
Ongoing projects (4)
The project “Inventory, assessment and remediation of anthropogenic sources of pollution in the Lower Danube Region of Ukraine, Romania” (MIS ETC 995) financed by the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova 2007 – 2013, will lay the basis for cross-border cooperation in the Lower Danube region for identifying the significant land-based sources of pollution, improved monitoring of them, sharing information about them, and developing a strategy for reducing or eliminating their impacts. As the three countries concerned share the Danube River as a single hydrological unit, pollution in one part can quickly impact others, so it is in the interest of all partners to cooperate closely in this project.
During the course of the project number of investigations involving 3 countries concerning the sources of soil and water pollution (including hazardous waste storage sites) in the Lower Danube region will be conducted, a risk assessment of these sources, and a cross-border strategy for dealing with potential risks and emergencies from the pollution sources will be identified.
The specific project objectives are:
- To improve knowledge of the current state of chemical dumps and wastewater discharges in the Lower Danube region and establish priorities on how to reduce or eliminate them;
- To reduce pollution of the Danube from wastewater discharges; and
- To increase public awareness about sources of soil and water pollution
The regional project is structured within 4 components:
- Inventory and assessment of sources of pollution affecting land and waters
- Wastewater treatment infrastructure
- Long term monitoring and risk assessment of pollution sources
- Public Information Service on Pollution Sources
The GEF/UNEP Enabling Activity Development of Minamata Initial Assessment in Moldova, supported by the United Nations Environmental Programme, aims at preparing the ground to ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Moldova and to building national capacity to meet reporting and other obligations under the Convention.
Our country is one of 92 states to join the Minamata Convention on Mercury which is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The Convention will support the countries’ efforts in strengthening measures against mercury at national, regional and global level in order to reduce its adverse impacts on human health and environment. The Minamata Convention provides for controls of mercury releases into the atmosphere across a range of industries, such as coal power plants, incineration and cement production. It has also agreed on a range of mercury-containing products whose production, import and export will be banned by 2020.
The Republic of Moldova signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury on 10 October 2013.
GEF/UNEP project Enabling Activity Development of Minamata Initial Assessment in Moldova will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment through the Environmental Pollution Prevention Office, in cooperation with other relevant ministries, and the expected outcomes will contribute to reinforcement of the institutional capacities in this sector.
The goal of the MIA development is to protect human health and the environment from the risks posed by the unsound use, management and release of mercury.
The development of the MIA has five components:
- Component 1: Determination of Coordination Mechanism and organization of process;
- Component 2: Assessment of the national infrastructure and capacity for the management and monitoring of mercury, including national legislation;
- Component 3: Development of a mercury inventory using the UNEP mercury toolkit;
- Component 4: Identification of challenges, needs and opportunities to implement the Minamata Convention on Mercury;
- Component 5: Preparation, validation of National MIA report and implementation of awareness raising activities and dissemination of results.
The CO-WANDA project aims at providing integrated solutions to the realities of the Danube region by taking into consideration the cultural, social, economic and geographical features of all the riparian countries represented within the consortium. The goal is to achieve a jointly agreed transnational ship waste management system that answers the needs of each country in particular, while promoting a green transport mode that shall play a key role in the economic development of the region.
Based on their areas of expertise and interests, the project partners from 9 countries (EU and Non-EU countries) have joined their efforts in an attempt to clarify the following aspects regarding the navigation on the Danube:
- Find solutions to improve the ship waste management system on this international waterway;
- Try out different ship waste collection alternatives under the form of pilot actions and use the data thus gathered to identify the pros and cons of each of the tests, as well as the perfect mix of technical solutions to be adopted by each country on its respective sector; and last but not least
- Create the basis for an international Danube ship waste convention to be applied on the Danube.
In line with the framework CO-WANDA project goals, EPPO´s project aims for establishing a sustainable, environmentally sound and transnationally coordinated approach in ship waste management along the Danube by increasing the relevance of the policies formulated in the Republic of Moldova to tackle these issues and creates the basis for preparation and follow up ratification of the Danube ship waste management treaty. The CO-WANDA –EPPO project is supported by the European Union, through the SEE Transnational Cooperation Programme, Additional ENPI Call for partners from Moldova.
The expected results of EPPO´s activities are:
i) An improved platform for dialogue at SEE level regarding the signatory of the CO-WANDA Convention by formulation of the necessary policy documents and intensive consulting with the Government of the Republic of Moldova;
ii) Strengthening the national policy framework related to ship waste management in the Republic of Moldova;
iii) An increased capacity within the country at both national and regional levels, to implement modern waste management systems, including ship waste in Moldova, thereby facilitating a reduction in potential harmful environmental and health impacts which currently prevails throughout the country.
Applicant: Slovak Environmental agency
Partner: Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova
Donor: Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation
Duration: September 2013– August 2014
The appropriate management of WEEE is essential and important for economy, environment, sustainable resource management and human health. At EU level the special Directives have been introduced to provide specific measure on WEEE management with the aim to prevent, reuse, recycle and other forms of recovery of such waste as to reduce the environmental impacts from these at EU scale. EEE producers are responsible for paying for the waste management system under the principle
The project overall goal consists of analysis of current situation in WEEE management in Moldova and providing technical and expertize support on drafting of secondary legislation for establishing an integrated system for WEEE management, initiation of the procedure for development of the software for the EEE producer’s registration.
The project presents the continuation of the activities launched in 2011 with the support of Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation on development of environmental legislation in Moldova and its harmonisation with legal regulation of the European Union. At the same time, the project will contribute to the improvement of expert capacities and awareness raising of state administration and general public on environmentally sound handling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
The target group of the project is state administration, public administration and other relevant subjects either from non-governmental organisations or private sector.
Expected outputs of the project:
- Draft Governmental Decision on WEEE regulation
- Technical concept on software for the EEE Register
- The pool of trained staff of MoE
- Final project report