Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network

National Roundtable: Developing Meta Plan for Chapter 27

Date: 09.06.2015
Place: Skopje, FYR of Macedonia
Organizer: ECRAN Secretariat with EC TAIEX Unit

Strategic planning has direct impact on efficiency of the EU approximation activities including preparation for EU negotiation. Sector policy documents with clearly formulated goals based on good quality of information, identified priorities, clear actions how to achieve them, stakeholders involvement, monitoring of implementation, etc. is necessary condition for implementation of sector approach required by IPA II implementation.

Targeted preparation for screening and negotiations shall start early. Attention shall be paid to planning documents in order to have answers on how and when requirements will be transposed and implemented.

Regional Training on the Role of Planning Documents in Approximation Process and Management of the Process for Chapter 27 using approximation policy documents and building on the recent experience of the countries in the accession process was held in the period 18 – 19 March 2014 in Podgorica, Montenegro. Outcomes were used to develop draft outline for bilateral discussion – five steps check list regarding meta-planning. Purpose of the workshop is to discuss five steps check list regarding meta-planning and development of the Meta – plan for sector Environment (Chapter 27).

The check list to be discussed during the meeting includes:

1. National environmental priorities:
   1. Priority problems
   2. EU strategic documents influencing national priorities
   3. Strategies and plans to address national priorities
2. Formal requirements for planning documents as part of acquis:
   1. Foreseen in the acquis as obligatory,
   2. Foreseen in the acquis as optional,
   3. Depending on the selected way for implementation of requirements which may require development of additional supporting documents (i.e., plan foreseen under LCP requirements if postponing targets option is used).
3. Planning documents depending on selected strategy for negotiations:
   1. Expected transitional periods,
   2. Directive Specific Implementation Plans to cover each transitional request.
4. Horizontal planning documents to support institutional and sectoral policies:
   1. Institutional development plans,
   2. Environmental Investment and Financing Plans.
5. Planning of approximation process and relation to NPAA.