protection and chemicals

ISPA

Estonia is supported in its efforts by ISPA (Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) which is managed by the EU Commission General Directorate of Regional Policy (DG-REGIO).  

In the environment sector, ISPA focuses on measures which will enable Estonia to comply with the EU Accession Partnership and with the priorities indicated in the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA). In particular ISPA  focuses on substantive approximation with the most costly directives: 

·  Urban Waste Water Directive,
·  Drinking Water Directive,
·  Large Combustion Plants Directive
·  Air Quality Framework Directive
·  Landfills Directive
·  Several other directives related to solid waste management and recycling. 

Proposed projects should be large enough to have a significant impact on environmental protection

The total cost of each project will in principle be not less than EUR 5 million.  Preferred ISPA beneficiaries include mainly public sector units, such as state enterprises acting for public utility, local communities and municipal enterprises registered under commercial law but totally owned by local communities.

The rate of ISPA support can be up to 75% of the total cost of expenditure by public bodies.

ISPA strategy paper for the environment sector.pdf

Projects 2001-2006:

ANNEX 1.pdf

ANNEX 2.pdf