Fifty-two member ECE member states took part at 1998's EfE conference in Aarhus, the tone for which was set by Europe's Environment: the Second Assessment, a report that identified main achievements of the process. As a result of these findings, conference ministers agreed to boost the level of support for the Newly Independent States (or, NIS — countries formerly part of the Soviet Union) and for CEE countries not yet part of the European Union accession process. There were a number of important resolutions and adoptions that took place at Aarhus, not least of which was the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. Also gaining significant support were two new convention protocols pertaining to long-range transboundary air pollution and persistent organic pollutants. Ministers also endorsed a pan-European strategy to phase out leaded petrol. Finally, given the generally eastward shift of EfE focus, it was agreed to host the fifth conference of ministers in one of the NIS countries.
Five years had passed by the time the fifth EfE conference was kicked off in Kiev. Ten CEE countries were just one year away from EU accession, and the terror attacks in New York City in 2001 meant that environmental cooperation had taken on heightened importance in terms of promoting wider peace and security. It was in Kiev that all Carpathian countries adopted a convention to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in that region. The conference also succeeded in adopting a landmark environmental strategy for the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucuses and Central Asia (EECCA). In addition, Central Asian countries were congratulated for their efforts in helping to develop the Central Asian Initiative on Environment, Water and Security. With the results of Kiev ensuring continuance of the EfE process, the stage is now set for a sixth ministerial conference; but several factors and developments during the intervening four years have resulted in great changes that are challenging EfE's future, even its survival.
But what are these changes exactly? And what are the related challenges? And does everyone agree on the problems and solutions? These are a few of the questions I wanted to ask various experts in the few weeks preceding the October conference in Belgrade.
