The Republic of Kazakhstan ratified the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) in 2001 and took full-pledged obligations to establish appropriate environmental assessment framework at the national level. The project "Supporting Kazakhstan's Transition to a Green Economy Model" with the funding from the EU Commission and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana assists this process of reform by taking considerable efforts and employing international expertise in establishing modern environmental impact assessment (EIA) framework in the country.

In line with the above the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan (Ministry), based on the results of the UNECE-supported Review of legislative aspects EIA of the Republic of Kazakhstan vis-a-vis the provisions of the Espoo Convention, has recently confirmed its wiliness to upgrade its EIA legislation and, therefore, included this proposal into the Concept for revision of the Environmental Code of Kazakhstan. While the project was invited to help develop relevant EIA amendments to the Environmental Code of Kazakhstan in line with the provisions of the Espoo Convention.

That said, the rationale of the round table consultations meeting on the EIA legal reform, scheduled to take place in Astana on 5 September, is to present draft EIA amendments to the Environmental Code of Kazakhstan for some 50 representatives of the Ministry's working group on the development of the national environmental legislation, responsible for the strategic planning and the EIA implementation, private, international and civil society organizations, international legal consultants and national legal experts.

Based on the outcomes of discussions, the project team of experts will finalize the EIA draft amendments and present them to the Ministry in the form of the "EIA Chapter" as part of the forthcoming legal drafting activities under the Environmental Code revision.