GA President Robert De Bauw praised the meeting for its "visible and invisible" results.
The REC invited the MPs in an effort to encourage cooperation among REC constituentsÑsuch as governments, NGOs, businesses, and the mediaÑand to include important stakeholders in discussions on environmental issues important to the Region. The parliamentarians were members of the "Making EAP Work" group of GLOBE Europe, an organization of European legislators set up to facilitate joint action and cooperation between European countries working to protect the environment.
The GLOBE working group, composed of parliamentarians from 12 European governments, not only listened and participated in the discussion on NEAPs, it also met on its own to outline how it would contribute to the action program.
Next year, the REC hopes to invite Central and Eastern European business leaders to partake in the discussion that will precede the 1996 General Assembly, according to Stanislaw Sitnicki, the REC's executive director. This will allow Regional business interests to become more involved in the REC's activities. The next General Assembly is scheduled for 15-16 April 1996.
The REC's executive director presented a report detailing the status of NEAP development and implementation since the EAP was adopted at Lucerne in 1993. The report focused on the positive aspects of NEAPs in Central and Eastern Europe, such as the improved availability of environmental information, cost-effective priority setting, and simple implementation. The report also identified poor control and enforcement, as the greatest hurdles to implementing NEAPs.
GA President Robert De Bauw praised the meeting for its "visible and invisible" results.
Members of a panel composed of EAP and NEAP experts were invited to give their own presentations and share their ideas on the hotly debated NEAP process. The panel included five prominent environmental policy specialists: Richard Ackermann from the World Bank; Jernej Stritih from the OECD; Karoly Kiss from the Institute for World Economics in Budapest; Vilmos Kiszel of the Goncol Foundation, a leading Hungarian NGO; and Eva Kruzikova, director of the Institute for Environmental Policy in Prague.
During the discussions that followed, the General Assembly and the panel were supportive and critical of both NEAPs in general and the NEAP assessment report. However, suggestions for improving the NEAP process flowed abundantly from the floor; issues such as stricter enforcement of legislation, the introduction of a polluter-pays policy, and increased cooperation between NGOs, businesses, and governments were all cited as areas that should be improved.
Both the 1994 Annual Report and the business plan for 1995 to 1997 were presented to a supportive General Assembly, a 29-member assembly comprised of representatives from countries that either donate to or receive funds from the REC. Post-presentation discussion often acknowledged the establishment and maturation of local REC offices. Funding and financial sustainability dominated the agenda, and it was generally agreed that local offices must be given more responsibility both in administration and in procuring support from their respective local governments.
When all was said and done, the General Assembly President Robert De Bauw proclaimed it a success for both its "visible and invisible" results. Let's hope the important relationships developed between representatives and constituents, environmentalists and parliamentarians, are put to good use beyond the boardroom walls.