Mots clé inter-institutional cooperation; integration policies, SEA

Integration of transport, environment and health policies within central and local Governments requires adequate organizational support and adapted institutional structures. Traditionally, governmental structures tend to be compartmentalized, characterized by autonomous policy developments for specific domains and a hierarchy of relations, which is likely to limit the flow of information between ministries and hinder co-ordinated action. In some countries, efforts have been made in terms of institutional and administrative developments, to overcome the vertical structures of policymaking and to ensure horizontal consistency among the different policy fields. In recent years, countries in Central and Eastern Europe acceding to the EU have undertaken profound administrative restructuring and institutional reforms to comply with the “acquis communautaire”, including new requirements for policy integration.

The promotion of integration between the transport, health and environment sectors is facilitated by the development and implementation of institutional integration mechanisms within national Governments that give practical directions on how to ensure the full involvement and input of the health and environment sectors into decisions on transport and land-use and on the development of an integrated transport policy at international, national, and local levels.

The relevant measures include for example:

• More representative decision-making processes;
• Systematically involving health and environmental authorities in decisions on transport projects and policies and on land-use planning;
• Establishing cross-sectoral task forces and inter-ministerial committees.

The development of institutional mechanisms will respond in particular to the needs of EECCA and South-Eastern European countries.