B R I E F S

Hungary's EMTC gives workshops

• The Hungarian Environmental Management Training Center (HEMTC) gave a series of workshops in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The first workshop was Solid Waste Management, delivered by the HEMTC in the town of Csopak, Hungary from Oct. 26-30. The 21 participants called the session highly useful, especially the techniques for teaching and examining various methods of waste management. Participants also praised the case study presentations, prepared by Hungarian facilitators: Szigel Ferenc (MOL Rt), Czinkota Imre (GATE), Hanz Gabriella (KLTE), Koles Peter (GATE). The U.S. EPA facilitator team was represented by Reginald F. Harris and Steven Levy.

  A second workshop, Pollution Prevention, was held from Nov. 10-13. The U.S. EPA facilitators were represented by Deborah Ahnlon and Jeuli Bartenstein, while the Hungarian team included Mag-osanyi Zsuzsanna (KTM), Nam Andrea (KTM), Szigel Ferenc (MOL Rt.) and Tetetleni Jozsef.

  The last workshop in the series was Hazardous Waste Site Ranking, which started Dec. 7 and lasted four days. The course was described as a well-prepared and well-edited guide that is especially useful to anyone dealing with the present programs of Hungarian Ministry for Environment and Regional Policy. Many participants recommended that this course be delivered several more times in Hungary in the Hungarian language. The Hungarian team consisted of NGO, University and Government representatives: Csuja Laszlo (Air Workteam-NGO); Dr. Barkacs Katalin (ELTE University, Budapest); and Babcsany Ildiko and Pajer Monika , both from the Ministry of Environment. Facilitators from the EPA were Larry Zaragoza and Stephen Caldwell.

National and local EAP representatives meet

• A conference involving the National Regional Environmental Action Programs (NEAPS) and the Local Regional Environmental Action Programs (LEAPS) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS) was held from Jan. 25-27 at the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe in Szentendre, Hungary. Participants included coordinators of NEAPs from Central and Eastern Europe and the NIS, LEAP practitioners from CEE and NIS, invited experts from CEE, NIS, OECD countries and the European Union and representatives of environmental citizens organizations (ECOs). The aim of the gathering was to promote a dialogue between governmental officials and experts with extensive experience in working on a local and regional level. The gathering was also meant to provide a forum for participants to present examples of successful partnerships among NEAPs and LEAPs. Participants sought to reach a common understanding on the role of national and local EAPs in addressing environmental problems at both levels.

Ecological camp in Urals to be repeated this summer

• Russian students met this summer at Peschanoe Lake for an ecological camp, to learn theoretical and practical environmental issues.

  The traditional students summer ecological camp was the third of its kind and was organized by the Center for Environmental Training and Information (CETI) and Urals' State Technical University.

  Approximately 80 students from universities around the Ural region took part in this camp. Different courses were delivered at the camp, including theoretical offerings, such as "The Economics for Environmental Decisionmaking."

  But students were also involved in more hands-on environmental activity, such as cleaning the coast of Peschanoe Lake.

  Students had the chance to get in closer contact with their teachers and teachers from other universities, as well as government officials.

  The Center of Environmental Training and Information plans to deliver a fourth Traditional Students Summer Ecological Camp in the end of June this year. Participants from other countries are welcome.

Change management in Slovenia

• Because change management was identified as a key area for training in Slovenia, DREVO - the Institute for Environmental Management - conducted the first of a series of workshops "Coordinators as Change Agents" (CCA) for local authorities this autumn.

  Those involved said the first workshop has shown that participants had an urgent need for this kind of knowledge. The courses are the result of a recent agreement between DREVO and the Slovenian Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. The workshop was meant to teach participants how to handle change. It also sought to show participants important fields that are frequently neglected in the environmental planning process.