Connecting Networks – Bulgaria Report on environmental information systems, access and exchange; Progress & Priorities June 10, Belgrade, SERBIA&MONTENEGRO

JEROME SIMPSONThe Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe JSimpson@rec.org

Progress

Reporting & public access: Access through the website of (ExEA): env. meta-database catalogue, CHM mechanism, online GIS.

Legal Progress: regulated by the Environmental Protection Act, art. 17 and Access to Information Act (AIA).

Institutional Development(s): New information centre at the Executive Environmental Agency (ExEA)

ICT Capacity & know-how: real time data for air quality and radiological situation available on web. Public server for data access.

Multi-stakeholder cooperation: NGOs participate as observers in expert council and groups on various env. issues, involvement in different joint projects and plans.

Resource availability: improvement of the resource availability, still needs and gaps

Priorities

- Capacity building to assist professional performance of environmental journalism.

- Effective implementation and enforcement of the existing legislation.

- Support and development of the existing resources of information and increasing public availability via ICT. Enhancing GIS and spatial oriented data among environmental information resources

- Cooperation within institutions and enhancement of NGO networking on improvement of the quality of the environmental data access.

- On-time and adequate response of the institutions on environmental information inquiries from NGOs and media. Pro-active dissemination of environmental information by the institutions.

- Supply of financial and human resources to improve the access to env. information.