On July 15, 2014, a meeting of the Working Group 3 “Environment, climate change and energy security” of the Ukrainian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was held in Kyiv in the premises of the Aarhus information and education centre of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The meeting was organized by UNENGO MAMA-86, whose Executive Director Zoriana Mishchuk coordinates the Working Group.

The meeting focused on the opportunities for the European integration reforms and strengthening the citizen participation which emerged after signing the Association Agreement - its participants discussed possible common actions by the Working Group in this context. The questions on the agenda of the meeting included the review of the current situation in the field of nature protection, climate and energy, including the assessment of action of the new authorities and state of communications with the public, as well a prospects of forming a National civil society platform as a mechanism of citizen participation in the implementation of the Association agreement.

A crucial role of civil society organizations was emphasized by the specially invited guest, Jean-François Moret, manager of the sector “Energy, green economy and civic protection” of the EU Delegation in Ukraine. He also spoke about the prospects of the implementation of the Association agreement in the environment sphere.

The Group participants also discussed such priority issues for NGOs as advocating the adoption of the effective law on the environment impact assessment, promoting the municipal energy reform and continuation of the monitoring of how Ukraine meets its commitments in the framework of the participation in the Energy Community. The Working Group delineated the issues on which it will further work in the second half of 2014, in particular, improving the society’s awareness about the consequences of the Association Agreement in respective spheres, monitoring of the conduct of European integration reforms, drawing attention of authorities to the previously accomplished work and recommendations of civil society, etc.