Elaboration of the alternative report “Rio+10” on the realization of the principles of the sustainable development in Moldova

In 2001 BIOTICA together with the Regional Environmental Center in Moldova with the support of The Earth Council, organized a national seminar with the purpose to estimate the ways to sustainable development for the period 1992-2001 and to discuss the necessary steps for the effective development of the country’s economy for the best of the people and environment. The seminar, where scientists, representatives of the NGOs, farmers, businessmen, central and local authorities participated, allowed to organize a poll among the participants on different acute problems. The final seminar’s results in the form of report were presented in electronic form as a shadow report for Johannesburg Summit.

Elaboration of the draft on the Dniester Convention

Due to the fact that the environmental status of the Dniester River is a priority for BIOTICA Ecological Society and this river, in basin of which more than 5 mln citizens of Moldova and Ukraine are living, is a transboundary watercourse, at the end of 1990s appeared the necessity to sign a complex agreement on transboundary basin between Moldova and Ukraine, which would allow ensuring an effective and sustainable management and use of water, biological and other natural resources connected with the river basin. The draft of the Convention provides the creation of the Dniester Convention, which includes the representatives of the main users and public, describes the functions of the Commission and Secretariat, acting on standing basis, which should ensure the implementing of the decisions of the Commission.

That is why in 1997 BIOTICA initiated join meetings of the environmental committees of the Parliaments of Moldova and Ukraine in Kyiv, and in 1999 – in Chisinau. Both sessions approved resolutions for the support of the elaboration and signing of the Dniester Convention. In 1998 and 1999 BIOTICA organized in Chisinau two international conferences on the problems of biodiversity conservation in the Dniester basin, where first draft of the Dniester Convention was presented and discussed. Later at the Ministry of Ecology of Moldova a working group was created that improved the draft and presented it for the coordination to the Ukrainian counterpart

«Democracy through Participation – the support of the ratification and implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Moldova»

Within the framework of the project «Democracy through Participation» together with German Independent Institute for Environmental Concerns (UfU. e.V, Berlin), BIOTICA implemented TACIS-Democracy project «Democracy through Participation» with the aim to enforce partnership between ECOs, MPs and governmental decision makers to develop participation in decision-making. Due to the project «Democracy through Participation» the environmental NGOs familiarized with the current possibilities for the public participation in the decision-making process and improvement of the national legislation in this field. More than that, two books were published and widely distributed in the CIS area: «Democracy through Participation» and Aarhus Convention (first official edition in national language in Europe).

Elaboration of the report on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environment and health matters in Moldova

In 1998-1999 BIOTICA's team (Ilya Trombitsky and Valery Lebedev) prepared a report on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environment and health matters in Moldova. The report was a part of UNECE-wide assessment funded by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. It was prepared ahead of the London «Environment and Health» Ministerial Conference (June 1999). The report analysed the state of Moldovan legislation on environment and health, as well as provisions for the access to information and public participation in environment and health matters. The report included a number of case studies.

Elaboration of the report on access to environmental information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters in Moldova

In 1997-1998 BIOTICA's team (Ilya Trombitsky, Valery Lebedev, Iulia Trombitcaia) prepared a report on access to environmental information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters in the Republic of Moldova. The project was part of a larger assessment of the current state of public participation in the UNECE countries, funded by the Regional Environmental Center for CEE. It allowed to assess the situation before the adoption of Aarhus Convention at the 4th «Environment for Europe» Conference in June 1998. The results of this Europe-wide survey are published in «Doors to Democracy» 4-volumes book contributed to strengthening of the text of the Convention, and provided guidelines for its implementation. Moldovan report focused on legislative provisions, as well as practical experiences in access to environmental information, public participation and access to justice. It included case studies and best practices, as well as a number of recommendations. The preparation of this report allowed to develop drafts and to introduce a number of amendments to improve Moldovan legislation.

The report is available at: http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/PPDoors/NIS/Moldova1.html

Elaboration of the law draft «On Access to Environmental Information»

With the support of the Eurasia Foundation / USAID in 1996 BIOTICA elaborated the draft law «On Access to Environmental Information», which content is closely connected with ECE Directive 313/90 and Sofia'95 Guidelines. This draft was presented to the Parliament in October 1996 and to the Environmental Committee of the Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) of CIS countries in St. Petersburg as a model law for the countries of the community and was passed in IPA in December 16, 1997.