EU funded projects in BiH

Sectors
EU Acquis chapters	Environment
Programme Funding Year	2008
Value	€77,797
Periods of implementation	2010
Locations	BOSANSKO GRAHOVO, DRVAR

Environment is a high ranking issue on the European agenda and increasingly so with regard to its interventions in BiH. BiH and the European Unions' strategic documents stress the importance of proper implementation of the environmental acquis. While the official responsibility for compliance lies with the BiH authorities, the NGO community has a very important role to complement the work of the administration by signalling infractions, collecting of information, coordinating the pilot project and educating citizens about their rights and obligations. BiH environmental NGOs have developed considerably over the past decade. Further support to their capacity building and know how improvements has been recognised as valuable for their becoming full and complementary partners of the administration in implementation of the environmental acquis. The European Union has recognised those needs, and provided series of development projects to contribute to encouragement of the partnership between governmental and non-governmental sectors with the aim of effective implementation of EU standards in environment in BiH. In that respect, this European Union project aimed at support to protect the Ledenica Cave and the Satorsko Lake as rare geological phenomena, with initiatives to enhance the legal framework that would provide for an integral protection system of the Ledenica Cave and the Satorsko Lake.

With the European Union funding, this project had significant impact on improving the local level mechanisms for protection of the targeted natural resources and for more environmental friendly treatment and maintenance of these sites, for the benefit of better living standards as well as promotion of natural resouces in BiH. In particular, we helped in design of the expert study on environmental protection and preservation of the Ledenica Cave and the Satorsko Lake that may serve to relevant stakeholders for further improvements of their policies and implementation mechanics in regard to preservation of those natural heritage sites. Also, values of those resources are promoted and awareness raising is increased by series of public forums and campaigns organised. As an added value, it raised interests of academic and scientific community (like researches and scientists, speleologists at first and also including those international, like French) that may be counted on for further partnership based initiatives like those of stakeholders working together with the CSOs and academic community on upgrades of development plans, investment incentives as well as environmental protection measures so as to make those sites of preserved natural value but also of sustainably maintained potential for tourism and economic development in overall.