Safeguarding Malta's Groundwater

Report ID: 126

1. The National Audit Office (NAO) conducted the performance audit, entitled “Safeguarding Malta’s Groundwater”. This report examines whether Malta’s groundwater is being adequately protected from current challenges and climate change threats. This entailed evaluating the extent to which climate change adaptation measures to safeguard groundwater are being implemented. Findings and conclusions presented in this report are as at the end of October 2011. The focus on adaptation to climate change was taken into consideration due to a parallel audit performed in conjunction with eight other State Audit Institutions within the auspices of the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI) Working Group on Environmental Audit.

2. The overall status of groundwater bodies in Malta has been classified ‘at risk’ by various risk and vulnerability assessments commissioned by the Malta Resources Authority (MRA). Out of the 15 groundwater bodies, the two Mean Sea Level groundwater bodies are considered to be the most critical in status since they yield an estimated 66 per cent of the total groundwater abstracted in the country.

3. In view of the deteriorating status of Malta’s groundwater, this audit analysed the extent to which Malta is being effective in safeguarding and recharging groundwater against current and climate change threats. The scope of this audit included the various initiatives undertaken by the responsible Governmental entities to ascertain the long-term protection of groundwater. This audit’s objectives sought to determine the degree to which:

• The prevailing and climate change threats as well as their impact on groundwater have been

identified.

• The Government has developed the relevant framework to address the current status of groundwater.

• The proposed measures and recommendations to safeguard groundwater are being implemented in an effective and timely manner.

4. The NAO’s review was primarily based on four key documents namely, ‘A Proposal for a Water Policy for the Maltese Islands’ (Water Policy), the ‘National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy’ (NCCAS), ‘The Water Catchment Management Plan for the Maltese Islands’ (WCMP), and the ‘Nitrates Action Programme’ (NAP). These key documents contribute directly towards Government’s regulatory framework to safeguard groundwater.

5. Various risk and vulnerability assessments were undertaken to determine the current and climate change threats to groundwater. The threats identified were excessive over abstraction, as well as high nitrates and chlorides levels. These risks are expected to be compounded by the effects of climate change.

National parks in Polish-Slovak border area Audit Report

Report ID: 145

In 2005, the Supreme Chamber of Control of the Republic of Poland (NIK) and the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic (NKU),  performed a parallel audit of the functioning of national parks with regard to preservation, sustainable use and restoration of natural resources.

The audit was carried in accordance with the agreement on cooperation concluded between the NIK and the NKU on 9 February 1998 on the basis of the INTOSAI auditing standards. The total area of the audited national parks located in the borderland between Poland and Slovakia was 46,340 hectares on the Polish side, and 107,355 hectares on the Slovak side.

The objective of the audit was to assess:

• the effectiveness of the tasks performed with a view to conserve natural resources in selected national parks as well as to examine whether the resources and funds of the parks had been used in an economical and efficient manner,

• the impact of the binding legal regulations on ensuring appropriate protection of ecosystems of national parks,

• the effectiveness of the activities taken by wildlife conservation bodies.

Source: https://www.nku.gov.sk/documents/10272/1542112/2007+-+National+parks.pdf

Cross-border movement of wastes between Poland and the Russian Federation

Report ID: 151

The Poland-Russia Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 has been drafted jointly by the Polish and Russian parties. It will be co-financed by the European Union and the Russian Federation. The financial contribution of the EU will be provided by the European Neighbourhood Instrument and European Regional Development Fund under the 2014-2020 financial perspective of the European Union.

The Joint Operational Programme for the Poland-Russia CBC Programme 2014-2020 was prepared in the legal framework of the following regulations and documents:

• Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 966/2012 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities;
• Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument;
• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 897/2014 of 18 August 2014 laying down specific provisions for the implementation of cross-border cooperation programmes financed under Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument;
• Programming document for EU support to ENI Cross-Border Cooperation (2014-2020);
• Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external actions;

Additionally, for the Russian Federation the document was prepared on the basis of the following documents:

• The Strategy of the Social and Economic Development of the North-Western Federal District Region of the Russian Federation till 2020 approved with the Government Executive Order of the Russian Federation № 2074-р of 18 November 2011; Federal law on procurement № 44-ФЗ of 5 April 2013;
• Strategy for the social and economic development of the Russian Federation till 2020
• Programme of the Government of the Russian Federation «Social and economic development of the Kaliningrad region till 2020»
• Concept for the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation adopted by the President of the Russian Federation on 12 February 2013;
• Tax Code of the Russian Federation;
• Applicable decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Government

Implementation of the Programme will comply with the provisions of relevant financing agreement between the Russian Federation, the European Union and the Republic of Poland after the JOP is adopted.

