ENI SEIS II East project manager Jana Tafi, PhD, delivered a presentation on project’s environmental accounting activities in the six Eastern partnership countries during the regional Bio-bridge initiative round table in Minsk 26-28 February 2018. During the 2nd project Steering Committee in Minsk 12-13 December 2017, the Eastern partnership countries expressed their need to deepen their capacities in the environmental accounting. The need to account for natural resources as capital, in the same way as we account for economic and financial resources, is growing, as it delivers an improved understanding of the interplay between economic, social and environmental factors. 

The presentation focused on the Assessment of self-assessment of SEEA progress and institutional capacity development. The EEA study in 2017 identified the state of play and future of the SEEA in the Eastern Partnership countries. The key findings indicated high political interest expressed from environmental authorities to SEEA-EEA implementation to support environmental reporting process, incl. UNFCCC, UN CBD, UN CCD. 

In addition, the project provided vocational training on SEEA in 2017 that was organised by the CIRAD. Participants learned the latest theory, best practice and application of environmental accounting in the public policy framework. The training was based on the SEEA-CF, SEEA-EEA and developments at the European Environment Agency in the context of INCA and MAES, as well as the ENCA-QSP practical guidelines developed by UN CBD. In particular it focused on land cover accounts based on the EEAs 10 years’ practical experience in producing and disseminating these accounts (i.e. the land and ecosystem accounting (LEAC) framework), which is the reference used in the ENCA-QSP for land cover accounting. The purpose of the training was to raise awareness of land accounts, as the first step in environmental accounting implementation following the EEA methodology. The training made use of a tutorial to present the methodology, IT applications and hands-on experience that would enable the Eastern Partnership countries in meeting environmental reporting commitments. 

Finally, the six Eastern Partnership countries are ready to start SEEA activities taking an integrated assessment perspective, including spatial analysis. The results of the study are summarised in the report, which is available on the project website: https://eni-seis.eionet.europa.eu/east