Position of environmental NGOs from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on environmental and energy policies in the Eurasian Economic Union / Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia

We, representatives of non-governmental organizations, express our concerns about the situation in the field of environmental and energy safety in the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, which is an important process of integration in the Eurasian space.

At the moment, there is an active process of formation of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union. Meanwhile, we observe the absence of a systematic approach to involve representatives of the public to discuss the provisions of this Agreement and the policies of the Customs Union in the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency.

Public organizations are particularly concerned by the fact that, at the moment, when discussing the integration Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, environmental issues are actually taken outside the scope of the agenda. Thus one of the most important regional issues is basically out of the impact focus of the Eurasian Economic Union, as one of the most significant integration processes in the region.

We consider it necessary to take the following actions:

• Ensure real public participation in all the countries involved in the formation of the Customs Union common policy in the field of energy and environment.
• Initiate consultations with participation of concerned non-governmental organizations to formulate a common position of the Eurasian Economic Union on environment, fixed in the Treaty with a special focus on issues of climate change adaptation, promoting energy efficiency and green economy.
• Promote widespread introduction of energy-efficient and energy-saving technologies and renewable energy in the whole area of the future Eurasian Economic Union through development and support of an integrated system of economic preferences for enterprises and organizations introducing corresponding technologies, and introduction of customs exemptions for imports of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources.
• Support regional educational initiatives in the field of environment and energy efficiency at junior, middle and high schools.