The agenda setting at local level takes place within the framework of national policy goals and guidelines. The agenda setting processes are influenced by the persons involved in different initiatives, programmes and networks. The Norwegian Network of Health and Environmental Municipalities, the Programme for Eco-municipalities and the education network that aim to develop co-operation among educators, scientists, governments, NGO, business and other major groups, are examples of structures and actors that might influence the local environmental policy at agenda setting level.
21.7
21.7
21.7
21.7 Decision-Making Bodies and Influence of Domestic Background and Sector;Decision-Making Bodies and Influence of Domestic Background and Sector;Decision-Making Bodies and Influence of Domestic Background and Sector;Decision-Making Bodies and Influence of Domestic Background and Sector;
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
The natural resource aspect of sustainable development is handled in different policies, strategies, plans and legislation within the fields of agriculture, atmosphere, biodiversity, Energy, Forest, Freshwater, Land Management, Mountains, Oceans and Coastal Areas, Toxic Chemicals, Waste and Harzadous Materials etc. The policies to a large extent reflect the international conventions in which Norway takes part. The policies of land and area management reflect the patterns of human settlement in Norway as well as the geographical features of mountains and forest covering. The protection and use of resources for energy purposes is very central in Norway.
Key pieces of legislation are the Planning and Building Act, the Pollution Control Act, the Watercourses Regulation Act, the Energy Act, the Nature Conservation Act, the Agricultural Act, the Wildlife Act, the Forestry Act, the Aquaculture Act , the Land Act, the Continental Shelf Act.
• Contacts:Contacts:Contacts:Contacts:
- Liv Hege Skagestad, Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. - Ingwild Svensen, Ministry of the Environment.
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Slovak Republic
Slovak Republic
Slovak Republic
Slovak Republic
22.1
22.1
22.1
22.1 IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction
The Slovak Republic is a country in transition and a member candidate of the EU with a “typical” centralized administration system, caused by its development and history before 1989. That means, there are only administrative structures from state government (for the whole country, the regions/districts and the local level) and self-government ones at local level, but there is as yet no level between those two. To become a member of the EU it is requested to set up a structure of regional authorities (there are 8 Slovak regions, 438 independent municipalities) with elected representatives as at national and local level. That is one of the tasks yet to be undertaken by the Slovak Government. Consequently, for integration of the environment and SEA the national level is a very important one and needs to be examined carefully.
22.2
22.2
22.2
22.2 Extent to Which the Environment is Extent to Which the Environment is Extent to Which the Environment is Extent to Which the Environment is Integrated into Decision-MakingIntegrated into Decision-MakingIntegrated into Decision-MakingIntegrated into Decision-Making
The extent of environmental integration is prescribed by legislation and by executive regulations. For a rough overall assessment it can be seen as fair. Concerning the theoretical approach the extent to which the environment is integrated into decision-making is more than fair, but in practice it is assessed more or less as poor or at best fair (related to the framing conditions); for details see below.
22.3
22.3
22.3
22.3 Mechanisms Allowing for Integration of the Environment at Agenda Setting,Mechanisms Allowing for Integration of the Environment at Agenda Setting,Mechanisms Allowing for Integration of the Environment at Agenda Setting,Mechanisms Allowing for Integration of the Environment at Agenda Setting,
Policy Making and Strategic Levels
Policy Making and Strategic Levels
Policy Making and Strategic Levels
Policy Making and Strategic Levels
For strategic environmental policy there are methods and instruments used like cost-benefit- analysis, environmental audit, Agenda 21, SEA and risk assessment. In the Slovak constitution there exist some general statements regarding integration of the environment. There exists ten principles (very general ones, e.g. “precedence of preventive over corrective measures”; “an awareness, that our generation bears a responsibility to future generations for the environment”; “payment of expenses connected with polluters eliminating environmental damage for which they are responsible”) of a national environmental policy (1993), approved by the Slovak Parliament as Resolution 202/1993, containing long-term (“strategic”, e.g. 80% reduction of SO2, NOx and dust emissions), medium-term and short-
term objectives.
Environment policy follows a document titled “The Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Governmental Environmental Policy”. For purposes of local needs and for NEAP
(National Environmental Action Programme) preparation, this document is being worked out at regional level in 38 district environmental offices.
Moreover, the Slovak Republic has acceded to several International Conventions (e.g. UN Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on EIA in a Transboundary Context and so on), and some accessions are being prepared. SEA guidelines and two handbooks are already drafted, but not yet in official use.
22.4
22.4
22.4
22.4 Types of Policies, Plans and Programmes to Which SEA or Similar is AppliedTypes of Policies, Plans and Programmes to Which SEA or Similar is AppliedTypes of Policies, Plans and Programmes to Which SEA or Similar is AppliedTypes of Policies, Plans and Programmes to Which SEA or Similar is Applied
Article 35 of the Slovak EIA Act also covers to a certain degree the strategic level. The application of environmental assessment is therefore obligatory for
• A substantial development policy, especially in the area of energy supply, mining, industry, transport, agriculture, forestry and water management, waste management and tourism
• Territorial planning documentation for the entire territory and for the regional and residential settlements of selected areas, especially in the centre of a region, urban conservation areas, spas, and particularly polluted localities
• Any proposal for generally legal binding directions that may have an adverse impact on the environment.
