The purpose of the EEA visit was to meet with key national stakeholders, to present the objectives of the ENI SEIS II East project and to share views how the second phase of SEIS cooperation can be best aligned to the identified national priorities in the environmental field.

During the 2-day visit, meetings were held with the appointed National Focal Points (NFPs) and high-level officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Research Center “Ecology", Arhus Centre and the EU Delegation. Discussions focused on the ways to advance the integration and sharing of environmental data at national level in parallel to continuing the joint work on environmental indicators at regional level. Dedicated webpage was developed by BELSTAT to disseminate the environmental indicators addressed under the earlier SEIS cooperation: http://www.belstat.gov.by/en/ofitsialnaya-statistika/macroeconomy-and-environment/okruzhayuschaya-sreda/the-shared-environmental-information-system/

Environment is a key topic for EU-Belarus bilateral cooperation and thus in the future activities under ENI SEIS II East project synergies will be sought with relevant initiatives at national level. An example to be mentioned is the recently agreed Action Programme on “Strengthening Air Quality and Environmental Management in the Republic of Belarus”.