1. Introduction, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Environment in Ukraine - Problems and Challenges

1. Introduction

In 2002, the Danish Government revised its strategy for bilateral assistance to Eastern Europe. The revision was carried out because of the upcoming enlargement of the European Union, which has created a new situation.

The strategy contains, among others, the following guiding principles:

The assistance should be focused on the Baltic countries and Poland among the EU accession countries, and on Russia, foremost Kaliningrad oblast’, Leningrad oblast’ and St. Petersburg, among the other CEE/NIS countries.

The assistance should continue to concentrate upon environmental assistance.

Future environmental projects should, to the extent possible, be implemented through joint implementation.

In the Danish environmental assistance to Eastern Europe priority is given to:

The main areas – water, waste, the nuclear area, preparation of climate action in the form of joint implementation and institution building – where results can be achieved within a short time horizon.

A more flexible transition from bilateral assistance to EU-based assistance when the candidate countries are expected to be accepted in the EU within a few years.

Improvement of the environmental situation in the Baltic Region and adjoining regions in Russia; it will be ensured that the Danish bilateral assistance is co-ordinated with the EU assistance.

In the case of the other co-operation countries outside the Baltic Region, rounding-off of the present action and preparation of joint implementation projects.

The contents of this report have been requested by the Ukranian environmental authorities in the co-operation with the Danish Ministry of the Environment as a rounding-off of the Danish-Ukranian efforts. The purpose of the report is to illustrate the status of the environment and indicate possible solutions to the problems.

Since 1991, when Ukraine gained independence, Denmark has provided substantial environmental assistance to Ukraine. As part of the rounding-off of the efforts, the Danish Ministry of the Environment has entrusted a group of Danish experts led by the consultancy company COWI A/S to prepare this report, which aims at providing an overview of environmental related problems and challenges in Ukraine today within three sectors, namely water, waste and energy sectors.

It is the sincere hope of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency that the report may serve as a source of inspiration to all involved in improving environmental performance in Ukraine, both inside and outside Ukraine.