Project activities resumed, adapted to pandemic situation

7. July 2020.

After a pause in the implementation of the project caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Policy and Legal Advice Centre (PLAC III) has resumed activities in mid-June 2020. The activities continued in full scale, but had to be adjusted to the requirements of respecting preventive measures, which is why online meetings were introduced in the work of the project team and project experts.

During the first year of implementation, PLAC III project has organised one study visit (to Slovenia, on the topic of tobacco control), 8 workshops, two conferences and two briefings for journalists and representatives of relevant civil society organizations. More than 550 participants attended these events.

Project activities whose implementation is ongoing during June and July 2020 relate to Negotiating Chapters 3, 9, 12, 15, 16 and 27.

In the areas covered by Chapter 3, the project is providing assistance in the harmonisation of a by-law with EU acquis necessary for the recognition of professional qualifications of health workers, as well as the development of a new Postal Services Strategy for the period 2020-2024.

Support is also provided for the harmonisation of state aid rules in the energy, environment, culture and media sectors (negotiating chapter 8). Under Negotiating Chapter 9, the focus is on harmonising national legislation with the Regulation on European Long-Term Investment Funds. Assistance in the evaluation of legislation in the field of registration of vegetable plants and varieties, support for the development of regulations for border veterinary inspectors, as well as support for the establishment of a system of designating reference food testing laboratories are ongoing activities in the area of Negotiating Chapter 12.

In the field of energy (Chapter 15), PLAC III project experts will work with national institutions to harmonise legislation related to radiation protection and nuclear safety.

Assistance in the process of alignment of EU acquis in the field of direct taxation is also envisaged (Chapter 16).

Chapter 27 experts will work in several sub-areas: on the harmonisation of legislation in the field of elecrtonic waste, providing assistance on transposing Union acquis in waste sector related to environmental liability, as well as in the drafting amendments to the Draft Law on climate change. In the field of Negoriation Chapter 28, among other, experts’ assistance is envisaged in harmonisation of legislation in tobacco sector, with the Nagoya Protocol on is Biodiversity and in development of Guidelines on treatment of opiate addicts using substitution therapy.