The Clima East Policy Project

The EU-funded Clima East project package worked with six Partner Countries (the ENP* partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – and the Russian Federation) on developing approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation, in order to better equip partners to achieve greenhouse-gas emission reductions, and deal more effectively with the impacts of climate change.

Operational between October 2012 and April 2017, the Policy Project (budget EUR 8.2 million) constituted one part of this package, and was  intended to support the development of improved climate change policies and strategies by the Partner Countries and the formulation and implementation of effective action plans and projects.

To support this objective, the Policy Project aims were to:

• provide targeted technical expertise to support selected tasks and fill particular capacity gaps identified by Partner Countries as key to achieving their national policy priorities in relation to climate change
• facilitate multilateral cooperation and mutual exchange of approaches and best practice among the EU and the Partner Countries and, where relevant, support individual Partner Countries to adopt aspects of [EU climate change policy] in line with commitments under existing or forthcoming Association Agreements with the European Union.

The Policy Project provided national support to ENP partners and also operated as a regional programme, helping to address issues faced by a number of Partner Countries and provide support through common activities and sharing of best practice cross-nationally.

A summary of climate change policies, action and relevant stakeholders is presented separately for each Partner Country (please click on country name above). Dedicated pages also provide more information on EU Climate Policy and UNFCCC.

(The sister component to the Policy Project, funding eight Pilot Projects across the region, is described here. Implementation of the two components is separate but closely linked, deriving policy lessons from the experience of the pilots and aiming to support the use of policy measures to effectively replicate and build on relevant aspects of pilot actions.)

*ENP is the European Neighbourhood Policy of the European Union

1. Dialogue promoted and information exchange supported between PCs and between the EU and PCs.  Implementation of Association Agreement commitments relating to climate change progressed.
2. Improved capacity to develop and implement national climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and strategies, and address more fully address the Kyoto and post-Kyoto regime under the UNFCCC, in particular in relation to INDC preparation and implementation.
3. Improved use of climate modelling and increased national capacity for modelling and assessment
   • GHG modelling
   • climate change vulnerability and impact assessments in different sectors of economy, forestry, wetlands and agriculture.
   • Increased capacity for adaptation planning.
4. Strengthened capacity for development and implementation of climate polices and commitments through progress in the development of improved MRV systems, to meet information and reporting requirements relating to UNFCCC, Association Agreements, and national and regional Emissions Trading Schemes

• Key Expert on Climate Change and Team Leader – Mr Zsolt Lengyel
• Key Expert on UNFCCC & Emission Trading  – Dr. Marzena Chodor
• Key Expert and Regional Coordinator – Dr. Mikhail Kozeltsev
• Key Expert and Regional Coordinator – Ms Medea Inashvili

Zsolt Lengyel and Marzena Chodor have their base of operations in the Main Project Office in Brussels, Belgium, but also work extensively in the six Partner Countries, to support exchange of information and expertise between the EU and the Partner Countries. The Brussels Office supports the Help Desk to facilitate answers for brief queries from Partner Country Stakeholders.

Based in the region, Mikhail Kozeltsev and Medea Inashvili works closely with the national coordinators in each Partner Country to keep in touch with needs and requirements of stakeholders and coordinate activities.

Other expertise is made available through the Project where required for specific regional activities and in response to Expert Facility requests for support in specific tasks at national level.

The Policy Project is managed on behalf of the European Commission Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) by a consortium of five partners, led by HTSPE Ltd.

Each of the Consortium Members brings specific expertise to support the aims of the Project.