Appraisal of the proposed cooperation between Serbia and Sweden on preparations and implementation of the Environmental Approximation Strategy

The Government of Serbia adopted the Environmental Approximation Strategy (NEAS) for membership in the EU in March 2012. This strategy aim is to form the basis for accession negotiations in connection with the Chapter 27 (environment).

The Serbian Ministry for Energy, Development and Environmental Protection, MEDEP, (earlier Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has finalised a two-year cooperation on capacity building for environmental accession negotiations. The cooperation is assessed by Sida to have been successful and MEDEP and SEPA have presented a proposal for continued cooperation. The area of cooperation has been expanded (compared to the ongoing cooperation, see proposal) in terms of areas of cooperation and includes support to development of the Directive Specific Implementation Plans, preparation of position paper and related documentation.

After elections in 2012 a new government is now in place, however the final organizational set-up within MEDEP was not yet not in place. A Functional Review (FR) was carried out through support from another Sida supported intervention (Public Administration Reform). The FR recommendations were concretely linked to how MEDEP prepare for implementation of the NEAS and were hence relevant for the planned Sida support. ORGUT was assigned to support Sida in the assessment of the proposal.