Prepared by the REC, a CEE Sub-Programme Secretariat of the EAP Task Force In this issue: - REC website on Eap Task Force - Aarhus Business and Environment Initiative - Sofia Biodiversity Initiative - Local Environmental Action Programme REC website on Eap Task Force The REC has launched a page on its website on the Kiev Ministerial Conference where the EAP Task Force CEE sub-programme and its secretariat are featured. The site contains information on preparations to Kiev, documents prepared for the International Conference and information on side events. Please, check our site for the latest information on the venue and time of the REC side events <www.rec.org/REC/Introduction/Kiev2003/>. Aarhus Business and Environment Initiative The Aarhus Business and Environment Initiative (ABEI) was set up during the Environment for Europe conference held in Aarhus, Denmark in 1998. From June 1998 until May 2003, the REC serves as ABEI secretariat for EU accession countries. The major objective of the initiative is to raise awareness about the potentials for and benefits of ecological, resource and business efficiency in the region. The application of advanced, clean technologies, methods and procedures in economic activities is thought to lead to increased national competitiveness, while decreasing negative impacts on the environment. The ABEI activity of the CEE sub-programme was carried out with the valuable support of DG Environment, the Danish EPA, the Japan Special Fund and the Finnish Ministry of Environment. The activities of ABEI have been divided into three phases. During the first phase (1999 - 2000), a series of high level missions and discussions were held with DG Environment, CEE ministers responsible for industry, economy and environment, and corporate executives from Western and Central Eastern Europe, on the benefits of developing ecological and resource efficiency principles and procedures for all sectors of the national economies. During the second phase (2000 – 2002), the state of national eco-efficiency has been analysed and suggestions have been made for improvements that companies in CEE need to make with regard to their eco/resource-efficiency and competitiveness. National reviews of eco/resource-efficiency from several CEE countries have been prepared and circulated via electronic discussion groups. Sound planning and management of company resources have been given priority, as has the adoption of clean technologies and procedures across the economic sector. Awareness has been raised for alternative, economically and environmentally sound approaches to wastewater treatment for local governments facing typical challenges across CEE. The third phase of activities (2002–2003) originally would have focused on the development of national eco/resource-efficiency strategies and action plans, but has since been redesigned and scaled down. The new plan included the dissemination of information on measures for environmental management in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the sector that most national economic planners, top-level decision makers and managers have neglected across CEE, regardless of their real significance. With assistance from the REC — ABEI secretariat for CEE —accession countries became eligible for the prestigious biannual European Environmental Award for Industry from 2002. Two major reports were prepared for the Kiev conference: the Report on Progress in the Implementation of the Aarhus Policy Statement on Environmental Management in Enterprises: CEE/SEE, and the ABEI Final Report. Currently a user-friendly SME toolkit for SMEs in CEE and SEE is being prepared. Further activities target the establishment of relationships with respective Turkish institutions dealing with EU accession and sustainable development. Submitted by Robert Nemeskeri, RNemeskeri@rec.org Head of Business and Environment Programme, the REC Sofia Biodiversity Initiative The Sofia Biodiversity Initiative (SBI) is part of the CEE sub-programme of the EAP Task Force. The project's implementation started in 2001 with the financial and expert support of the IUCN-European Regional Office. One of the aims of the project was to establish a platform for informal discussions among EU accession countries and member states on the integration of biodiversity conservation into rural policy development. The development of sites since 1995 was reviewed and analysed. A network of site managers was established, with joint future activities identified. The methodology for collecting good practices in the integration of nature conservation initiatives and decisions into EU rural policy was elaborated, agreed upon and disseminated in the 10 CEE accession countries. A concept paper on Good practices for Integration of Nature Conservation into EU Rural Policy was prepared and discussed at a regional conference held in February 2003 in Bled, Slovenia. Studies and proceedings of the conference have been published and are available at: <www.rec.org/REC/Introduction/Kiev2003/>. Certain protected areas have to be developed in such