Italy boosts support to REC through Italian Trust Fund Photo: MTI Outlining plans for a REC office in Turkey. From left are Robert Atkinson, Sergiu Serban, Kerem Okumus and Alexander Juras, representing REC at a meeting in Istanbul earlier this year to discuss opening a REC office in Turkey. The Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory has recently earmarked an additional EUR 150,000 for the Italian Trust Fund (ITF), which is a major pillar of Italy's ongoing support to the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC). The ITF was established in May 2001, and since that time, EUR 245,563 has been allocated to the fund, to support the work of the REC. The additional EUR 150,000 would bring the ITF 's total funding to almost EUR 400,000. Italy initiated its financial support to REC projects in 2000 and signed the REC Charter in July of the same year, thereby committing itself to an enduring effort toward helping solve the environmental problems of Central and Eastern Europe. By establishing the ITF at the REC, Italy has deepened its commitment to this work. The ITF will be used to implement activities, which are consistent with the REC 's mission and complementary to other REC programmes such as: Elaboration of a regional plan for environmental improvement. Identification of projects for environmental improvement, with special emphasis on integrated, multi-side projects with a regional and transboundary scope. These projects should strive toward environmental protection and the minimisation of the pollutants and emissions through a rational use of energy and renewable energy sources. Preparation of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies related to the identified projects carried out jointly by the Italian Environment Ministry and the REC. Holding environmental seminars, workshops and/ or conferences. Projects promoting further cooperation on Climate Change. Close collaboration with the Japan Special Fund, the other REC internal funding mechanism, is foreseen in utilisation of the funding. ITF projects in progress include a Waste Water Treatment Training Center project in Bulgaria. The goal of the project is to develop knowledge of wastewater treatment methods and their proper selection for solving real environmental problems at the regional level - in Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia. Both ITF and the Japan Special Fund will finance this project together, in equal parts, in the framework of cooperation between the Italian and Japanese governments. By offering training, the project will help prepare a sufficient number of experts in all fields of waste management whose good knowledge and professional attitude will assist in the successful implementation of waste management programmes. This project is being implemented in cooperation with a Japanese public fund named the Ebara Hatakeyama Memorial Fund. In Estonia, the ITF is supporting a project on assistance for development of waste management strategies and projects on a municipal level in three Baltic countries. The project has the goal of improving waste management practice in three Baltic states. REC staff on the move NEW STAFF Fejzullah Abdullahu – Grants Officer, CO Kosovo. Svetlana Aleksic – Project Officer, CO Yugoslavia. Tsvetelina Borissova – Project Manager/Lawyer, Environmental Law Programme. Krisztina Csiki – Intern, CO Hungary. Joanna Fiedler – Project Manager, Environmental Financing. Jelena Kis – Project Officer, CO Yugoslavia. Meelis Magi – Financial Administrator, CO Estonia. Uros Miloradovic – Project Officer, CO Yugoslavia. Dalia Mtijevic - Project Manager, CO Croatia. Eunice Reyneke - Production Manager, Information Programme. Philip Smith - Consultant, CO Hungary. Roxana Suciu - Project Manager, CO Romania. Erika Varga - Cashier, Finance Department. OTHER CHANGES Mateja Sepec - Project Officer, CO Slovenia, on maternity leave. DEPARTURES Goran Arsov - Project Officer, CO FYR Macedonia. Zoltan Barna - Publications Officer. Milos Katic - Project Manager, CO Yugoslavia. Jeton Morina - Grants Officer, CO Kosovo. Merje Polma - Financial Administrator, Estonia. Helena Tosoki - Project Assistant, Environmental Law Programme.

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