The document summarizes the progress and plans of the EU4Environment program in Belarus from 2019-2020. It outlines the work completed so far and plans for 2020 under each of the program's results, which include greener decision making, circular economy opportunities, environmental compliance, monitoring progress, coordination, and communication. Key activities included training workshops, policy reviews, engagement with businesses and stakeholders. Plans for 2020 focus on continuing training, launching additional assessments and pilots, strengthening regulations and coordination between partners to advance green growth in Belarus.

1. EU4Environment in Belarus:
Progress in 2019-20 and plans till end 2020

2. Result 1. Greener decision making (UNEP)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans for 2020
 Identified institution(s) to host, promote and deliver
an introductory Green Economy (GE) course
 Nomination of candidates from various government
bodies for participation in an in-depth GE policy-
making course
 On-going consultations to determine best means of
supporting inter-ministerial coordination as well as
overall GE policy development
 Translation, hosting, promotion and delivery of the
introductory GE course among various civil servants
 Learning needs assessment conducted among all
nominated trainees
 Delivery of a tailored, interactive webinar training to
nominated participants (from all EaP countries)

3. Result 1. Greener decision making (UNECE: SEA/EIA)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans for 2020
 Support to the kick-off meeting for the pilot SEA of the draft
national Strategy of Water Resources Management in the
context of Climate Change for the period until 2030 and
related training workshop on SEA scoping (11-12 July 2019,
Minsk): both events under EUWI+
 Coordination meeting with 6 beneficiary countries in the
margins of the UNECE Working Group on EIA and SEA (26-28
Nov, Geneva), no cost for the project
 Legislative assistance (preparatory phase)
- review of EIA and SEA legislation (ToR, contracts)
 Awareness-raising workshop on SEA (with a focus on
sectoral authorities) – fall 2020
 Assessment of the institutional framework for SEA and EIA
incl. recommendations for possible optimization – to be
initiated in late 2020
 Legislative assistance (cont’d)
- review of EIA and SEA legislation undertaken and
finalized
- a roundtable on the results of the review/rationale for
amending SEA and EIA legislation organized

4. Result 2. Circular economy and new growth opportunities (UNEP)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans for 2020
 Began consultations to identify a local partner
organisation to support work on waste, EPR (possibly
also sectors for policy reform)
 Began consultations to identify a local partner as well
as priority sectors/associations for SME training on
eco-innovation
 Review existing waste policies and initiate technical
assistance for strengthening draft EPR policy
documents
 Participation in a regional experience sharing event on
eco-innovation for SMEs

5. Result 2. Circular economy and new growth opportunities (UNIDO)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans for 2020
 Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production National
Implementing Partner contracted (Institute of Business, Belarus
State University)
 10 EaP GREEN demonstration SMEs on board to monitor RECP
implementation
 22 SMEs from key industrial sectors identified to be selected for
RECP assessments
 19 experts for RECP training identified
 Orsha and Borisov municipalities expressed interest in hosting
RECP Clubs
 “Mogilev” and “Minsk” Free Economic Zones (FEZ) expressed
interest to pilot Eco-Industrial Parks feasibility
 Communication strategy on RECP developed
 Project web page and social media are regularly updated
 Circular Economy Awareness Seminars conducted in all 6 regions
of the country
 RECP webinars for experts launched
 10 business cases to be developed from results of monitoring the
EaP GREEN alumni SMEs
 RECP assessments launched in 15 SMEs
 RECP trainings to be conducted for 15 experts
 At least 18 SMEs become RECP Clubs members
 Launch of EIP feasibility studies in two FEZs
 Kick off meeting for RECP stakeholders group
 Platform for RECP experts network established
 Communication events and on-going newsfeed on RECP and
Circular Economy on the web page and in social media

6. Result 3. Environmental level playing field (OECD)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans for 2020
 Workshop on BAT in the EaP countries (October 2019, Seoul)
 Environment dimension of the SME Policy Index (including a chapter on
Belarus)
 Draft estimates of fossil-fuel subsidies for 2016-2019 for the OECD-IEA
Fossil-fuel subsidies database
 Launch of preparatory work on green
finance and investment (green bonds) project (draft ToR)
 Launch of preparatory work on administrative capacity for environmental
management project (consultations with SIGMA, draft ToR)
 Reforming regulatory regimes for large emission sources and SMEs
• report on existing approaches to support implementation of BAT
• regional meetings on BAT (July and November 2020)
• regional seminar on SMEs (Q4 2020)
 Strengthening of Compliance Assurance Systems
• assessment report on compliance assurance system
• support to a coordinated inspection campaign;
• review and support to the legislative proposal for reforming administrative
sanctions, monetary payments and penalties for non-compliance;
• development of legislation regulating damage compensation
• regional meeting on compliance assurance (Q3 2020);
 Green finance
• Discussion to support designing a green public investment programme
• Analytical report on fossil-fuel subsidies, including Belarus
• Collection of data on energy-related taxes
• Fact-finding mission on green bonds project (subject to easing travel policy)
• Regional meeting on green finance (October 2020)
 Analytical report on existing/required administrative capacity in the environmental
sector

7. Result 5. Monitoring progress at environment-economy nexus (OECD)
(5.3. Green growth indicators)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans till end 2020
 Overview of available green growth indicators in the
OECD database for Belarus and initial internal
discussions on its extension
 Country profile
Activities 5.1 and 5.2 on coordination and
communication will be discussed under Items 4 and 5 of
the Agenda.
 Critical amount of work on green growth indicators
is planned for 2021-22
 Video on green growth indicators (regional)
 New edition of the country profile

8. Discussion
1. Feasibility of using alternative modes of operation (e.g. virtual
meetings, web-based trainings, use of local consultants)
2. Maintaining/postponing/advancing activities

9. Item 4: Co-ordination (Result 5.1)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans till end 2020
 Information meeting in Belarus (April 2019,
Minsk)
 Inaugural Regional Assembly meeting
(June 2019, Brussels)
 Six EaP country virtual consultations (May-June
2020)
 Second Regional Assembly meeting:
 Virtual (Zoom) meeting on 22-23
September 2020
 in-person meeting in November-December
2020, if travel restrictions lifted, possibly in
Kyiv, Ukraine

10. Item 5: Communication (Result 5.2)
Progress in 2019-20 (May) Plans till end 2020
 EU4Environment promotion on EU Delegation website
 Programme leaflet in Russian
 Country profile
 Web site (OECD domain:
http://www.oecd.org/site/eu4environment/
 Inaugural Newsletter, reaching more than 200
subscribers*
 Videos “About EU4Environment” and “About the Inaugural
Assembly meeting”
 Use of social media (YouTube, Flickr, existing Twitter
channels)
 Generic totems for meetings
* Please sign-up for EU4Environment newsletter here
 Newsletter on a monthly basis (extension of the list of
subscribers)
 Development and launch of a new web site (more
interactive features)
 Production of new videos (Regional Assembly, thematic
videos, interviews)
 Use of Social media on a regular basis
 Work with “young EU ambassadors”
 Promotion at national and international events (incl. the
EaP Ministerial, 7 October 2020, Luxembourg)
 Translation of totems/selected documents into national
languages
 Reinforced coordination with other programmes (i.e.,
OPEN Programme, EU4Business, etc.)