Note: No generally binding legal directive has yet been reviewed by this procedure. There is, therefore, a significant gap between the theoretical requirements and the planning practice.
22.5
22.5
22.5
22.5 Institutions/Organisations Responsible for SEA and Integration of theInstitutions/Organisations Responsible for SEA and Integration of theInstitutions/Organisations Responsible for SEA and Integration of theInstitutions/Organisations Responsible for SEA and Integration of the
Environment into Decision-Making
Environment into Decision-Making
Environment into Decision-Making
Environment into Decision-Making
At the national level the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is the main actor, responsible for many environmental issues and for landscape plans at regional level. In many areas jurisdictions overlap and require close co-operation between ministries concerned.
Within the Slovak Ministry of the Environment there are 38 district environmental offices. At local level the municipalities are the responsible authorities. A Slovak Environment Inspection, a Slovak Environment Agency (founded in the early nineties), a Slovak Commission of Environment and a federal Committee of Environment also exist.
The State Environmental Fund could be an important institution, but due to its limited resources its role for supporting environmental investments is very restricted.
The legal base for environmental monitoring issues is “The Concept of the Integrated Environment Information System”, covering the whole country and consisting of 13 partial monitoring systems (air, water, fauna and flora, waste, settlement, land-use, geological
by environmental factors, radiation and other physical fields, and meteorology and climatology).
22.6
22.6
22.6
22.6 Persons Involved in Agenda Setting Process and Their Level of Influence inPersons Involved in Agenda Setting Process and Their Level of Influence inPersons Involved in Agenda Setting Process and Their Level of Influence inPersons Involved in Agenda Setting Process and Their Level of Influence in
Decision-Making and Integration of Environmental Considerations
Decision-Making and Integration of Environmental Considerations
Decision-Making and Integration of Environmental Considerations
Decision-Making and Integration of Environmental Considerations
Key persons are: The staff of the Ministry of the Environment, regional governmental authorities, local authorities, different experts, e.g. from NGOs (the most active one is the “Union of Nature and Land Protectionists” SZOPK (Slovak abbreviation), which has signed a contract on co-operation with the MoE) and the important EIA Centres (in Bratislava there is an EIA Centre at the Slovak Technical University/Faculty of Architecture and another one at the Comenius University/Faculty of Natural Sciences). Their influence varies from case to case.
Until now, public participation was narrow, but support for increasing public awareness of environmental issues is an objective of the government.
22.7
22.7
22.7
22.7 Decision-Making Bodies and IDecision-Making Bodies and IDecision-Making Bodies and IDecision-Making Bodies and Influence of Domestic Background and Sector;nfluence of Domestic Background and Sector;nfluence of Domestic Background and Sector;nfluence of Domestic Background and Sector;
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
Key Pieces of Legislation
Each sector has its own separate legislation; town and country planning also has its own legislation. Environmental legislation is a horizontal one to which sectoral legislation cannot be in contradiction. It is important to state that land-use planning at national level is a competence of the Slovak Ministry of the Environment. More than one hundred generally obligatory regulations are in force within the responsibility of the Slovak Ministry of the Environment. They can be divided into regulations regarding:
• Environment generally • Administration
• Particular sectors (sectoral policies: water management, waste management, air protection, nature protection (generally, national parks, protected landscape areas, natural reservation), geological issues and mining, territorial regional planning and building order)
The decision-making bodies are the competent ministries at the national level (especially the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Forestry and Water Industry), the regional state government authorities at regional/district level, local self-government authorities at the local level. In 1997, preparation of the legislative framework and policy making process regarding environmental issues continued further in an effort to approximate them to EU standards.
Key pieces of legislation are:
• No 17/1992: Environment Act
• No 128/1991: Act on State Fund of Environment of Slovak Republic • No 127/1994: Act on EIA
• No 238/1993: Clean Water Act
• No 238/1991: Waste Management Act/CSFR Act about waste • No 309/1991: Act about protecting air against pollutants • No 287/1994: Act on Protection of Nature and Landscape
• No 50/1976, 103/1990, 262/1990: Act about territorial planning and building order (building law)
• Contacts:Contacts:Contacts:Contacts:
- Dr. Ingrid Belcakova and Prof. Dr. Maros Finka, both Slovak Technical University/Faculty of Architecture (Bratislava). - Dr. Ingrid Belcakova is also working for the EIA Centre of the Slovak Technical University/Faculty of Architecture (Bratislava). - Ms Jana Piackova, Slovak Ministry of the Environment.