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Danish - Ukranian Environmental Co-operation 1993-2002 Foreword by The Danish Minister of EnvironmentIn 1993, the first environmental project was launched as part of the Danish assistance to Ukraine. Further in 1994, Denmark and Ukraine entered into an agreement of co-operation in the field of environment, at a time when Ukraine was still a very new European nation. From a very modest beginning, the co-operation has now grown to include a significant number of important projects in the fields of water, waste, energy, industry, nature, public administration and public participation. It is therefore with great pleasure that we now issue this publication on the Danish-Ukrainian co-operation in the field of environment. As you will see when you go through the pages, the co-operation has led to the implementation of a number of environmental projects important to Ukraine as well as to Europe and in some cases even to the rest of the world. Environment has become one of the most important fields of international co-operation and it is now considered to be an integrated part of peace, trade and industrial co-operation. The coming, closer relationship between Ukraine and the rest of Europe will inevitably have environmental considerations as a major component. As the first country originating from the former Soviet Union to do so, Ukraine will, in May 2003, host the 5th Pan-European Conference of Environment Ministers, "Environment for Europe". Denmark hosted the 4th of these conferences in Aarhus in 1998, which, once again, proved to be the prime forum for initiatives to improve our common European environment. The selection of Ukraine as the host for the next conference signalled an increasing focus on and concern for the environmental problems in the Newly Independent States. The Kyiv Conference will be a unique opportunity to discuss ways and means to prevent outstanding and very real threats to the public health and the environment. It will equally be a chance to demonstrate both the efforts and the achievements already made in Ukraine in the field of environment despite the economic problems. It has been the Danish intention in the co-operation with Ukraine to support projects proving that environmental degradation be controlled and reversed without compromising the projects for economic growth and welfare by demonstrating solutions to common environmental problems based on Danish experience and technology developed during the last three decades. The Danish Government is of the opinion that support to the water supply and sanitation infrastructure is of the utmost importance, in accordance with the Plan of Implementation from Johannesburg. Therefore, Denmark will play an active role in the EU-partnership "Water for Life", focusing on Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. The future bilateral co-operation between Denmark and Ukraine will lie in the sphere of joint implementation of projects aiming at the reduction of greenhouse gases in accordance with the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. I am looking very much forward to this interesting new form of our cooperation, which will benefit the environment on a global scale. An important part of this book is reserved for a short presentation of the Danish and the Ukrainian companies who have been the implementing partners of the projects. This has been done in recognition of the importance of the direct relations between these partners and as an easy reference for further co-operation for other Ukrainians who want to initiate similar projects in their industry or town. My final remark would be to draw your attention to the possibilities that lie in using the market mechanism. The Danish Government strongly believes that further inclusion in this way of involvement of the private sector in pollution abatement will prove advantageous both for the economy and for the environment.
Hans Christian Schmidt
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