Annex IV

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Annex IV Situation in a Black Sea Country
Relevant to the GPA   Answers to the GPA
Questionnaire
2
In order to assess the situation in each of the
Black Sea Countries relevant to the GPA a
questionnaire Situation in a Black Sea Country
Relevant to the GPA was completed by the
National Focal Points for the LBS Advisory Group
of the BSC and by the Secretariat of the BSC.
 The GPA Questionnaire was sent in February 2004
and completed Questionnaires were received from
all countries and the BSC Secretariat by the end
of April 2004.
3
All NFPs followed very closely the agreed
methodology and in order to complete the
questionnaire they consulted a number of experts
from various organisations in their respective
countries (from 13 to 27 persons) and identified
and consulted numerous documents (from 9 to 37
documents). Respective BS Commissioners cleared
all completed questionnaires.
4
Regarding the NPAs for the implementation of the
GPA (and through its elements the implementation
of the LBS Protocol) there are no such programmes
in any of the Black Sea countries. Nonetheless,
since one section of NSAPs is to deal with
land-based activities, the issues of the GPA and
the implementation of the LBS Protocol should be
integrated within the NSAPs.
5
NSAPs current situation in Black Sea countries is
as follows Turkey adopted its NSAP (1999)
Romania has an NSAP (1998-2005) according to the
National Report of Romania for the IGR Meeting in
Montreal (1998) Ukraine passed in 2001 the Law
on the State Programme on Protection and
Restoration of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea
that covers Bucharest Convention, Odessa
Declaration and BS SAP the Russian Federation
has the National Environmental Action Plan
(NEAP), with its sub-programme on Integrated
coastal zones management of the Black Sea and the
Sea of Azov (2002-2006).
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The situation of Bulgaria and Georgia is unclear.
It seems that these countries did actually draft
the NPAs but no texts have become available.
Regarding the Strategic Action Plan on Municipal
Wastewater there is an ongoing very well designed
and organised activity by the EC (DABLAS Task
Force), which is addressing this problem. The
DABLAS Task Force's main objective is to provide
a platform for co-operation for the protection of
water and water related ecosystems of the wider
Black Sea Region (the entire Black Sea basin
including all tributaries).
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Relevance of the Elements of the GPA to the Black
Sea Country   A.    Identification and assessment
of problems   Most of the responses were
remarkably uniform, with a vast majority of
responses indicating relevance of a particular
element to the responding country. Exceptions to
those responses were a few responses that
indicated that a particular element is not
relevant to the responding country.
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The answer of the BSC Secretariat to the GPA
Questionnaire provided many useful comments on
all elements of the GPA in this section. The BSC
Secretariat answer pointed to serious problems
with most of the contaminants, sources of
degradation and areas of concern and also pointed
to the need for many studies, assessments and
projects in order to protect the marine
environment of the Black Sea region.
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• Establishing priorities for action
•  
• Answers regarding ICAM approaches and
  stakeholders involvement were mostly negative and
  answers regarding EIA, linkages between
  sustainable development and marine resources and
  integration of national actions with regional and
  global priorities were mostly positive.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was similar to
  the answers by countries..

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•      Management objectives for priority problems
  for source categories and areas
•  
• All of the answers by countries were positive for
  questions regarding management objectives for
  source categories and areas affected industrial
  sector urban sector and other sectors. Answers
  were divided regarding management objectives for
  agricultural sector.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was positive
  for industrial and urban sector and negative for
  other sectors.

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•          Identification, evaluation and selection
  of strategies and measures to achieve objectives
•  
• Almost all answers were positive to questions
  regarding specific measures on sustainable use of
  coastal and marine resources prevention of
  degradation of affected areas modification of
  contaminants economic instruments regulatory
  measures technical assistance and public
  awareness and inter-sectorial partnership.

12
All answers were positive to questions regarding
relevant institutional arrangements data
collection and research needs monitoring
capacity building.   Answers were divided
regarding question on sources of finance to cover
costs of strategies and programmes.   The answer
of the BSC Secretariat was for all questions
partially positive, with the remark that the full
implementation is still to be achieved.
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• Development of criteria for evaluating the
  effectiveness of strategies and measures
•  
• Almost all answers were negative to all questions
  on criteria for evaluation of environmental
  effectiveness economic costs and benefits of
  strategies equity flexibility in
  administration and timing of strategies.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat to all
  questions was that there are no regionally
  harmonized criteria at present, but that they are
  being developed through the cooperation with the
  BSC.

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Components of the GPA Work Programme for the
Black Sea   A.         National Programmes of
Action   Almost all answers were positive to
questions regarding existence of programmes
addressing harmful effects of land-based
activities and projects that mobilise
stakeholders and resources.
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Answers were equally divided about incorporating
lessons learned regarding mobilisation of
stakeholders.   The answer of the BSC
Secretariat to question regarding existence of
programmes addressing harmful effects of
land-based activities was positive.
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• SAP on Municipal Wastewater
•  
• All countries except one provided positive
  answers to question on activities on domestic
  wastewater.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was that most
  countries have programmes that directly address
  domestic wastewater collection, treatment and
  disposal, but that such programmes do not always
  have economic power to implement these plans.

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•      Physical Alteration and Destruction of
  Habitats
•  
• Most answers were negative regarding questions on
  activities for building capacities within
  government and promote actions in specific
  locations.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat regarding the
  situation at the regional level to all three
  questions was partially positive.

18

•        Integrated Coastal Area and River Basin
  Management
•  
• All answers were almost equally divided for all
  questions on programmes addressing ICAM linkages
  between freshwater and coastal and marine
  environment and existence of relevant
  multi-sectoral and multi-level integration.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was mostly
  positive for all questions.

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•       Public Awareness and Outreach
•  
• Almost all answers were negative regarding
  questions whether countries were informed on GPA
  activities building stakeholders support and
  building linkages among local, national, regional
  and global initiatives.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was positive
  for linkages and negative for GPA.

20

•         Clearing-House Mechanism
•  
• All countries provided negative answers to
  question on existence of activities that enables
  decision makers to have electronic access to
  updated information.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was positive.

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•         Supportive Toolkits
•  
• Almost all answers were negative on questions
  regarding activities on Voluntary Agreements
  Innovative Financial Arrangements and linkages
  between ICAM and ICARM.
•  
• The answer of the BSC Secretariat was partially
  positive on Voluntary Agreements and remark that
  significant improvement is needed for financial
  arrangements and linkages.