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Description
In 2024 a ban on landfilling of waste will come into force. However, the implementation of appropriate policies is slow and the target is unlikely to be achieved. Public institutions are under strong pressure from the industrial lobby, which is promoting the construction of incinerators. This is in conflict with the EU’s policies on circular economy and environmental sustainability. In the project, we will support local initiatives requiring transparency in decision-making on individual incinerator projects, enhance their ability to effectively participate in decision-making and avoid discrimination during the process.
The solution to the problem basically goes in 4 streams, under which the proposed activities can be summarized: 1) Strengthening of professional and process capacities. These activities increase the ability of local initiatives to navigate decision-making processes, identify problematic moments and respond to them, etc.; 2) Process mentoring. It is important for local initiatives to proceed very rigidly in the key decision-making stages, and mentoring from more experienced organizations helps to avoid unnecessary formal mistakes.; 3) Networking. It helps to share information, news from individual cases and experience (good practice and emerging threats) and to use knowledge from local cases for advocacy at the national level.; 4) PR activities. They strengthen advocacy activities and help make problematic aspects of local cases and national legislation visible.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to increase the transparency of assessment and decision-making processes in at least 5 locations in the Czech Republic by promoting civic participation. Our aim was to implement professional and procedural support and to network at least 5 local civic initiatives, which will be able to better fulfil their watchdog role at the local level. We also set the goal of submitting at least 3 initiatives in cooperation with these initiatives aimed at increasing transparency and conceptuality in the local cases they monitor. We also aimed at submitting at least 2 suggestions for the development of national policies that frame the individual cases.
In the end, the initiatives for which we provided technical and procedural support and/or became members of the Pro 3R coalition are 14 (excluding Arnika - Toxic Substances and Waste Programme). In collaboration with them, we managed to influence the development of 14 local policies or procedures of state institutions with a total of 33 initiatives. Also, in cooperation with the initiatives or the coalition as a whole, we managed to influence the development of 6 national policies or laws with 9 initiatives. In addition, we also managed to give 3 initiatives on 2 transnational (European) policies.
In terms of our objectives and their implementation, the project was therefore very successful. It is evident that the project activities fulfilled their purpose and significantly supported local civic initiatives in their work and involvement in decision-making processes, which certainly increased their transparency. The initiatives were very interested in our support, especially the mentoring, and gained new experiences and skills through it, which in some cases led to sustained, continuous activity and action (despite the pandemic and other obstacles), and in one case even to obtaining their own grant. The usefulness of our support for the initiatives was confirmed by the evaluation results. We are confident that most of the initiatives will continue to draw on the experience and skills gained after the end of this project.
The project has also had a major positive impact on our organisation and our own work