All EPRs include recommendations addressed to the reviewed country. Recommendations aim to guide further action to overcome challenges faced by a country. They also aim to promote the convergence of environmental policies in the ECE region as a whole.
When a country is reviewed the second or the third time, the EPR reports on the implementation of recommendations from the previous review. The average rate of implementation of EPR recommendations in 2008-2015 as evaluated by the EPR Programme secretariat has been 72 per cent.
Generally, EPR recommendations requiring efforts of several ministries have proven more difficult to implement than recommendations addressed to the national environmental authority alone. EPR recommendations requiring additional and substantial financial investments proved more difficult and time consuming to implement, than those for which funding was readily available. At the same time, EPR recommendations have assisted countries in attracting the resources and attention to significant but neglected environmental issues.
EPRs have resulted in improved policy and legal frameworks and better integration of environmental concerns into sectoral policies, stronger institutions for environmental management, improved financial resources for environmental protection and greening the economy, improved environmental monitoring and information systems, strengthened public participation, and increased international cooperation.
For example, in the Republic of Moldova the EPR allowed upgrading the status of the national environmental authority to that of the ministry.
In Croatia, the EPR triggered changes to the Economic instruments and financing of environmental protection expenditure and waste management (more). It also suggested changes in the system of transport-related taxes to encourage a transition to less polluting practices (more).
In Georgia, the EPR helped increase the effectiveness of international environmental assistance with the introduction of regular donor coordination meetings, the creation of a database on donor-financed projects and the establishment of a project coordination unit. In Belarus, the EPR helped to improve environmental monitoring and triggered the revision of air and water quality standards to make them compatible with international benchmarks.