Audit on the conservation of biodiversity on the area of the planned regional parks Sne?nik and Koevsko Kolpa and in Risnjak National Park

Report ID: 191

In the recent decades we witnessed the reduction of biodiversity and landscape diversity due to negative impacts on the animal and plant species, their habitats and habitat types. Therefore the reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and national levels is an important step in the conservation and protection of biodiversity.

The countries that are aware of the importance of the conservation of biological diversity have agreed to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity. By signing the Convention they have decided to build up national strategies, plans and programmes in order to provide for the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity. For the conservation of biodiversity, i.e. »in situ «conservation, the Convention on Biological Diversity stresses the development of protected areas such as national, regional and landscape parks where the conservation of ecosystems, species and habitats is of high importance.

Croatia and Slovenia are countries with relatively high levels of the biodiversity; their biodiversity index (NBI) ranks them in the first quarter of the European countries. On the territories of Croatia and Slovenia there are wild animals that belong to the endangered European species, among them there are three large carnivores: brown bear, wolf and lynx. Despite the positive biodiversity situation both countries ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1996 and agreed to implement its objectives in order to provide for the efficient protection of biodiversity.

The Supreme Audit Institutions of the two neighbouring countries decided to contribute to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity by auditing the establishment or management of the protected areas and by auditing the efficiency of the implementation of the measures for the conservation of biodiversity.

Because the audit findings and the conclusions were comparable, the SAIs published a joint audit report on the protected areas; i.e. Risnjak National Park in Croatia and planned regional parks Snežnik and Kočevsko Kolpa in Slovenia. The areas included in the audit are mainly covered by forests. The forests of Snežnik and Javornik linked with forests of Kočevje and Gorski Kotar com Europe. This is also the habitat of the three large carnivores.

The SAIs assessed the appropriateness of the institutional framework for the conservation and protection of biodiversity and the efficiency of the establishment or management of the protected areas. The special focus was placed on the implementation of the measures for the protection of the large carnivores that exist in those forests. When the audits were completed they issued national audit reports that are available on the web sites of the SAIs.

The audit of the Slovenian SAI included the period from 1996 to the end of 2005 and was implemented at the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and the Forestry Institute of Slovenia. The audit of the Croatian SAI included the period from 2003 to the end of 2005 and was implemented at the Ministry of Culture, the National Nature Protection Service, the Public Institution Risnjak National Park and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water management.

This report presents the common audit findings, recommendations and summaries of the most important findings. The Appendix includes the explanations of the used terminology.

The central Government?s actions for sustainable fisheries (RiR 2008:23)

Report ID: 204

The overcapacity of the fishing fleet is an important reason why several fish stocks are overfished today. This means that fishing must be reduced to more sustainable levels to give fish stocks a chance to recover.

Sweden’s fisheries policy is part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The objectives of fisheries policy and the legislation governing it have changed in recent decades. While the objectives in the past used to be geared mainly towards development of the industry, they are nowadays designed to ensure a long-term sustainable development: economically, socially and environmentally. The objectives of this legislation are to ensure the viability of the fisheries sector, so that fishermen can earn a living; to promote employment in small-scale coastal fisheries; and to stop overfishing that threatens fish stocks.

The overall orientation of the CFP also entails a requirement for the EU Member States to apply the precautionary approach in taking measures designed to protect and conserve living aquatic resources, to provide for their sustainable exploitation and to minimise the impact of fishing activities on marine eco-systems.

Riksrevisionen (the Swedish National Audit Office, SNAO) has examined whether the action taken by the Swedish central-government sector has been effective in promoting the intentions of the legislation governing fisheries policy and whether the Government and the various government agencies have fulfilled their obligations in the field of fisheries policy as laid down in that legislation.

The SNAO’s general conclusion is that, overall, the action taken has been ineffective. In fact, Sweden is moving away from the objectives in several material respects even though the problems concerned have been known for a long time, many policy instruments are being used and public spending for this purpose is high. The Government and the government agencies have also failed to ensure full compliance with legislation.

Compliance with the economic objective of a viable fisheries sector is deteriorating. A large proportion of commercial fishermen are experiencing a reduction in profitability, and the level of net profit for the fisheries sector as a whole has fallen strongly in recent years. Compliance with the social objective of promoting employment in small-scale coastal fisheries is also deteriorating.

The number of days spent at sea in the coastal-fisheries sector has fallen from just under 78,000 in 2002 to just under 62,000 in 2007. And the objectives relating to an environmentally sustainable development are also not being met.

According to reports on the environmental objectives set by the Riksdag (parliament), the situation of several fish stocks is critical; in certain cases the situation has grown worse. What is more, the relative size of stocks of different species has changed considerably, which may have an impact on the maritime eco-system as a whole.

The SNAO’s audit is part of a joint Baltic audit. The supreme audit institutions of Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Finland are conducting parallel audits of the state of marine life in the Baltic Sea. The Danish national audit office (Rigsrevisionen) will compile a joint Baltic report to be published in February 2009.