Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

160(c) To increase awareness, media briefings, public events, information materials, linkages with othergovernment entities, schools and universities, and other environmental initiatives should be organized bythe Ministry of Environment and its subordinated entities. Where possible, communication should beestablished through broadcasts on TV and radio and debates in newspapers.The websites of MoEFWA and EFA remain the main sources of environmental information at the nationallevel. An electronic newsletter with a limited distribution is produced by MoEFWA on a monthly basis in orderto facilitate the dissemination of environmental information. Articles on environmental topics in the local mediaare sporadic and there is not yet a professional environmental journalism in the country. In 2005, the basis wascreated for the introduction of environmental education into the national curriculum. This process wasfacilitated through the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between UNICEF, the Netherlands, MoESand MoEFWA.Recommendation 4.5:Through the “access to environmental information and public participation” mechanism, the Ministry ofEnvironment could encourage a more independent and active NGO network, which could help to consolidatedemocracy. The NGOs should actively lobby for environmental issues. The environment-related NGOcommunity should also strengthen environmental education by organizing campaigns, exhibitions and othereducational activities.Cooperation between major environmental NGOs and MoEFWA has been gradually developing on the basis ofmemoranda of cooperation. A new Memorandum of Understanding was prepared by MoEFWA to be concludedwith the NGO Ecolëvizja and is currently in the process of signature. Ekolëvizja is a network of 37environmental NGOs with different profiles, covering the whole territory of Albania. The Ministry is currentlydrafting memoranda of cooperation to be concluded with other relevant environmental organizations.The new Division for Public Information and Information Technology created in MoEFWA has good contactswith main environmental NGOs, without having a regular calendar of meetings. A more formal dialogue withNGOs takes place within the context of the monthly steering meetings of the three Aarhus Information Centres.The NGOs are playing an increasing role in facilitating public access to environmental information. Anexample of this is provided by Ecolëvizja, which publishes a weekly newspaper accessible online.On several occasions, policy papers were prepared by NGOs, discussed and agreed by a number of interestedorganizations and submitted to MoEFWA for consideration. There is also progress in including NGOs in thedecision-making process. One good example is the NGO’s involvement in the development of newenvironmental legislation such as the 2011 Law on Environmental Protection.There is, however, weak involvement of NGOs during the practical implementation of legislation.PART II: MANAGEMENT OF POLLUTION AND OF NATURAL RESOURCESChapter 5: AIR MANAGEMENTRecommendation 5.1:Albania should accede to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its protocols. (seealso Recommendation 3.2)The recommendation was partly implemented. See also recommendation 3.2.Recommendation 5.2:The Ministry of Environment should start submitting air emission inventories as soon as possible, following the methodology of CORINAIR and the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-rangeTransmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP).The recommendation was only partly implemented. To date, MoEFWA has not succeeded in establishing aregular framework for compiling and reporting on emissions inventories. A partial inventory of gas emissions