What can you expect from the REC in 1995?

For the Regional Environmental Center, 1994 was a year of firsts. It produced more than one dozen manuals, directories, essays, and reports (including the ground-breaking Strategic Environmental Issues report), introduced the Senior Fellowship and Earmarked Grants programs, created the Media Resource Service, became the coordinator of the five-country Environmental Management Training Center network, established an e-mail link with its Bratislava office, and opened an office in Albania.

The REC will be at least as active this year. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will become eligible for most REC programs; a new service for businesses will be developed; the REC is more actively promoting the Environmental Action Program; more money will be allocated for NGO projects; and the REC will have a key role in the meeting of ministers of environment planned for Sofia later this year. The following paragraphs give a brief outline of the kinds of programs and services available from the REC in 1995.

Head Office. The REC Head Office in Budapest has 34 full-time staff organized into six teams: Earmarked Grants, Finance, Head Office and Personnel, Information Exchange, Initiatives, and Local Office and Outreach. An executive director heads the center.
Besides these teams, there is also Government and Public Affairs and the Japanese Special Fund. Janos Zlinszky, manager of the first of these, is a spokesperson for the REC at conferences and seminars. The Japanese Special Fund, directed by Seiichi Mimura, supports feasibility studies of marketable environmental projects and provides limited financial assistance for project implementation.

Local Offices. The REC currently has offices in nine countries (the Bratislava office serves the Czech and Slovak republics). The REC plans to open an office in Latvia to coordinate its programs in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.


Grants

Earmarked Grants Program. The REC will award ECU 600,000 to environmental NGOs. NGOs can ask for a maximum of ECU 20,000 per project under this program. Priority is given to projects that involve cooperation among several NGOs from different countries.

Local Grants Program. This program will award ECU 690,000 to grassroots environmental organizations for operating expenses and for small scale projects. It is administered by REC Local Offices in their country's language.


Information Dissemination

Library/Information Service. The REC will continue to answer requests from around the world about environmental issues in or about Central and Eastern Europe. The center has a library with over 2000 books and pamphlets, 25 CD-ROMs, several in-house databases, and access to Internet. The REC will also provide core reference books to its local offices.

Information Products. The REC will update and expand its Government and Environment Directory, which lists government agencies with environmental management responsibilities. The REC will also continue its Grant Project Summaries series. For each earmarked grant project, a summary is written that explains who did what, when, where, how. The summaries provide models for future grant projects. The REC will continue to publish other reports, manuals, directories, and this newsletter.

Electronic Communication. The REC is establishing a Regional electronic network to increase access to information. This includes an e-mail link to its local offices. The REC will help train users in their language.

Business Information Service. The REC is developing a new service that will provide businesses with information to help them adopt ecologically sound practices and help them solve environmental problems.

Media Resource Service. The REC produces a newsletter for environmental journalists and refers journalists to expert sources of information.


Initiatives

EAP. The REC promotes the approach and methodology of the Environmental Action Program for Central and Eastern Europe by assisting national and municipal governments to develop policies that integrate environmental and economic concerns.

Public Participation. The REC will continue to promote and monitor public participation in environmental decision making. Reports, updated and completed manuals, and assistance will be provided to NGOs and others.

EMTC Network. The REC coordinates a network of Environmental Management Training Centers in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine. The EMTCs' aim is to help government, business, and NGO policy makers effectively manage environmental programs in their countries. The network will be expanded and strengthened.


Fellowships

Junior Fellowship Program. The REC invites young environmental activists to its Head Office in Budapest for one month of training and hands-on work. In 1995, the REC will invite 30 fellows.

Senior Fellowship Program. Senior government, academic, business, and NGO experts are invited to the REC for a sabbatical that lasts two to four weeks. Six fellows will be invited to the REC Head Office in 1995.


Other Programs

NREC Project. The REC will conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility of opening new regional environmental centers (NRECs) in some of the Newly Independent States.

Intern Exchange. In cooperation with the Partnership Foundation, the REC will provide NGO members opportunities for being interns at well-developed NGOs in other countries of the Region.

Outreach. The REC plans to continue its outreach activities. This includes meetings with NGOs, governments, and other groups in its partner countries. During these trips, the REC learns about the needs of its constituents and informs them about REC programs and services. The REC will lead fact-finding missions to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

THE BULLETIN * WINTER 1994