ECA network meeting in Tirana, Albania, 25-28 March 2008

The 2008 annual meeting of the Regional Ozone Network for Europe and Central Asia (ECA network) took place in Tirana, Albania, from 25-28 March 2008 and was opened by Excellency Minister Lufter Xhuveli, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Water Management of Albania.

The meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry and the UNEP DTIE’s OzonAction Programme and funded by the by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the Global Environment Facility.

The participants from some 30 countries included Ozone Officers of MLF-funded Article 5 and GEF-funded CEIT countries, representatives of the national health sectors, bilateral partners, resource persons, convention secretariats and implementing agencies.

The main focus of the meeting was:

(1) the development of transition strategies for metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) for non-manufacturing countries
(2) lessons learned from implemented HCFC phase-out strategies and on criteria for selecting HCFC alternative technologies
(3) review of mandatory and optional elements of ODS import / export licensing systems with special focus on HCFCs
(4) status of ratification, compliance and data reporting
(5) the ECA work programme 2008 / 2009.

During the meeting, bilateral and compliance meetings were held with selected countries and the Evaluation Consultant of the Fund Secretariat interviewed Ozone Officers of MLF-funded Article 5 countries concerning their institutional strengthening projects. The main issues beside compliance concerned the ratification of Montreal Protocol amendments and the status of the institutional strengthening projects for CEIT countries.

In order to reduce printed copies, all meeting documents and public presentations have been disseminated on CD-ROM and through the ECA website (see below). Some expert presentations and sensitive information on cases of illegal trade in ODS is not meant for public dissemination but can be made available upon request.

First climate-friendly ECA network meeting

It was the first climate-friendly ECA network meeting combining the off-setting of carbon emission from participants travel through the purchase of Gold Standard carbon reduction certificates as part of UNEP’s climate neutral strategy with a symbolic tree planting event which was organised by the National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Management of Albania. The 70 planted trees were registered in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign (http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/) and the ECA network joint UNEP’s Climate Neutral Network (http://www.unep.org/climateneutral).

Integration of environment and MEAs into national development strategies

Based on the input provided by the UNDP Resident Coordinator Ms. Gulden Turkuz Cosslett, the UNEP representative informed the participants that Albania’s One UN programme includes “Environmentally sustainable development” as an important development goal with an expected outcome the ”Government meets environmental requirements of the EU accession process and of multilateral environmental agreements”. Special attention is given to the focal area of climate change, namely mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Nine countries in Europe & Central Asia are currently in the process of developing their national development strategies (UN Development Assistance Frameworks or UNDAFs) just now – during the 2-year period 2008-2009 to be implemented from 2010 onwards. These countries include:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Macedonia FYR, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Ozone Officers and other MEA focal points should actively be involved in this process and ensure the incorporation of MEA implementation into their national development strategies (UNDAFs).