Environmental Protection, REC - NEST – REC Miljöskydd, REC Få miljöorganisationer i Bosnien och Hercegovina har kapacitet och expertis att delta i politisk dialog för att påverka beslutsfattande (utfärdande av miljötillstånd och i miljökonsekvensanalyser). Det behövs betydligt starkare användning av miljökonsekvensanalyser för att säkerställa att miljöhänsyn tas i nya investeringar. Det är även viktigt att utreda miljöbrott och att involvera rättsväsendet för att bidra till miljöskydd i Bosnien och Hercegovina.

Projektet NEST handlar om att främja miljöskydd genom ett mer effektivt deltagande från civila samhället i miljöstyrning och bekämpning av miljöbrott. Projektet ska stärka kapaciteten hos miljöorganisationer för att bättre kunna delta i miljöstyrningen och påverka de viktigaste reformer i linje med EU-närmandet. Miljöorganisationerna ska stärkas för att utgöra en kritisk intressent i beslut kring miljöfrågor och en värdefull partner för att genomföra och övervaka miljöpolitiken (relaterad till miljötillstånd och miljökonsekvensanalyser), förbättra den rättsliga ramen genom utveckling av nya lagar, stadgar och regler och procentandel av införlivande av relevanta EU-direktiv i nationell lagstiftning, öka den administrativa och institutionella kapaciteten hos rättsväsendet när det gäller EU:s miljölagstiftning och kampen mot miljöbrott, och att starta nätverk med flera organ inom landet genom erfarenhet och utbyte av praxis med andra organisationer och nätverk. In Bosnia and Herzegovina very low percentage of the environmental CSOs (ESCOs) have capacities and expertise to participate in policy dialogue to impact decision-making (in process of issuing environmental permits, Environmental Impact Assessment-EIA and Strategic Environmental Assessment - SEA). Equally, considerably stronger enforcement of SEA and EIA is needed to ensure that environmental concerns are adequately addressed when planning investments. To that, investigating environmental crime and involvement of law enforcement agencies (judges and prosecutors) to contribute to protecting the environment is very important but quite inefficient in Bosnia and Hercegovina. 

The  project “Fostering environmental protection through more effective civil society participation in environmental governance and combating environmental crimes” - NEST will contribute to improving the environmental governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina by strengthening capacities of Environmental CSOs (ESCOs) to participate effectively in the environmental governance and to influence the key reforms for further transposition and implementation of the EU Environmental Acquis and strengthening rule of law. It will help that ECSOs has become a critical stakeholder in environmental decision making processes and a valued partner in implementing and monitoring environmental policies (related to environmental permits, EIA and SEA); improve legal framework through development of new laws, bylaws and rulebooks and percentage of transposition of relevant EU Directives (i.e. EIA, SEA, environmental crimes, environmental noise) into national legislation; increase administrative and institutional capacities of judiciary and law enforcement officials regarding EU environmental legislation and combating environmental crimes; and to initiate multi-agency networking within the country through experience and best practices exchange with other national and international organizations and networks. Overall Objective of the project is to improve the environmental governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina by strengthening capacities of Environmenta CSOs (ESCOs) to participate effectively in the environmental governance and, at the same time, influence the key reforms for further transposition and implementation of the EU Environmental Acquis and strengthening rule of law.The specific outcomes of the project are:• ECSOs has become a critical stakeholder in environmental decision making processes and a valued partner in implementing and monitoring environmental policies (related to environmental permits, EIA and SEA) at the local, entity, and state level.• Improved legal framework through development of new laws, bylaws and rulebooks and percentage of transposition of relevant EU Directives (i.e. EIA, SEA, IAD, SEWESO, environmental crimes, environmental noise) into national legislation increased in accordance with EAS BiH and BIH ESAP 2030+. • Administrative and institutional capacities of judiciary and law enforcement officials regarding EU environmental legislation and combating environmental crimes increased.• Developed multi-agency networking within the country through experience and best practices exchange with other organizations and networks (i.e. INTERPOL, IMPEL, EUFJE and ENPE).• Enhanced cooperation, dialogue and knowledge transfer via joint actions amongst key stakeholders responsible for environmental law implementation, enforcement and combating environmental crimes.