The Seminar on the Mid-term Evaluation of the Twinning Project - Support to the Environmental Sector in Kosovo was held
22 November 2011
22.11.2011 - Today, at the premises of the EU Information and Cultural Center in Prishtina, the Medium-Term Evaluation Seminar of the EU Twinning Project Support to the Environmental Sector in Kosovo was held. This seminar aimed to present the initial results, findings, and achievements after a year of intensive work and close cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of Kosovo / Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency and experts from the EU Member States Austria, Finland, and Latvia. The seminar was mainly focused on the experiences achieved so far from the perspective of Kosovo experts and the institutions involved, as well as on the importance of these results for the environmental protection sector in Kosovo.
In his opening speech, the CEO of AMMK, Dr. Sc Ilir Morina, announced that: The Twinning Project Support to the Environmental Sector in Kosovo is a project financed by the European Union with a duration of 22 months, a budget of 1.0 million, and with participation in co-financing also by the State Budget of Kosovo. This project is being implemented by the Austrian Environment Agency (UBA), in cooperation with experts from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Center for Environment, Geology, and Meteorology of Latvia. During this period, the project has been focused on building the capacities of AMMK and other units of the MESP in improving the environmental situation in Kosovo through advancing environmental control and monitoring, deepening cooperation with European environmental institutions, as well as through effective reporting on the environmental situation and nd
The development of an efficient environmental information system, Mr. Morina said among other things.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Shpëtim Rudi, in his speech, after expressing special thanks to the European Commission and its liaison office in Kosovo for the support provided to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning through the twinning project, highlighted that the MESP, within the framework of its commitments, has also given special importance to the issue of European Integration and cooperation with the European Commission and the environmental institutions of the European Union. Within the framework of our commitments in the European integration process, in addition to the transposition of national environmental legislation with European Union directives, where valuable progress has been made, we have, through projects and concrete actions, also sought to meet other environmental challenges and standards identified by the Progress Reports.
The European Commission, he said, adding that twinning projects are a very good instrument to help with these issues.
Deputy Minister of the Ministry of European Integration, Mr. Gëzim Kasapolli, in his speech focused on meeting environmental standards in the European integration process, while Mr. Melvin Asin, from the European Commission Liaison Office in Kosovo, spoke about the support that the European Commission has provided and will provide for the environmental sector.
The project leader from the European Union member states, Mr. Arnulf Schönbauer, spoke about the project's progress so far, while officials from the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Department, the Environment Department, and the Kosovo Hydrometeorological Institute presented the results, findings, and achievements so far within the framework of the project.