EU4Environment: EU kicks off new regional programme on water resources and environmental data

On 9 February, the EU launches a new regional programme aimed at post-COVID-19 green recovery for the Eastern Partnership – ‘EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data’. The regional kick off meeting will be held in an online format and will be followed by a series of national meetings with representatives of each participating country.

The new programme will contribute to the EaP countries’ longer-term environmental, climate, and socio-economic resilience. The programme aims to improve human health and wellbeing, as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

‘EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data’ builds upon the success of previous programmes like the European Water Initiative Plus (EUWI+) and the Shared Environmental Information System Phase II (ENI SEIS II East). 

The EUWI+ project has helped countries implement their existing Agreements with the EU, or gradually adopt EU water management practices where formal agreements are not in place. Under EUWI+, around 30 million citizens (40% of the countries’ population) on over 500,000 km2 (50% of the countries’ land surface) have benefited from 11 new or revised River Basin Management Plans, a planning tool that helps protect water resources and share them between the different water uses.

The ENI SEIS II East project supported implementation of the principles and practices of the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) to strengthen the production of environmental data, indicators and assessment reports in biodiversity, water, land, waste and air.