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Purpose
To support the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Local self-governments (LSGs) to collect, process and disseminate data on existing emissions pollutants (air, water, waste) efficiently and effectively.
Objective
To contribute to the environmental protection by strengthening environmental pollution monitoring capacities of competent authorities.
Background Information
From 2017 the open data ecosystem in Serbia has been growing, attracting various stakeholders to explore open data opportunities. From small and mostly project supported initiatives, open data has become recognized as one of the enablers for the transparency and citizen engagement among government institutions. However, there are a number of institutions on the national level, mostly those who are owners of high-value datasets, still reluctant to engage and release open data.
In order to create strategic approach to open data release, future open data initiative will focus on deeper intervention within the selected sectors – public finance and environmental protection. In the area of environmental protection, UNDP will partner up SEPA, which is the main holder of data related to environmental protection. In accordance with the Law on Environmental Protection, SEPA collects data on sources of pollution for the National Register of Pollution Sources. According to the same Law, LSGs are obliged to keep local registers of pollution sources. Currently, only several local registers have been established in Serbia, which are not regularly updated. It should be emphasized that the National Register does not overlap with Local Registers, rather they complement each other. The quantitative and qualitative lack of data inhibits the creation of informed decisions and implementation of evidence-based policy making on the local level.
In order to enable more local registers on pollution sources, more and better quality data, and raise awareness among LSGs on importance of legal reporting obligations towards SEPA, UNDP and SEPA will organize a package of 50 trainings for all LSGs in Serbia, with 1 on 1 tailor made approach. Additionally, National Register of Pollution Sources Information System (NRPS IS) will be updated and advanced, in terms of providing an adequate information system for collecting and processing the data prescribed by local registers. Data collected through the newly implemented modules will be available to all local governments and will be a very good basis for the preparation of all planning documents on the local level, such as air and water protection, waste management, spatial plans, etc. This will be followed by the change in the legislative framework, in order to regulate newly implemented modules. Finally, air emission inventory and data dissemination system/portal with a Geographic Information System (GIS) component within the existing SEPA IT platform, which are currently lacking, will be developed throughout the support package to SEPA. This Portal will be used for dissemination of data on air emissions at the national and international levels, based on UNECE PRTR Protocol[1], UNECE LRTAP[2], and UNFCCC[3] conventions, as well as EU E-PRTR[4] and the IED Directive[5].
In order to support SEPA in advancing of the environmental pollution monitoring capacities, and raise the quality of data collected, UNDP will engage an expert to monitor implementation of the trainings for LSGs and SEPA, provide quality assurance of the process of NRPS IS update and review secondary legislation amendments proposal.
[1] Kyiv Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers
[2] The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
[3] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
[4] The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register
[5] Industrial Emissions Directive