E M T C  N E T W O R K

  The goal of the Environmental Management Training Centers Network is to contribute to sustainable environmental training in Central and Eastern Europe through (1) initiating and coordinating international training projects; and (2) facilitating the exchange of experience and expertise among environmental training professionals.

  By using its network of 12 leading environmental management training institutions and more than 200 environmental training professionals across Central and Eastern Europe, the EMTC Network and its members assist the region's stakeholders, including national and local governments, businesses, citizens organisations (CSOs) and the public, to identify and effectively address their environmental training needs.

  In the summer, for example, Romania's Training Information and Mediation Centre for Eco Development (TIMCED), in Ploiesti, held a seminar on Local Implementation of Agenda 21. The event, which took place on July 9-10, gathered around 70 participants from government and non-government sectors, media and business. It aimed to initiate a dialogue between the main players involved in Local Agenda 21. At the seminar, delegates discussed relevant case studies, such as British experience in the field and first attempts to develop Local Agenda 21s in Romania.

  In 1998 the EMTC Network is offering the following products and services to its members:

• "Training, Management, Funding" - these monthly information sheets dealing with relevant aspects of training, management and funding contain a wide range of practical ideas and suggestions with the aim of providing environmental training professionals with practical advice which is brief, to-the-point and can be used immediately.
• Insight Ñ this quarterly newsletter provides articles and interviews about environmental training, trends, techniques and new developments in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Internet services Ñ this expanded version of a service provides the most pertinent information on the EMTC Network. For more information see http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/EMTC/.

  How can you make the best use of your membership?

• Take part in projects. Participate in our international training projects. Make the most of your training expertise and gain international experience. To find out about the opportunities, write to us about your expertise and inquire about new and upcoming projects.
• Try out the ideas. The information you will find each month in your mailbox is meant to be used rather than read. Scan it for ideas try them in your practice.
• Turn the ideas into your own. Do not feel that you have to follow the suggestions to the letter - try them out in your own way. Find out how they best work for you.
• Let us know how you are getting on. Are you interested in learning how your colleagues throughout Central and Eastern Europe have been using the ideas? So are they! Write to us about your successes and we will be delighted to add your ideas and comments to the next issue of Insight (with due acknowledgement, of course). Similarly, if you would like to share things that went hopelessly wrong for you, we shall be pleased to include them in the next Insight issue (with due anonymity, if you wish).