In early 2022, two “sister” Programmes – current EU4Environment programme “Green Economy” and a new EU4Environment programme on Water Management and Environmental data – joined forces under the EU4Environment umbrella to support cleaner environment, greener economy and people’s well-being in the Eastern Partner (EaP) countries.
The new Water and Data programme will contribute to sustainable water resources management and policy development, sound environmental statistics and open data.
Latest in June
The First Regional Action Group meeting of EU4Environment – Water and Data took place on 22 June and gathered around 130 participants. Among them, high-level representatives from the European Union, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and representatives of the implementing partners provided their insights on the programme’s next steps as the inception phase draws to a close.
Armenia: the Government of Armenia approved the package of amendments to the Water Code, National Water Policy and National Water Programme, which were developed with the support of the European Union Water Initiative Plus. Among other things, the amendments to the Water Code, Water Policy and Water Programme incorporate the main principles and approaches of the European Union Water Framework Directive, including the terminology, such as water bodies, status of water bodies, as well as provisions on equitable access to water and sanitation.
Moldova: within the EU Green Week on 3rd June, EU4Environment-Water and Data presented the joint efforts for improving environmental monitoring and data use in the Republic of Moldova during the event “Towards Green Transformation of the Republic of Moldova” organized by EU4Environment – Green Economy.
Ukraine: Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Union Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and Ruslan Strelets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine visited the Vyshhgorod laboratory, upgraded under a previous EU project (2016-2021). EU4Environment – Water and Data will strengthen capacity building for the laboratory staff and support its accreditation according to international standards.
A webinar on water account was organized for Ukrainian stakeholders. The programme held similar webinars or workshops targeted in each partner country earlier in April. The discussions focused on developing and using the water accounts for better understanding of how the behaviour of the society, and its economic activities, are affecting water resources over time.
Georgia: The Georgian delegation participated in a field trip in France organized by the French Development Agency Group. Within this field trip, implementing partners of EU4Environment – Water and Data organized a visit to a constructed wetland, a nature-based solution for wastewater treatment.
Earlier in May
In Moldova, during the mission, a medical microbiologist from the National Agency for Public Health, performed the country’s first ever monitoring/identification of SarsCov-2 virus in wastewater from Chisinau’s sewerage system.
Azerbaijan: a workshop on “economical mechanisms of the water sector: water bills, water fees” was organized during a mission in Azerbaijan, on the request of Azerbaijani partners.
Follow the latest developments under “EU4Environment: Water management and Environmental Data” through their programme’s Facebook Page.
