Publication Name

MINING FOR CLOSURE

executive summary

This document aims to present a basis for action

within South Eastern Europe (SEE) and within the

Tisza River Basin (TRB) towards the development

of corporate practice, regulatory frameworks, gov-

ernance guidelines and/or financial and insur-

ance markets suitable for the support of a mod-

ern mining industry. In particular, this document

wishes to present a number of options and ideas

that can be applied to address the funding and

execution of mine closure and mine rehabilita-

tion while still achieving conditions suitable for

new and ongoing mining activities. Further, the

document provides details of many important in-

formation sources and is intended to constitute a

reference source.

The draft document was launched at the

Sub-re-

gional Conference on “Reducing Environment and

Security Risks from Mining in South Eastern Europe

and the Tisza River Basin (TRB)”

conducted in Cluj-

Napoca, Romania, 11-14 May 2005.

The sub-regional conference drew high-level partici-

pation of Mr. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP Executive Direc-

tor, Mrs. Sulfina Barbu, Minister of Environment and

Water Management of Romania, and Mr. Miklos Per-

sanyi, Minister of Environment and Water of Hunga-

ry. It was attended by representatives from a range of

countries and jurisdictions including: Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, The former Yu-

goslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and

Montenegro and Kosovo (territory under UN adminis-

tration), Romania, the Slovak Republic, and Hungary.

The objective of the Conference was to draw up

an action programme to reduce environment and

security risks from mining in the region, includ-

ing further assessment and pilot projects at high-

risk sites, and endorse guidelines for sustainable

mining practice and closure of mines. The event

concluded with the signing of Declaration of the

High-Level Panel of the Sub-regional Conference

included as Appendix A to this report.