23 February 2011
23.02.2011 - The Chief Executive Officer of the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Ilir Morina, held separate meetings with Mr. Gordon McInnes, Deputy Director of the European Environment Agency, and with Mr. Georg Reberning, Executive Director of the Austrian Environment Agency.
In the meeting with Mr. McInnes, the assistance that the European Environment Agency is providing to the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency in the reporting process to the European Information and Observation Network (EIONET) was discussed. Thanks to this assistance, officials of KEPA had the opportunity to participate in several workshops and seminars organized by the EEA, where they gained experience from the work of EU member countries in handling environmental issues. The meeting also discussed the planned activities for this year and the possibilities for Kosovo to benefit from these activities. During this year, among other things, KEPA has also benefited from the EEA through the engagement of a dedicated coordinator for the National Focal Point with this institution.
During the meeting with Mr. Georg Reberning, Executive Director of the Austrian Environment Agency, the discussion mainly focused on the implementation of the European Commission Twinning Project Support to the Environmental Sector in Kosovo, which has this Agency as the main partner in its implementation. There was also discussion about other forms of support that the Austrian Environment Agency can offer to the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency and to environmental institutions in general. Both meetings have a special importance for advancing the issue of European integration in the environmental sector.