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AER encourages its members to take advantage of existing programmes which offer support on policies which matter for regions. This is why the TAIEX-EIR programme of the European Commission seems of particular relevance. The diversity in services offered make the TAIEX-EIR a well suited tool to complement ongoing activities within the AER Working Group on Energy and Climate Change chaired by Eva Hallström, Värmland (SE).

Better implementation of environmental policies & laws

During the development of the AER Action Plan in Arad, several regions have expressed interest in learning more from other regions on topics such as for instance waste management in rural areas, the energy transition and sustainable development in general.

The TAIEX-EIR programme supports public administrations with the application and enforcement of EU environmental legislation as well as the sharing of best practices between regions. Offering tailored expertise to those requesting it, TAIEX organises workshops, expert missions, and study visits to allow participants to learn from one another.

TAIEX-EIR peer to peer expert exchanges can address all issues covered by the EC Environmental Implementation Review country reports: for example circular economy and waste management, nature protection, biodiversity, green infrastructure and soil protection, improvement of air quality, water quality and management, sustainable urban development. They can also deal with common root causes of implementation gaps, such as administrative capacity, skills, coordination mechanisms, access to justice, environmental liability, compliance assurance as well as reporting and sharing of environmental information or other aspects of environmental governance.

The diversity in services offered make the TAIEX-EIR a well suited tool to complement ongoing activities within AER.

A programme for all regions

Regions with very diverse characteristices can take advantage from peer learning via the TAIEX-EIR programme. Recent activities include for instance:

Workshop on National Circular Economy Action Plans, Budapest -Hungary- 17 – 18 May with representatives from the Finish, Dutch and Slovenian governments on how to prepare National Circular Economy Action Plans in a workshop in Budapest (Beneficiaries: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic)
Expert Mission on exchange of experience regarding circular purchasing, Paris – France – 13 – 14 March 2018 (Beneficiary: France)
Workshop on Waste Management within the European Green Leaf Network, Galway – Ireland – 21 – 22 February 2018 (Beneficiary: Ireland)
Expert Mission on closing landfills in Romania – benefitting from Ireland’s experience thanks to Commission’s peer-to-peer learning tool (Beneficiary: Romania)

An easy to access programme

TAIEX-EIR assists public institutions involved in the implementation of EU environmental policy and law in the EU Member States, such as:

-National, regional and local departments and agencies;
-Coordinating authorities;
-Inspection and audit authorities;
-Permitting authorities;
-Regional or local environmental implementation businesses entrusted with a public task, and with the application supported by an authority
-Networks of experts involved in environmental implementation and enforcement in cooperation with a Member State environmental authority

Applications can be submitted using the online application, which is rather easy to prepare. Applicants have to provide short information about the objective of the event, the field of expertise concerned, participants and target group, approximate timing and contact person. Details will be prepared later in close cooperation with the requesting institution.