The Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (MARDE), is the consulting body for environmental policy issues and coordinator of environment related projects/ programmes. It has the overall responsibility of environmental policy implementation and coordination of procedures. In particular, the Department of Environment of MARDE is the chair of the climate change committee as well as the environmental impact assessment committee and it is occupied with issues of sustainable management of different waste streams, climate change, nature protection and land use such as the protection of biodiversity, coastal zone management, land planning and environment, desertification and environmental awareness and information. As far as climate change is concerned, the Department of Environment is assigned with the implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies and the monitoring of greenhouse gases emissions. In this context, MARDE has the responsibility for the planning, preparation, management, compilation of the national greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory report. The Department of Environment is also the competent authority for the overall assessment of climate change impacts including contamination of atmosphere and the development and implementation of the relevant adaptation measures. Additionally, the Environment Department constitutes the national focal point of several intergovernmental organisations such as UNFCCC, CSD, MCSD, SMAP, MAP, INFOTERRA and UNEP, and of various Conventions such as the CITES Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters and the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, etc. The Department of Environment has a long-term experience both as a leader and partner in the management of european competitive funding programmes such as LIFE Programme and in european structural and investment funds.
