Project term: 1st January 2006- 31st December 2006

The knowledge and experience transfer were lead to a comparison and therefore better understanding of Russian environmental legislation as well and therefore strengthen the capacity of Russian environmental NGOs to participate in future in policy making and society awareness raising processes with increased competencies on environmental policy – European and Russian.

Several methods were to be used under this project:
- 3 intensive training courses of 3-4 days each for 15 Russian experts from project applicant and other environmental NGOs - Indicator based self-evaluation of competency
- Legislation analysis (comparison RU-EU)
- Stakeholder mapping
- Terminology comparison (RU-ENG)
- Information exchange and networking.

The training programme was structured in the following way:

Seminar concept development meeting in Riga: applicant and the partner develop together the programme of each seminar (lectures, exercises, home works, and background materials for distribution). Furthermore success indicators were being developed and the future trainees introduced.

Kick-off meeting in St. Petersburg with the interested Russian NGOs: introduction to the detailed seminar programme and agreements on conditions for participation. Commitments of those NGOs.

3 seminars in Saint-Petersburg:

1.Introduction to the structure of European Union and its institutions, basics in EU environmental legislation and policy making. EU policy making process. For example, REACH – the new chemicals policy. Responsibility shift from state to industry, environmental concerns versus economic interests. REACH and Russia: outside borders of EU and related business impacts. Public information and REACH – vis-à-vis Russian legislation making processes. Stakeholder mapping.

2. EU waste policy and its implementation: Waste Framework Directive, Directives on different waste streams, Hazardous waste Directive/Basel convention. Russian waste legislation – comparison. Municipal tasks in implementation and potentials for NGOs to act. Basel convention transboundary waste movement issue and Russia as potential target country for waste shipments. Development of glossary of the different terminology (Russian-English). Stakeholder mapping.

3. EU policy making process Focus on Water legislation (example for modern policy making): Water framework Directive, Drinking water Directive, Urban Waste Water Directive. Russian water legislation vis-à-vis European water legislation: main differences & similarities. Development of glossary of the different terminology (Russian-English). Stakeholder mapping.

4. Evaluation meeting: evaluation of studies, analysis of successes based on the agreed success indicators. Self assessment of Russian NGOs. Ideas for new projects based on the newly gained knowledge.

This project was financed by the European Union