a way that traditional agricultural ecosystems with a high biodiversity are preserved in cooperation with the owners of such land. The studies and later expert discussion concluded that this would not only ensure employment opportunities, but will also assist in the sustainable development of these areas. Sensitivity should be shown towards the socio-economic impact of EU accession in rural areas across the region. A transition will be required from agricultural production to service-oriented activities with significant implications for employment. This would require the creation and identification of innovative business opportunities if the depopulation of these areas and decreased biodiversity are to be avoided. Public participation is essential in such a process. Capacity should be extended and further developed on the local level to plan and implement measures related to rural development and biodiversity protection. The crossroads where environmental concerns and the need for economic growth meet is clear in the case of rural development and the protection of biodiversity. Clear guidance on sustainable development will be important, especially after accession countries in CEE are fully integrated into the EU. Ongoing attempts should be focused on capacity-building, particularly on local level, the improvement of communication, appropriate dissemination of information and the sharing of experiences. The challenges of post-accession will be particularly pronounced in the rural areas of the accession countries, and special attention will have to be paid to ensure that biodiversity protection does not become neglected terrain. Submitted by Mira Mileva, MMileva@rec.org Biodiversity Project Manager, Environmental Policy Programme, the REC Sofia Biodiversity Initiative The number of environmental management responsibilities that are being delegated by national CEE governments to local governments is growing. In most CEE countries local governments are now managing water supplies, sewerage systems, heating, waste collection and disposal, green areas and land-use planning. Local environmental action plans (LEAPs) have been instrumental in helping local authorities to fulfil these new obligations. The REC, through its LEAP project (part of the EAP Task Force activities), has played an important role in building the capacity in this field of local governments in the CEE region for more than five years. This initiative has also supported the harmonisation with EU environmental requirements, since LEAPs are increasingly used as a tool in this process. Since the beginning of the project in 1997, the REC has been promoting the development of LEAPs in CEE countries and strengthening the dissemination of the LEAP methodology. Furthermore, the project aim was to bring LEAP issues onto the political agendas of relevant ministries and to continue building up local capacity through a set of trainings and adaptation of methodologies to local needs. A great deal of materials produced for and during numerous workshops, trainings, seminars, discussions and presentations are available on the REC website at <www.rec.org/REC/Programs/LocalInitiatives/LEAP/>. Consisting of experienced professionals, the LEAP Practitioners Network meets annually to discuss methodological and priority issues related to the implementation of LEAPs in CEE. The latest activity of the LEAP project is the LEAP Kit. Developed in 2002, it consists of two publications— the LEAP Trainer's Handbook (Institute for Sustainable Communities, US) and Developing Environmental Assessments and Comparing Risks (Green Mountains Institute, US) — and a CD-ROM. The kit is also available online at the aforementioned website. The organisation of the LEAP process around the stakeholder group requires significant time and should take country-specific communication patterns and traditions into account. Communities have to be made aware of all the advantages and drawbacks before embarking on a LEAP, which is a demanding exercise. The LEAP process should be owned by a community and cannot be imposed by external forces without a strong local ownership. The REC's LEAP activities have been mainly supported by the USEPA in cooperation with USAID, as well as other donors, such as the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation), the Dutch Embassies in South Eastern Europe and other national funding institutions. The contributions for the implementation of demonstration projects and trainings are also provided by regional and local authorities. Submitted by Agata Miazga, AMiazga@rec.org Project Manager, Local Initiatives Programme, the REC The Newsletter of the EAP Task Force Secretariat for the CEE Sub-Programme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment of the Netherlands Prepared by: Oreola Ivanova, Head of Environmental Policy Department of the REC, EAP Task Force Secretariat for CEE sub-programme, OIvanova@rec.org and Ausra Jurkeviciute, Project Manager of the Environmental Policy Department, Ausra@rec.org

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