BRIDGING POLITICAL BOUNDARIES
to protect a wetland complex at the Estonian - Latvian border, with the help of the Estonian Fund for Nature and the REC.

• provide relevant services to all three groups of stakeholders (NGOs, governments and businesses)
• implement a multi-stakeholder approach to solving environmental problems
• maintain both local in-country presence and a regional perspective
• financial sustainability by diversifying funding sources and establishing a sound financial base
• continued internal organisational development

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

   A major advance in 1997 was the increased role and influence of the REC in the international arena and new milestones in REC's international activities.

   Accession into the European Union and its effects on the environment came to demand much of the region's and the REC's attention. Ten CEE countries committed themselves to "approximating" the entire body of EU legislation into their own while the remaining five countries of CEE also expressed their commitment to harmonise their legislation with that of the EU.

   In order to promote cooperation among the accession countries, and as a first for the region, the REC organised two informal meetings at REC head office for accession country representatives. The REC also hosted a dinner for environment Ministers and the EC Commissioner of Environment and Nuclear Safety as well as an informal topic meeting on climate change for the accession countries.

   The REC began to play a more significant role in the Environment for Europe process, implementation of the Environmental Action Plan for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP) and in providing input into the next Inter-Ministerial Conference scheduled for Aarhus, Denmark in 1988. Involvement included:

• acting as Secretariat for the four Sofia Initiatives (Local Air Quality, Economic Instruments, Environmental Impact Assessment, Biodiversity)
• promoting progress in public participation
• giving grants for NGO participation at Aarhus
• creating a Local Environmental Action Program Network for the sharing of best practices
• assessing the implementation of global environmental conventions
• supporting the development of environmental management in CEE businesses

   In recognition of this increasing role, the REC became an observer on the Executive Committee which is organising the preparations for the Aarhus conference. Also, the EAP Task Force met outside its OECD base in France for an unprecedented meeting at the REC in February. In November, the Task Force decided to continue as an umbrella for two differentiated programs after Aarhus - one for the CEE, supported by the REC, and one for the NIS, supported by the OECD which would continue to be responsible for the overall Task Force.

   Activities with the NGO sector in CEE continued to be strong, from providing small local grants to region-wide and special grants for sub-regional projects aimed at improving the environment. Activities tailored to the business sector also increased dramatically, given this sector's increasing role in ensuring future sustainable development in the region.

THE FINAL BRIDGES

   The REC succeeded in building the last of its local bridges in the region by extending its network to Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby attaining the capacity to reach constituents at the local level in all 15 countries served by the REC. Early in the year, REC representatives for both countries were hired and the first local grants were awarded.

Local Representatives have already begun to initiate specially focused programs to address local needs and for 1998, fully staffed Local Offices will be established to capitalise on the REC's potential future assistance for each country. Bosnia and Herzegovina also became a new signatory to the REC's Charter.