The 18th Sectoral Monitoring Committee Meeting under the Environment and Climate Action Sector Operational Programme implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, together with the 6th Sectoral Monitoring Committee Meeting of the IPA III Period, was held on 1 December 2025 in a hybrid format, hosted by the Turkish Environmental Agency.
The meeting, moderated by Mr. Mehmet Yunus İnan, Head of the Department for Project Preparation and Monitoring, commenced with opening speeches delivered by Mr. Ali Erhan Yılmaz, Deputy Director General for EU and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; Ms. Maria Luisa Wyganowski, Head of Cooperation and First Counsellor of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye; and Mr. Bülent Özcan, Director General of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting gathered broad participation from the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, the National Authorising Officer’s Office of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Board of Treasury Controllers, relevant units of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Turkish Environmental Agency, İlbank Inc., municipalities, technical assistance teams, and consultancy firms.
During the opening session, progress achieved under IPA II and IPA III, developments in contracting and implementation processes, and the importance of Türkiye–EU cooperation for the upcoming period were underlined.
Following the opening session, the technical segment of the meeting continued with detailed presentations by Ms. Buğçe Doğan Çimentepe, Head of Programming Department; Ms. Selda Güngör, Head of Project Monitoring Department; Mr. Hakkı Özdağ, Head of Finance Department; Mr. İlker Akbay, Head of Tendering Department; and Mr. Ayhan Taş, Head of Contract Management Department. These presentations covered programming, monitoring, financial performance, procurement processes, contract management, and communication & visibility activities. The technical discussions were further complemented by contributions and assessments from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mr. İsmail Raci Bayer, Head of the Project Implementation Department, regarding the overall implementation progress of the programme.
The presentations highlighted with satisfaction that the IPA II contracting rate had reached 99%, the payment rate 83%, and that many projects had reached maturity in their implementation stages. Efforts carried out to address the post-earthquake infrastructure needs of municipalities, as well as the additional EU funds allocated to the sector, were also among the key agenda items.
In the sector-focused assessment session, Ms. Sevil Öksüz, Environmental Specialist from the Directorate General for EIA, Permit and Inspection, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the IPA III project titled “Improving Marine Monitoring and Reporting Practices in Compliance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MaRDA)”. In addition, representatives of the Turkish Environmental Agency (TÜÇA) shared an extensive presentation on current activities within their fields of work.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the follow-up of the 17th Sectoral Monitoring Committee decisions was reviewed; operational recommendations for the 18th SMC were established; and various proposals were put forward to ensure the more effective continuation of implementation processes. Agreement was reached on strengthening interinstitutional coordination, resolving technical challenges encountered during implementation, and determining the schedule for upcoming meetings.
The meeting ended with messages reinforcing mutual cooperation among participants and marked a significant milestone for the effectiveness of EU-funded investments in Türkiye’s environment and climate sectors.