During a two year period from 2013 to 2015, AWN Consulting formed part of a consortium (including Turkish (Ekodenge) and Italian (D'Appolonia) partners) in the delivery of a Capacity Building Contract to the Turkish Environment Ministry. The project was designed to support the transposition of the Seveso II Directive into Turkish legislation. This involved the provision of technical training in relation to enhancing capacity for enforcing regulations associated with the implementation of the Seveso II Directive.

At the time Turkey was in the process of commencing implementation of this Directive for many of their industries. AWN provided expertise in Seveso and environmental risk assessment. As a teaching exercise to transfer the necessary technical, scientific and legal knowledge to the Turkish Environment and Urban Planning Ministry staff, AWN reviewed the tank farm area of a refinery in Kirikale, Ankara Turkey. This site was used as a pilot study for implementing a Seveso study. Site risk assessments and modelling were undertaken as well as consideration of land use planning and safety management systems and emergency plans along with on-site training for Ministry and refinery staff.

The training also involved a tour of Italian and Irish Seveso sites to improve the Turkish Ministry's understanding of how the Directive is implemented in different industrial sites. These site visits allowed the Turkish Ministry to learn techniques for strengthening industrial safety technical legislative capacity based on previous experiences in the EU.

AWN organised a week long country wide tour for The Turkish Ministry in Ireland which incorporated:

• Visits to chemical and hydrocarbon facilities at several Irish ports which AWN had worked with in ensuring Seveso II compliance;
• A visit to the Irish Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government;
• Meeting Health & Safety personnel from various Fire Services;
• Attendance at a seminar on how planning permissions could be adapted for existing sites; and
• Attendance at a seminar on Landslide Susceptibility, Groundwater Protection and Risk Assessment of Historic Mine Sites hosted by Geoscience Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

Beneficiaries and Institutions involved included:

 The Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation of the Republic of Turkey 

Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Department of Foreign Relations and EU

Prime Ministry of Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) 

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB)

Small and Medium Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB)

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (UCTEA) 

The Turkish Chemical Manufacturers Association (TCMA)

For more information see;

-the EuropeAid Turkey Website.

- AWN Seveso Capacity Building in Turkey

Or contact;

 Dr.Fergal Callaghan