CRTC on Legal, Regulatory and Economic Instruments: General Information



russian version
Background The Caspian Regional Thematic Center on Legal, Regulatory and Economic Instruments (CRTC LREI) was established pursuant to the decision adopted in May 1998 by the Interim CEP Steering Committee Meeting in Ramsar (I.R. Iran). CRTC LREI operates on the basis of Center for International Projects (CIP, Russia) that has been since 1981 rendering information, scientific-analytical and institutional support to international environmental cooperation between the Russian Federation bodies of executive power and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and other international organizations and acting as the executive agent for implementing joint projects. Main objectives of CIP are related to elaborating and implementing international programs and projects, action plans, environmental conventions and agreements, preparing and holding important international events, working out relevant documents, proposals and recommendations, collecting information for compiling and managing necessary databases, information and analytical support to international environmental activities by bodies of executive power. The experience accumulated in international cooperation allows CIP: To prepare and coordinate implementation of international, regional and national programs in the field of environment protection and natural resources To participate in creating mechanisms for international environmental cooperation between CIS member-states based on the analysis of regional and national environmental problems and identifying common approaches to their solution To render information support within Russia to activities by UNEP and other UN family international organizations in the field of environmental cooperation To assist the governments of interested CIS member-states in training and advanced training of national cadre in the field of environment protection and natural resources To hold international events within the Russian Federation and render scientific, institution and information support. CIP support implementation of the national component in large-scale international programs and projects in the Northwestern Pacific, Caspian Sea region and within the framework of the Arctic Council. CIP acts as a basis for the activities by the Coordinating Unit at the Interstate Ecological Council (IEC) of CIS member-states in fulfilling joint projects with UNEP and other international organizations, and the dedicated Regional Center for Training and Technology Transfer within the Basel Convention, CRTC LREI and Intersectoral Coordinating Unit of the Caspian Environment Program. Goals and Objectives The main objective of CRTC LREI activities is working out recommendations on improvement of regulatory, legal and economic instruments, and also recommendations on harmonization of national interests and priorities of regional environmental cooperation. In line with CEP concept, GEF project and its constituent component – UNEP Project playing the leading role in CEP on the subjects related to legal, regulatory and economic aspects, the goals of CRTC are: Assistance to creation of unified economic and regulatory instruments for management of the Caspian environmental and natural resources on the national and regional level Assistance to harmonization of national environmental legislation in the Caspian states and its compliance with the provisions of international conventions, and more effective and coordinated implementation of environmental conventions (e.g. CITES, Ramsar, Espoo, Bonn, etc.) Assistance to creation of an effective legal framework for preventing environmental damage from marine prospecting, extraction and transportation of hydrocarbon raw materials based on the analysis of international experience and relevant obligations by the Caspian states Assistance to improving the effectiveness of the existing economic instruments through their adequate assessment and working out relevant recommendations Assistance to finalizing preparation of the Framework Convention on protecting the Caspian marine environment as the fundamental component of regional cooperation, environment protection and rational use of the Caspian resources; working out protocols and institutional structures of the Convention; facilitating their interaction with CEP. CRTC LREI implements its activities based on the analysis of sufficiency and coordination of the existing international and national legal and regulatory basis for environmental cooperation, and also proposals on the need for preparing relevant legal, institutional and economic instruments formulated by thematic Centers and other bodies and participants in CEP. Therefore the activities of this CRTC within CEP framework are of summarizing and generalizing nature. Cooperation within CEP Due to specific features of CRTC LREI and summarizing nature of its activities, the Center closely cooperates with other CEP Thematic Centers and Program Coordinating Unit. It implies coordination of work plans; exchange of information and proposals on parameters and possible mechanisms for environmental management in the region; joint elaboration of standards and economic instruments; analysis of documents and information by other CRTCs aimed at preparing integrated analytical documents on institutional, legal and economic aspects; establishing and maintaining working contacts with national experts and experts from other Thematic Centers on these problems. Results The principle activities by the Center are currently based on implementing the Memorandums of Understanding between UNEP/ROE and CRTC LREI. Within the framework of these activities the following documents are being currently finalized: Overview of economic instruments in the Caspian states (“Economic instruments for environmental activities: world experience and regional approaches”); Overview of the existing multilateral legislation on the Caspian Sea: multilateral and bilateral agreements and status of their implementation including the difficulties encountered and regional needs; Overview of the current activities on capacity building carried out by other international organizations, bilateral donors and NGOs aimed at strengthening legal/regulatory/institutional/economic framework in the Caspian region; Overview of international experience in establishment and operation of legal and economic instruments to ensure environmental safety in the context of oil extraction by the Caspian states Overview of the national environmental legislation in the Caspian states (prepared by the international consultant jointly with CRTC LREI. In addition the Russian experts of the Center have prepared the Russian part for the summary overview). CRTC LREI has prepared draft “Recommendations for improving the effectiveness of economic instruments in solving the Caspian environmental problems”. The draft recommendations are based on the analysis of the existing international experience, proposals by Russian experts, materials presented by other Caspian states experts, and using the results of other programs and projects on similar topics, particularly UNEP/Russia project “Elaboration of a coordinated approach to harmonization of environmental legislation in CIS member-states”. CRTC LREI assist in preparation of the Framework Convention on protection of the Caspian marine environment underway since 1995 under the auspices of UNEP. The Convention formulates common principles and instruments for cooperation in the field of environment protection in the region. Six meetings of experts from the Caspian states were held within the framework of these activities. The Center specialists take part in preparing the edited versions of the draft Conversion and also information materials on the subject. Moreover, according to the Center work program approved by CEP Steering Committee, CRTC LREI pays attention to such trends as application, improvement and harmonization of EIA procedures for activities and projects influencing the Caspian environment, general issues of international environmental legislation, including the issues of compulsion and compliance, and also using economic instruments for attaining the goals of international agreements, etc. Since CRTC LREI was established within CEP framework its experts have accumulated vast experience and paved the way to follow-up activities aimed at improving legal and economic instruments used in environment protection. Legal/regulatory/economic direction is one of the priority trend in CEP activities that predetermines its continuation and development. Mutual understanding of experts resulting from their long-standing cooperation, their high skills and materials prepared by CRTC LREI – all this creates a solid basis for further successful activities in this direction.