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Press Release
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Press Release
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Major rethink needed on EU aid programs, says new NGO publication
Brussels, June 3 - EU money needs to be spent wisely so that it serves people and the environment, say CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe launching a new publication during Green Week. "Making EU funds work for people and the environment" [1] details how the EU has a long way to go to make its financial aid to central and eastern European (CEE) countries the driving force for the sustainable development of the region. The case studies in the new publication are based on NGO monitoring of the ISPA ( Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) Program's implementation and its impacts since the program began. Seven in-depth analyses carried out in different CEE countries - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and the Slovak Republic - assess the appraisal process of ISPA projects, with particular focus on the often sub-standard quality of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). One of the problematic projects described is the Ljulin motorway in Bulgaria. Anelia Stefanova of Za Zemiata, a Sofia-based member of CEE Bankwatch, commented, " During the appraisal of the Ljulin motorway project for an ISPA program grant, it was confirmed that the EIA procedure undertaken was in violation of European legislation. In the course of pushing the project forward this fact has been forgotten, as has the involvement of affected people. The Ljulin case demonstrates the need for the European Commission to create an easily accessible compliance mechanism for EU funded projects so that affected citizens can assess them and request that they comply with EU legislation." "Making EU funds work for people and the environment " provides r ecommendations relevant to both the current management of the ISPA program and future Cohesion projects in the upcoming 2007-2013 funding period. CEE Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe are part of the "Coalition for sustainable EU funds". The coalition is targeting their recommendations at the drafting of the new regulations for the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund for the period 2007-2013, adding an environmental voice to a debate clearly dominated by the drive for economic growth and competitiveness. Magda Stoczkiewicz of CEE Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe said, "The deficiencies we have discovered with the ISPA program illustrate the need for urgent changes to the procedures and guidelines for the 2007-2013 EU aid programs. NGOs are advocating for sustainable development to be at the heart of the new regulations currently being drafted." Contacts in Brussels during Green Week: Magda Stoczkiewicz, CEE Bankwatch Network/FoE Europe, Tel: +31 652 41 03 23 Notes for editors: 1. "Making EU funds work for people and the environment: Case studies from Central and Eastern Europe" is available at: www.bankwatch.org/publications/index.html 2. More information about the "Coalition for sustainable EU funds" is available at: www.foeeurope.org/activities/eufunds/coalition.htm
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