Photo: ZSOLT BAUER Region eyes energy conservation Energy conservation, combined with a favourable approach to renewable resources, is the best policy for the future of Hungary and the region, said Miklos Persanyi, Hungary's minister of environment and water at the launching of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) in Szentendre from July 3-4, 2003. REEEP, a global initiative launched by the British government at last year's World Summit on Sustainable Development, provides a framework within which partners can work together to promote the use of sustainable energy. The REC is REEEP's focal point in Central and Eastern Europe. Because Hungary's energy consumption is rising, it is important that that country reduce pollution and thereby reduce releases of greenhouse gases, Persany explained. Hungary has already committed towards this goal by signing the Kyoto Protocol, he said, adding that the government plans to promote conservation efforts by making it financially attractive to follow environmentally responsible practices. At the launching event, Persanyi was joined by Slovakian Minister of Environment Laszlo Miklos and senior representatives of other environmental ministries, electricity regulatory agencies, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector, and financing organisations from Central and Eastern European countries. Officers from the REC and the REEEP secretariat also participated. This was the third in a series of regional REEEP meetings taking place in Nairobi, Accra, Manila, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Campos de Jordao, Beijing, Washington and London. Before the conference, Denis MacShane, British Foreign Office minister for Europe, underlined the role REEEP could play in helping Central and Eastern European countries in the process of joining the European Union. Following presentations on the status of policies and regulations supporting renewable energies and energy efficiency in 10 countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) the conference identified the main barriers and needs for actions. The discussions focused on actions and formulating potential solutions. The REC's Climate Change Programme was chosen as the regional focal point for REEEP by the British government, which is tentatively acting as the secretariat of the initiative. The main goals of the initiative are to lower the market barriers to the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems and to improve access to financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency systems. In order to achieve the goals, the initiative will develop regional and global networks of all relevant stakeholders including policy makers, energy regulators and financial institutions and identify key policies to accelerate the use of these technologies. Serbian towns make environmental plans This past summer, REC Country Office Serbia and Montenegro focused on the preparation of local environmental action plans (LEAPs) for 11 municipalities in the multicultural region of Sandzak in the south part of the country. The plans have involved the development of training in local environmental management. This plans promote an open process of selecting environmental priorities for each community and help build the abilities of local people to solve environmental problems. The plans are to be prepared and implemented by the residents of each community. Nations cooperate to clean up shared lakes A new cross-border initiative aims to reduce the amount of solid waste dumped into the Tara River and Lake Perucac, common bodies of water of Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It calls for developing a solution for the collection of solid waste flowing from the river into the lake. The REC has committed to assist local municipalities and Tara National Park to collect and process information and facilitate discussions between the parties, and draft an agreement. Based on the agreement, the REC will work with technical experts to develop a feasibility study for the collection and disposal of solid waste from the river and the lake, as well as how dumping might be reduced. Workshop covers ore mining and IT A short introductory course for NGOs on mining and environment issues was organised May 19-21 at Miskolc University in Hungary together with other partners of a project dedicated to ore mining and environmental information technology. Eighteen participants attended, most of them from Estonia, Romania, FYR Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Hungary and Turkey. The course covered environmental impacts of accidents, best available tech- niques for sustainable mining and socio-economic aspects of mining. Danube meetings raise enlargement issues Photo: DEJAN GEORGIEVSKI A diverse group of community activists and officials from the countries of the Danube basin, as well as Italy, gathered for multicity series of meetings September 12-21 to discuss environmental awareness raising and participatory water management ahead of the upcoming enlargement of the European Union. The "Danube: Europe is Meeting" tour drew participants with varied backgrounds and viewpoints, which made for interesting discussions. Phillip Weller, the executive secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, called for cooperation between the 18 states of the basin, and introduced some of the mechanisms through which the river is being improved. Emilio Molinari, the deputy president of the Italian Committee for a World Water Contract, spoke about the lack of access to potable water in much of the world, the pitfalls of privatising water services, and the need to democratise water management. The event was chaired by Francesco Ferrante, the general director of the Italian environmental non-profit Legambiente, and Marta Szigeti Bonifert, the executive director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. Transparency training in Georgia Public officials, journalists, scientists, and environmetal groups from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine received 40 hours of training in September regarding democratic practices in the environmental field. The training in Borjomi, Georgia, has kicked off a flurry of activities related the the Aarhus Convention, an international treaty that came into force in 2001 which lays down the basic rules to promote citizens' involvement in enviromental matters and enforcement of environmental laws. Six national pilot projects aim to inform the public where they can access environmental information. Other activities will include the creation of a comprehensive set of national reference materials and training for officials and NGOs. The aim is to improve national legislative frameworks, institutional mechanisms and practices in access to information and public participation in environmental decision-making, said Magdalona Toth Nagy, head of the Public Participation Programme at the REC. The training was organised under the European Union project, "Environmental Information, Education and Public Awareness." Experts from Royal Haskoning in the Netherlands and the REC provided the training. The Regional Environment Center for the Caucasus also took part. REC staff on the move NEW STAFF Karoly Mozes -- maintainance assistant, Adminstration Department Janos Gelencser -- travel officer, Conference Department Tamas Janicsek -- gardener, Adminsitration Department Jozsef Szlezak -- civil servant, Business and Environmental Programme Helene Bertrand -- project officer, Environmental Policy Programme OTHER CHANGES Oreola Ivanova was appointed deputy executive director responsible for strategy and development. Alexander Juras was appointed as deputy executive director responsible for national outreach and special programmes. Zoltan Madaras was appointed as deputy executive director of finance and administration. Yordanka Minkova was promoted to project officer for the Environmental Policy Programme Hajnalka Rab, personnel officer in the Human Resource Department, went on maternity leave on August 15. Magdolna Lajti , project assistant for the NGO Support Programme, went on maternity leave on September 3. DEPARTURES Robert Orban -- civil servant, Adminsitration Department Balazs Martini -- civil servant, Adminsitration Department Jozsef Szabo -- maintenance, Adminstration Department Graciela Simunovic -- project officer for the Environmental Policy Programme

REC staff on the move Top