"Western European legislation was designed for a rich affluent society, and is not applicable to Central European countries in transition," said Christian Hey, an expert on environmental legislation in the European Union.

Hey was just one of several speakers at an international conference entitled "Prospects for Environmentally Friendly Economic Development" held in Szolnok, Hungary and organized by the Tisza Club. The lecturers focused on the principles of environmentally sound economic development, legal and economic regulation, practical examples of where market-based instruments have helped protect the environment, and the role of public participation in environmental decision making.

Other speakers explored the relationship between the principles of sustainable development and economics. Karoly Kiss, for example, presented options that could move countries in the Region "from the principles of ecology to mechanisms of ecological economics." Using international agreements and voluntary obligations as a base, Kiss evaluated the merits of proposals like eco-taxes, tradable entitlements (such as buying and selling pollution rights as shares in an exchange system), and having the North trade resource use for the South's right to increase its population.

Magdolna Toth Nagy, coordinator of the Regional Environmental Center's Public Participation Program, illustrated the significant role private citizens will play in environmental protection. She mentioned that citizens have the right to participate in decisions that affect their communities, but "they distrust the system and have a lack of experience in public participation."