2011年-世界发展银行全球_Romania_-_Functional_Review___Environment_Water_and_Forestry_Volume_1_Main_Report_174页_2mb

Summary of the Functional Review of Romania's Environment, Water and Forestry Sector

Core Content

This document presents a comprehensive functional review of Romania's Environment, Water and Forestry (EWF) sector, focusing on institutional structures, performance, and challenges in managing EU funds and implementing environmental policies. The review was conducted by the World Bank and highlights the need for strategic reforms, improved coordination, and enhanced operational efficiency.

Main Issues and Challenges

1. Institutional Overload and Fragmentation

• The sector is over-stretched, with institutions like MoEF, NEPA, ANAR, and Romsilva managing multiple overlapping programs with unclear responsibilities and limited results.
• The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) now oversees both environmental and forestry functions, leading to increased complexity and resource demands.
• The new National Program for Infrastructure Development (NPID) introduces additional pressures and overlaps with existing programs like SOP ENV.

2. Weak Strategic Framework

• There is no clear strategic framework for prioritization, budget allocation, and performance monitoring.
• The policy-making process is centralized, opaque, and lacks transparency, leading to inefficiencies and poor coordination.
• The Public Policy Unit (PPU) is under-resourced and not empowered to support strategic objectives effectively.

3. Poor Implementation and Management

• Environmental permitting and enforcement systems are complex, bureaucratic, and slow.
• There is a lack of integrated IT systems, operational databases, and reliable communication channels within the sector.
• Human resources are underperforming due to poor management, lack of training, low morale, and inadequate incentives.
• Budget execution and financial management are weak, with low absorption rates of EU funds and limited coordination.

4. Institutional and Legal Gaps

• The Internal Rules of Operation (ROF) for MoEF lack clarity on the roles and responsibilities of senior managers.
• There is a gap in environmental liability regulations, particularly for business transformations.
• The EIA process is not well-aligned with construction law, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistencies.

Key Recommendations

1. Strategy Formulation and Management

• Establish a FR Implementation Team: A team of senior managers from MoEF and subordinated agencies should be formed to review and implement the report's recommendations.
• Prepare a Sector Strategy: Develop a comprehensive strategy that integrates EU and national policy priorities, covering five main areas: legal and institutional reform, EU fund absorption, regulatory and public goods functions, forest resource management, and environmental quality improvement.
• Strengthen Strategic Planning Process: Introduce a more open and inclusive process for strategy formulation and management, including the establishment of a Sector Strategy Advisory Group (SSAG) and the evolution of the Ministry College into a performance monitoring mechanism.
• Develop a Strategy Implementation Dashboard (SID): Create a SID to link priorities, budget execution, implementation modalities, and performance monitoring.

2. Institutional Reforms and Coordination

• Empower the PPU: Strengthen the PPU to support strategic planning, monitoring, and inter-ministerial coordination.
• Enhance Inter-Ministerial Coordination: Improve coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Energy and Environment (MEE), particularly regarding EU CAP compliance, Natura 2000, and climate change policies.
• Streamline Funding Management: Create a unified management regime for EU funds and other resources, and use predictable and earmarked resources (e.g., water tax) instead of the national budget.

3. Operational Capacity and Systems

• Simplify Environmental Permitting: Consolidate permitting and enforcement under a single agency, develop an integrated database, and introduce a web-based permit issuance system.
• Integrate EIA into Permitting Process: Implement an integrated EIA process for IPPC installations to reduce processing time and avoid redundant administrative work.
• Review and Harmonize Legal Frameworks: Address regulatory gaps, particularly in environmental liability and EIA alignment with construction law.
• Improve HR Policies: Focus on performance management, staff training, and career incentives to enhance human resources capacity.
• Conduct Surveys and Registration of State Property: Ensure that state property in the water sector is properly certified and registered to prevent unauthorized occupation and ensure the safety of water sources.

Cross-Cutting Issues

1. Budget and Financial Management

• The absorption rate of EU funds remains low, with only 7% of funds absorbed and 1.9% in real payments.
• The financial management system lacks efficiency, transparency, and coordination, especially between the SOP ENV and NPID programs.

2. Procurement

• Procurement processes are slow and inefficient due to excessive controls, unclear guidelines, and lack of coordination.
• Recommendations include streamlining procedures, improving transparency, and enhancing the capacity of procurement authorities.

3. Human Resources

• HR management is transactional and lacks strategic alignment.
• There is a need for performance-based systems, better training, and career development opportunities to attract and retain skilled staff.

4. Information Technology

• The sector lacks an integrated IT system, operational databases, and reliable communication channels.
• A web-based information sharing system and a robust MIS are recommended to improve coordination and data management.

Conclusion

The review highlights the need for a more coherent, strategic, and efficient approach to managing the EWF sector in Romania. It emphasizes the importance of institutional reform, enhanced coordination, and the development of a strong management information system to improve the absorption of EU funds and achieve sustainable development goals. The recommendations focus on strengthening the role of the MoEF and its agencies, improving policy and strategic management, and enhancing operational capacity through better HR practices and IT systems.