• 1991 Dobris, Czechoslovakia
• 1993 Lucerne, Switzerland
• 1995 Sofia, Bulgaria
• 1998 Aarhus, Denmark
• 2003 Kiev, Ukraine

• to strengthen co-operation to protect and improve the environment
• to develop Environmental Action Programme for CEE
• to start with overall assessment of the European environment

• started late with preparation and were allowed to only a part of the Conference
• presented a statement of the vision of the environmental problems in Europe and desirable ways to find solutions

• Shaped political dimensions of the "Environment for Europe" process
• endorsed the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP), as a basis for local, national and international action
• endorsed the main elements of the Environmental Program for Europe (EPE)
• set up a Working Group of Senior Governmental Officials (WGSO)

Definition agreed: "Environment for Europe" process is aimed to harmonise environmental quality and policies on the continent, and to secure its peace, stability and sustainable development

• technology co-operation;
• integrated pollution prevention and control;
• economic instruments;
• national environmental performance reviews;
• environmental information;
• public participation;
• international legal instruments

• formed the NGO Coalition
• full participation in the Ministerial
• critical about neglect of nuclear issue
• detailed criticism to the EAP and lack of commitments of Western governments for funding it

Adopted:

• PEBLDS
• "Guidelines on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making" (later used as a background for the Aarhus Convention)

Approved

• the Environmental Programme for Europe (EPE)
• progress achieved - EAP and NEAPs

Agreed

• financial mechanisms such as "debts for nature”, necessity to introduce an air-fuel tax

Published

• the Dobris Assessment

• agreed the “Quality Benchmarks” and presented them to the Ministerial
• repeated the criticism on neglecting the nuclear issue by the majority of countries
• had strong ECOs presence at the Ministerial, took the floor on nearly every agenda item
• convinced the Ministers to develop the Aarhus Convention
• towards the Conference ECOs were more and more allowed to the real negotiations
• strengthened the NGO Coalition

Adopted documents:

• Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention)
• "Dobris+3" Review
• Protocols on Heavy Metals and on POPs
• Pan-European Strategy to Phase Out Leaded Petrol
• Resolution on Biological and Landscape Diversity
• Guidelines on Energy Conservation in Europe

Special attention given:

• Environmental financing
• Effective environmental management in enterprises
• Necessity to establish a dialogue with the business community on a more permanent footing
• refocusing on the NIS

• organised and carried out a half-day NGO session on "Strengthening Participatory Democracy for Sustainable Development" within the official Ministerial agenda
• Had considerable influence on the content of the Aarhus Convention
• Participated in official debate at every agenda item
• Agreed "Quality Benchmarks" and presented them at the Ministerial
• Criticised on the technical assistance programs that are to be more effective
• Called for a European Action program to reverse transport trends
• On the Road to Kiev-2003

Aarhus Convention implementation

Energy

EAP

PEBLDS

• Transport Environment and Health?
• Nuclear?
• Charter on Education and Environment?
• GMOs?
• Strategic Environmental Assessment?
• Freshwater?
• Environmental Liability?
• Waste management / PRTR?
• Sustainable development + Environment for Europe?

• Conjunction with the Rio+10 process
• Interlinkage with E&H Process
• Co-ordination with / between different conventions