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Interview with national focal points from Ukraine



-----Valentyna Vasylenko ----	----- Oleg Prokopenko ----
NFP from the The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine	NFP from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine
'The project allowed to get acquainted with the best international practices in the environmental protection area, which we now use in Ukraine.'	'As a result of the project, the potential of Ukrainian environmental statistics has increased, the quality of environmental information has improved, and partnerships with international organizations and the statistical services of other countries have expanded.'
Why are you passionate about environment: The environment is one of the priorities of my life. I love nature and I think that we should protect it. Background: I graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the Kiev National Taras Shevchenko University, worked at the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Ecology. I started working In the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine in 2004. Now I am the Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change and Protection of the Ozone Layer. I head the Division of Environmental Monitoring and Protection of the Ozone Layer. Favourite place: I like forests and water. My favorite place is the National dendrological park "Sofiyivka" Surprising part of the project: It is surprising to unite different countries with one goal - to make the environment better. Key learning from the project: Working in collaboration with colleagues from other countries and the EEA, I deepened knowledge in the development and application of environmental indicators and indicator-based assessments Project's added value: The project allowed to get acquainted with the best international practices in the environmental protection area, which we now use in Ukraine. The project helps build national capacity. Implemented actions: We use this knowledge to develop national legislative and technical documents. Based on the knowledge gained in the project, we implement the assessment based on indicators in the SOER. We are planning to develop the national SEIS portal for environmental decision-making at the national level.	Why are you passionate about evironment: I became passionate about environment in 1997, when the environment 'chose me', as I became responsible for environmental statistics Background: director of the Department on Agricultural and Environmental Statistics Surprising part about the project: Opportunity to meet and discuss statistical issues with colleagues from different countries and international organisations Favourite Place (s): Kiev and Lvov Key learning from the project: valuable information on the general principles and methods of SEIS, the methodology and practice of developing environmental indicators, on the preparation of state-of-the-environment reports both in EU countries and in EECCA countries was obtained during the ENI SEIS II East project. Issues related to the of developing of environmental accounts and the using of innovative approaches to environmental communication were new for Ukrainian statisticians . Project's added value: participation in the events held within the framework of the project allowed the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine to gain additional knowledge and experience in the field of environmental accounting, to expand the use of international standards in national statistical practice. As a result of the project, the potential of Ukrainian environmental statistics has increased, the quality of environmental information has improved, and partnerships with international organisations and the statistical services of other countries have expanded. Implemented actions: results of the meetings, round tables, seminars, online trainings, meetings with experts and other events that were held in the framework of the project are reflected in the statistical tools, methodological documents, publications in the field of environmental statistics. In particular, methodological guidelines were prepared for the formation and dissemination of environmental indicators by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine in accordance with international standards. Information on environmental indicators prepared and posted on the official website of the State Statistics Service under the special heading “Environmental indicators recommended by the UNECE, which are produced by state statistics bodies”. Changes were made to the statistical toolkit of state statistical observations in the field of waste, air pollution, environmental costs. Methodological guidelines on the compilation of the environmental account for air emissions and Methodological guidelines for the compilation of the environmental account for environmental costs were delivered.