Description
The quality of the laws relating to the environment in the Czech Republic since the nineties of the last century continues to decline. This trend is confirmed by studies of the Green Circle (evaluation of MPs voting on laws relating to the environment), regularly implemented since 1994. The project aims to strengthen the capacity and action ability of environmental organizations to be involved in the process of development and approval of key laws on environmental protection so as to enhance the quality of environmental legislation. We intend to achieve the aim by increasing awareness of organizations about current legislative processes, passing on practical advocacy skills, providing expert advice and creating expert working groups for comments on key laws. Part of the project is to promote public participation in decision-making on environmental issues. The main target group are Czech environmental NGOs. The main target group are Czech environmental NGOs. Project is also focused on public administration and the public interested in environmental issues.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to strengthen the capacity and action ability of Czech environmental NGOs to be involved in the process of development and approval of key laws on environmental protection so as to enhance the quality of environmental legislation. Our main achievements were: Fulfilling approx. half of the goals of environmental organizations in up to date legislation. Extending number of environmental NGOs actively involved in influencing the legislation process and improving their advocacy skills. Increasing public awareness of environmental policy, it´s results and the role of environmental NGOs. Improving and extending advocacy work of Green circle. During the project we monitored legislation processes, wrote comments to laws, discussed our views with politicians, organized seminars for environmental NGOs, coordinated working groups and provided expert consultations about environmental policy and legislation. These activities led to increasing the number of actively participating NGOs. Within our advocacy work we succeeded in: preservation of good rules for public participation in EIA process, cancelling fees for changes in public registers of NGOs, improvement of state policy measures towards NGOs, preservation good rules for protection of agricultural land, reducing the land grabbing for the purpose of coal mining in North Bohemia, and starting preparation of “Anti-fossil law”. Within the project we cooperated with 111 environmental NGOs and 12 non-environmental organizations. 54 people actively participated in working groups. We organized 6 seminars for 106 participants. We provided 947 expert consultations. We wrote 31 comments and analyses to 18 laws. We published 23 press releases and 24 articles in Bulletin of environmental NGOs. We published 2 assessment of ecological policy of government and 2 assessment of parliament voting. All our activities have met with great interest and received positive feedback from environmental NGOs, and from politicians and public administrative.
Summary of bilateral results