Final report : EPIQ [environmental policy and institutional strengthening indefinite quantity contract] Slovakia -- environmental policy component

No contract period is specified. EPIQ/Slovakia, which built upon the earlier USAID- sponsored Central and Eastern Europe Environmental and Economics Policy (C4EP) project, had a number of measurable impacts that will be sustained beyond the life of the project. It strengthened the policy and legal/regulatory framework in Slovakia by its substantial influence on four pieces of legislation -- the Act on Access to Environmental Information, the amendment to the Slovak Environmental Fund Act, the Air Act, and the Building Act. Of equal importance, senior managers of the Ministry of the Environment now understand and make daily use of the principles and methods of environmental economics. The project also produced a feasibility study that led to the establishment of the Slovak Environmental Policy and Training Center at AINOVA, an interdisciplinary, independent, post-graduate teaching and research institution. Both within and outside of government, the project fostered the development of a very strong network of progressive, knowledgeable individuals who will continue to collaborate in developing policy and legislative initiatives in Slovakia. The project also produced methodologically sound costing studies of the implications of applying the European Union (EU) Directives in Slovakia as required as part of the EU accession process. The project was important to Slovakia because it addressed the priority issues of the Slovak Government, namely EU accession and greater public involvement in decisionmaking. The EU accession was supported both through the costing studies that will allow the Slovak Government to develop market-based, least- cost approaches, and through the individual acts that were revised to be consistent with the EU requirements. The Access to Environmental Information Act gives the public formal rights that enable it to be actively involved in environmental decision making. The project was supportive of U.S. policy generally by allowing the Slovak Government to meet EU requirements and by facilitating democratization. The open provision of information promotes a level playing field for U.S. firms and individuals to access environmental business opportunities in Slovakia. On a more informal basis, relationships were created between senior Slovak managers and their U.S. counterparts that will provide a foundation for future cooperative initiatives to the benefit of both countries. (Author abstract, modified)