Photo: HADLEY KINCADE REC and Turkey sign agreement A bilateral agreement with the government of Turkey has cleared the ground for the launch of a new REC country office in Turkey. Operations will be based in the capital city of Ankara, but will cover the entire country, including its largest metropolis, Istanbul (pictured above). "This new bilateral agreement represents a significant milestone in joint efforts to support the European Union accession of the Republic of Turkey," said Corrado Clini, chairman of the REC Board of Directors and director general of the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory, who signed on behalf of the REC. Turkish Ambassador to Hungary Aydan Karahan, who signed for the government of Turkey, said, "The REC will be establishing a country office in Ankara with a view to cooperating closely with Turkish authorities in supporting and facilitating Turkey's accession in the EU." The REC is expected to begin activities in Turkey as soon as the agreement is ratified by the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) of Turkey. Initial funding of EUR 2.3 million has been provided by the European Union as part of the programme Capacity Building in the Field of Environment for Turkey. Initial activities -- in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Turkey -- will focus on environmental issues related to EU accession, support to governmental institutions, civil society, businesses and other environmental stakeholders, with the foreseeable further funding from the European Union and the governments of the United States and Japan. Ecotourism for the Balkans A forum on biodiversity and tourism in South East Europe took place November 20 in Sofia, in cooperation with REC Bulgaria, the Ministry of Environment and Water and Ministry of Economy of Bulgaria. Participants from ministries, universities, international organisations, NGOs, tourist associations, tour operators and businesses from across South Eastern Europe agreed that it is feasible to establish an ecotourism network for South Eastern Europe. The REC was asked to facilitate its formation and operation in partnership with other organisations. Participants proposed an annual forum at strategic cross-border locations. Dolores Arssenova, Bulgaria's Minister of Environment and Waters, declared ecotourism a real opportunity for regional and local economic development as well as biodiversity protection, she said. Hazardous waste addressed For the first time, senior staff from customs offices, border guards, civil protection authorities and environmental authorities from Romania and neighbouring states gathered to discuss cooperation in stopping the movement of hazardous wastes across Romania's borders. The October workshop focused on the Basel Convention and was organised as part of the REC's AIMS project, (Acceptance and Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements in SEE). The REC has worked with the secretariats of international conventions on hazardous waste and the trade in endangered species by organising training sessions and workshops on how to implement the agreements. Photo: HADLEY KINCADE Bush family ties George Herbert Walker III, US Ambassador to Hungary, and Nancy Bush Ellis (at left), sister of former US President George Bush, visited the REC in January. REC Executive Director Marta Szigeti Bonifert (standing) presented Ellis with a folder honoring her brother for his initiative in establishing the REC. During the visit guests met not only the senior management of the REC but country and field office directors, as well. Clean-up planned on Drina River More than 60 stakeholders from the Drina River Basin, including municipalities, NGOs, hydro-power plants and national park administrators, agreed upon a solution to clear trash from the river at a recent forum. Based on options presented by the REC, the group agreed to a concept involving the use of a floating object cleaner combined with preventive work such as education about solid waste management. In the next phase, the REC and local partners will develop a feasibility study and work plan. SEA seminar in April In April, the REC will host a seminar on how the EU's SEA Directive applies to new member states. The training on Directive 2001/42/EC in Spatial Planning in the Enlarged European Union will be organised in cooperation with the European Commission's DG Environment. It will focus on essential practical information for government officials at the national, regional and local levels and others who will undertake strategic environmental assessments. The programme will run April 14-16 at the REC's head office in Szentendre, Hungary. Participation costs EUR 380. Registration and details can be found at (www.rec.org). Austrians bolster Bosnian NGOs The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed in December to allocate almost EUR 200,000 for a granting programme to aid the development of environmental NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project addresses issues of sustainable development and encourages public participation. PR workshops unite ethnic groups PR workshops for environmental groups in Kosovo will extend to Serbian communities, with financial help from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade. Besides helping NGOs with their media relations, the workshops intend to increase cooperation between environmental groups of the two language communities in the territory. Aarhus workshops head east National trainings were held for officials, NGOs and other stakeholders in Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan in November and December to help with the implementation of pilot projects concerning environmental information, education and public awareness. The work deals with the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Action in South Africa A workshop with the South African Council on Social and Industrial Research (CSIR) was organised with the sponsorship of the Czech Overseas Development Association. CSIR employs 3,000 people who are involved in a variety of projects for various donors. The organisation agreed to help raise funds to expand REC strategic environmental assessment activities to sub-Saharan countries, an example of how the REC can work outside Central and Eastern Europe. REC staff on the move NEW STAFF Zarina Azizova -- project assistant, Climate Change Programme Akos Balazs -- civil servant, Administration Department Maria Kralj -- HR assistant, Human Resource Department Yordanka Minkova -- project officer, Environmental Policy Programme Edit Nordgaard -- project officer, Executive Director's Office OTHER CHANGES Alexander Juras -- deputy executive director, Outreach and Special Programmes, went on paternity leave starting January 1, 2004 Grazyna Krzywkowska -- became project manager for sectoral integration with a focus on transportation, Environmental Policy Programme DEPARTURES Helene Bertrand -- project officer, Environmental Policy Programme Stefan Boensch -- GTZ REReP project coordinator Marianna Bolshakova -- project manager, Public Participation Programme

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