Governo Italiano
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The EU recognizes the strategic importance of the Central Asian region, a crucial region in international geopolitics, a link between Europe and Asia.
Relations between the European Union and Central Asia are conducted within the framework of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, adopted for the first time by the Council in 2007.
The 2007 Strategy was aimed at achieving the stability and prosperity of Central Asian countries by promoting the development of open societies, the rule of law, democratization, security and cooperation in environmental and energy matters.
In 2019, the new Strategy was presented, in the form of a Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council (Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council 2019-9 of 15.5.2019): "The EU and Central Asia: New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership".
The 2019 Strategy is structured around three interrelated priorities:
1. Partnering for Resilience;
2. Partnering for Prosperity;
3. Working Better Together.
The new Strategy is orientated towards resilience (in areas such as human rights, border security and the environment), prosperity (with particular regard to connectivity) and regional cooperation.
Italy has a coordinating role in the framework of the European Union Strategy for Central Asia through the responsibility for coordinating the Cooperation Platform on the environment and water.
Environment and Water Platform
The European Union-Central Asia Platform on Environmental and Water Cooperation was established on the occasion of the Third High Level Conference between the European Union and Central Asia, held in Rome in 2009, with the aim of providing a reference framework for cooperation in the field of water and the environment, in agreement with all the countries of the Region, and is aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the European Union and Central Asia, improving environmental policies and increasing institutional capacities.
The implementation of the Platform takes place through periodic High Level Conferences (HLC), which are held every 3 or 4 years, generally alternately in Europe and Central Asia. After the Rome Conference the following took place:
1. 4th High Level Conference, co-chaired by the then Undersecretary Hon. Marta Dassù, 13-14 February 2013, Biskek (Kyrgyzstan);
2. 5th High Level Conference, co-chaired by the then Undersecretary Hon. Benedetto Della Vedova, Milan (EXPO), 12-13 October 2015;
3. 6th High Level Conference, co-chaired by Director General Francesco La Camera, 24-25 January 2019, Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
The 2019 Tashkent Conference produced a document, in the form of a "Summary of the co-Chairs" which, temporally anticipating the new European Strategy of 2019 but fully in line with its objectives, is articulated on the following priorities:
1. Environmental governance, circular economy and sustainable consumption and production;
2. Mitigation and adaptation to climate change;
3. Management of water resources;
4. Cross-cutting issues.
Working Group Environment and Climate Change
The Platform oversees the Working Group on Environment and Climate Change (WGECC) chaired by Italy through the DG AEI of MASE, the latter set up at the same time as the Platform was established.
The Secretariat of the Platform and the Working Group is carried out through an EU-funded project "Cooperation for Water, Environment and Climate Change in Central Asia" (WECOOP), renewed in October 2019. On the website of the project (https://wecoop.eu/) all the documents relating to the meetings and activities carried out are available.
The Working Group helps to identify priority regional cooperation actions and supports the Platform by strengthening political dialogue and regional cooperation between the European Union and Central Asia.
The Working Group, which will meet for the tenth time in 2021, has been chaired by the MATTM (now MASE) since its establishment. The new mandate of the Working Group was presented and discussed at the 6th High Level Conference in January 2019, whose formalization took place during the 9th meeting in Brussels in February 2020, chaired by the MATTM.
The intense work conducted within the Working Group includes technical discussions on EU environmental standards, in order to promote investments in relevant sectors with the aim of helping to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions.
The technical activities of the working group have allowed the creation of a "Regional knowledge center" which can be consulted online (https://wecoop.eu/regional-knowledge-centre), which contains all the useful information and formats to support the development and the preparation of projects with environmental relevance in Central Asia.
Since 2017 the Working Group has organized thematic technical seminars (Clinic workshops) for discussions between representatives of Central Asian countries and relevant International Financial Institutions (including Green Climate Fund, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, AFD, GIZ, ADB, etc.), with the aim of defining concrete project ideas and proposals to be submitted in the appropriate forums.
Following an agreement with the European Commission, the new mandate of the Working Group, effective from 2020, provides for the co-presidency of the MASE and the European Commission, and an extension of the mandate also in the field of water, in addition to the establishment of a guiding body (Coordination Committee).
The Coordination Committee met electronically in June 2020 to discuss the realignment of the program of activities with respect to the global health emergency. The delegates agreed on the importance of investigating the issue of green recovery as a pillar of future actions for post-emergency recovery, also in consideration of the recent initiatives of the European Commission.
