Message from the Chair of the Board of Directors

Like the caterpillar's travail to become a butterfly, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are in a many-stage process of development. The first was about inspiration and freedom, as caterpillars bursting from the nest. It was an idealistic phase - a time of opportunity. Then there were some difficult changes. New social, political and economic institutions, like new creatures, face enormous challenges of testing untried policies in unfamiliar surroundings. But during this time they also grow and learn. The CEE countries have been laying the groundwork for a new phase of transition. They've seen growth in their civil movements, stabilization of economies and the creation of new legislative bodies and policies. So, nineteen ninety-six in many ways represents a real turning point - a time where metamorphosis occurs. As the butterfly learns to fly, the countries of the region also face great new challenges - chief among them being accession to the European Union and charting a course for sustainable development.

By now there is little danger that the region will revert to the systems of the past. Too many changes in everything from technological advances to economic inter-dependence have taken hold. In the last years of the 20th century therefore, the choice for CEE is not between dictatorship and democracy, but between a truly open and stable society and turmoil and misrule. In addition ways must be found to convert this economic freedom into reform and prosperity.

Meanwhile, in the environmental realm, much work has been done to develop environmental policies, but implementation in the region still lags behind that in the rest of Europe. Dramatic improvements were expected based on dramatic Western assistance, but neither has materialized. During this time, however, the environmental sector entered a process of deep structural change involving in most countries new legislation, reorganized or new environmental ministries and agencies, growth of environmental businesses and consultancies, and a new generation of NGOs which are more professional, knowledgeable and target-oriented. The environmental movements have survived a "winter" of restructuring and are gearing up for the new challenges of these last years of the twentieth century.

Since its inception, the Regional Environmental Center has been instrumental in supporting the development of civil society and in building the capacity of various stakeholders to address environmental problems in the region. It is with great pleasure that I have witnessed the progress in these areas and with great hope that I anticipate a new phase in their development - a phase which will focus on sustainable development based on the integration of environmental consideration into every aspect of social, economic and political decisionmaking.

As the countries of the region step up to a new level of transition, the REC must also transform itself, aiming to stay one step ahead in the process. With a new executive director and a more efficient organizational structure, the REC is poised for an even greater pioneering role in promoting regional cooperation on environmental issues in Central and Eastern Europe.

DR. BEDRICH MOLDAN
Chair of the Board of Directors

REC * PUBLICATIONS * ANNUAL REPORT 1996