Since their first national meeting in 1990, Hungarian greens have been asking themselves whether or not to have a representative body. At this year's meeting they elected one. The first task the 15-member group needs to complete is setting up the structure of the representative body.

Those in favor of such a body believe it will help NGOs work effectively with the ministry of environment, local governments, business, and funding agencies. Others argued against this. The Hungarian environmental movement is broad, diverse, and independent, and should not try to elect a small group to represent its interests. The movement should not reduce itself to a mere handful of representatives to accommodate the government or others.

Long plenary debates about the pros and cons of the representative body did not fill the whole agenda. Hungary's Minister of Environment and Regional Policy, Ferenc Baja, made a brief speech, and informative and highly participatory workshops helped the Hungarian environmentalists share ideas on narrower fields of common interest: waste, eco-counselling, sustainable agriculture, media, animal rights, energy, water and local government.

This year's meeting was held in Nyiregyhaza in northeastern Hungary. It was organized by local NGO E-Misszio.