GRDP charter: ‘Regions for sustainable
change’
The REC has been involved in the INTERREG IIIC
project on Greening Regional Development Programmes (GRDP) since
2004. Project implementation involves a network of 17 partners and
20 associated organisations from nine EU countries. The aim of this
partnership is to acquire experience from Structural Funds and Cohesion
Fund programmes, along with other economic development activities,
in order to develop a common European methodology for effective
integration of environmental aspects into current and future regional
development programmes.
The REC is a key partner in the GRDP project,
and REC experts were the principle authors of the ‘Handbook
for SEA of Cohesion Policy 2007-2013.’ This key project
deliverable has been endorsed by the EC DG Environment and DG Regio
as a key tool to assist in the preparation of SEAs for Structural
Funds programming documents.
One of the major outputs of the project is the
GRDP charter, ‘Regions for sustainable change,’ which
underpins a set of principles and actions toward achieving greener
regions, which in turn can deliver growth and jobs in a sustainable
way. In June 2007 the REC Board of Directors endorsed the GRDP Charter
and expressed its commitment to GRDP principles.
You can locate partnership products, read more about the GRDP partnership,
and review challenges and commitments highlighted in the charter
at www.grdp.org.
2007 IAIA Individual Award come to the
REC EA team member
During the annual IAIA conference in Seoul, South
Korea, REC’s long term colleague, founder and leader of the
EA topic area, currently a senior EA advisor, received an Individual
Award from the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).
IAIA is the global association of impact assessment
professionals with over 1,500 members from some 110 countries. IAIA
annually gives an Individual Award to a person acknowledging a major
contribution to advancement in theory and practice of impact assessment
to mid-career professionals for over a period of time and at an
international level. Jiri was awarded the IAIA Individual Award
for his outstanding contribution to SEA Capacity Development in
Easter Europe and Southeast Asia.
The 2006-2007 Awards Committee noted that Jiri
has promoted over 30 SEA pilots and contributed to the development
of various SEA Guidelines and training materials. The committee
recognized his nearly single-handed conception and execution of
the highly successful IAIA SEA Prague conference in 2005. Efforts
in promoting environmental impact assessment and SEA in Central
and Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union countries, and now also
in Vietnam, China and Thailand are a testimony to his dedicated
commitment to IAIA’s vision and mission.
The REC and his colleagues wish Jiri many more
successful activities, initiatives and concurred milestones in his
career.
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