raising awareness on environmental liability directive in slovenia · 2019-09-11 · raising...

Raising awareness on Environmental Liability Directive in Slovenia

Lea Tomažič

Project Content Manager

With the financial contribution of the LIFE Programme of the European Union.

DOC8—04/03/2019

About EcoLex Life

Duration of the project:

• Start date: 15/07/17

• End date: 31/12/19

Project budget:

• Total budget: 1.303.848 €

• EU financial contribution: 59,97%

• MOP financial contribution: 10%

Project is supported by LIFE, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action.

Coordinating beneficiary:

• TAX-FIN-LEX d.o.o.

Associated beneficiary:• Pristop Media d.o.o.

About EcoLex Life

Environmental Liability Directive – ELD (Directive 2004/35/EC)

It is based on the

„POLLUTER-PAYS PRINCIPLE“

EcoLex Life project objectives

• Raise awareness among key stakeholders regarding EnvironmentalLiability Directive – ELD (Directive 2004/35/EC) and influence changein their behaviour;

• Identify the shortcomings in the implementation of the ELD inSlovenia and prepare suggestions for improvements;

• Establish dialogue among key stakeholders;

• Assist in the development of ELD specific insurance policy;

• Transfer good practice from abroad.

Online platform with four interconnected tools

1. EcoClipping• Emailing notification service on individually selected environmental

topics of user interest.

• It covers:

news on environmental legislation;

- Official Journal of the EU;

- Slovenian Official Gazette;

- Parliament etc.

environmental news from different sources;

eco-thought;

information on the ECOLEX LIFE project activities.

2. Collection of environmental legislation

• The first comprehensive online collection of currently applicableenvironmental legislation in Slovenia;

• All documents are consolidated and linked to related documents:

- EU regulations;

- national regulations;

- case-law;

• A detailed explanation of the content and requirements of theEnvironmental Liability Directive.

3. Environmental guide

Interactive aplication, which willdescribe the main requirements ofthe environmental legislation.

Each user will receive a range of useful tips and advice on:-how to act in accordance with environmental legislation and -how to avoid environmental liability.

4. Risk assessment tool

The main purpose of this tool is toprovide users with an assessmentof their risks of causingenvironmental damage.

It will be available as an interactiveapplication.

Users will receive the keyinformation for managing theirenvironmental and financial risks.

Visible results of the project

• Regional workshops on raising awareness on ELD

Visible results of the project

• International Conferences

Visible results of the project

• New cooperation between some of the key stakeholders;

• Monthly 3,900 views of EcoLex online platform;

• On average, about 44 new registrations for EcoClipping per month;

• Specialized workshop for representatives from public institutions;

• ...

Specialized workshop

Workshop was run by foreign experts:

• Dr Joshua Lipton (ecotoxicologist)

• Ms Jennifer Peers (environmental scientist)

Dr Joshua Lipton

Ms Jennifer Peers

Mr Hans LopattaMr Jure Leben

Specialized workshop Participants:

• Day 1: operators and public institutions

• Day 2 & 3: public institutions, who are working in the field of environmental protection and environmental engineers.

Specialized workshop

Day 1:

• legal and administrative overview of the Environmental Liability Directive and

• overview of resource equivalency methods and remediation

Day 2 & 3:

• working group exercise for damage and remediation assessment;

• examples from outside Slovenia

• training on one imaginary ELD case and

• training on one Slovenian ELD case.

Specialized workshop Feedback from participants - Day 1:

What would facilitate the implementation / understanding of environmentallegislation?

Additional explanation on individual regulations

More information about legislative amendments

Seminars

Transparent collection of all environmental legislation

Other

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 1:

Did you know the content or main emphasis on the EnvironmentalLiability Directive before the workshop?

Specialized workshop Feedback from participants - Day 1:

Do you think that the delimitation of competences between competent nationalauthorities working in the field of environmental protection (mainly betweenSlovenian Environment Agency, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning,Inspectorate for the Environment and Spatial Planning) are clearly presented to thepublic?

Specialized workshop Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

What problems are you encountering in regards to law-making andenforcement of environmental legislation?

Pressure from state bodies, other institutions, operators

Time pressureInsufficient expertise/personnel

Insufficient fundsOther

Specialized workshop Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you support the idea of setting up a special environmental fund towhich all operators would pay, and the collected funds would be usedto cover the costs of remedying environmental damage in cases wherethese costs can not be imposed on an individual operator?

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think that operators know who they can turn to withquestions related to environmental damage?

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think that state authorities working in the field ofenvironmental protection cooperate sufficiently with each other?

Yes

Well, but not enough

No

No answer

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think that state authorities working in the field ofenvironmental protection cooperate sufficiently with local authorities?

Yes

Well, but not enough

Enough, but not sufficiently

No

No answer

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think that state authorities working in the field ofenvironmental protection and NGOs cooperate sufficiently with eachother?

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think that state authorities working in the filed ofenvironmental protection cooperate sufficiently with operators?

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Do you think we need a duty emergency service, which would provideprofessional help and coordinate work at the site of environmentaldamage?

Specialized workshop

Feedback from participants - Day 2&3:

Did the workshop give you additional knowledge which you will beable to use at your work?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!