E D I T O R I A L

  The two terms are, of course, debatable in themselves. Being developed for a country is defined more by economic performance than by skills and expertise. That is why some countries with ancient cultures are today considered undeveloped.

  Using North and South, or West and East, is also debatable.

  With respect to the environment, the debate between developed and undeveloped countries goes like this. Undeveloped countries point out that many of today's developed nations broke unwritten rules on the road to reaching high economic privilege. This led in part to destruction of the natural environment through waste, extermination and pollution emissions.

  They say that global problems such as global warming were largely caused by the developing countries of the past. Decades of energy consumption led to the release of massive quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

  They also say that they themselves are now keen on economic growth. At the same time, they are expected to do this without causing environmental damage as was caused by today's developed countries. Is that fair? To the environment, yes. To the developing countries, not really.

  Developed countries respond by saying that it's much easier to inject sustainability into economies which are not yet fully in place. They say that they can help by financing environmentally-friendly technologies and practices in developing countries. They add that if developing countries follow the same negative pattern as was followed by them in the past, everyone loses.

  All countries of the earth are now being asked to help fix the global warming problem. Developed countries have agreed to legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gases. Most developing countries, based on the rationale given above, are against making such commitments for fear of slowing down their economies.

  Where do CEE countries fit in? Historically and politically, the 15 countries were always part of Europe. Economically, there is much work to be done. They also confirmed their developed status when they agreed in Kyoto to reduce their emissions to binding targets, despite their economic troubles.

  And rightly so. CEE countries are a part of developed Europe. CEE countries are now trying to re-assume their rightful place within it. And they should therefore take their share of sacrifices to help restore environmental balance across the globe.

  Environmentally speaking, there remains a great opportunity to make sustainable development a reality in CEE. Long-term policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions at home should therefore take priority over short-term gains in selling "hot air" abroad.

  That done, CEE countries will be a model for both developed and developing countries in the climate change debate, despite their former exclusion from that debate.