October 13, 1998 * Volume 1, Number 11
A R O U N D T H E R E G I O N
Hungary, Slovakia to have another day in court
Hungary will respond to a new petition by Slovakia concerning the Danube hydropower project by Dec. 7, according to a report from MTI, the Hungarian government news agency. Representatives of the two nations appeared before the Hague International Court on Oct. 7, after Hungary said it would not cooperate in construction of a dam at Nagymaros, which is the last part of the Gabcikovo- Nagymaros system. Slovakia had appealed to the court earlier this month, when Hungary's new government said it would cancel previous plans to cooperate on the project. After Hungary's response, the court will decide whether to start the proceedings or ask the sides to provide further details, MTI reported.
Contact: Slovak Environment Minister Jozef Zlocha, tel: (421-7) 516-2306; or Dr. Judit Moser of the Hungarian environment ministry's press office, tel: (36-1) 201-2619.
Hungary expects to spend $15B to meet EU green standards
Hungary has to spend $15 billion over 12 years to meet the European Union's environmental protection requirements, government officials said on Sept. 23, according to a report by Reuters. MTI, the Hungarian news agency, quoted Environmental Protection Ministry department head Istvan Ori as saying that $8 billion to $10 billion of the total amount would come from the government budget in two subsequent programmes, Reuters reported. Hungary also needs aid from an annual $582.2 million EU subsidy for environmental protection projects in new member- states, Ori reportedly said.
Contact: Dr. Judit Moser of the Hungarian environment ministry's press office, tel: (36-1) 201-2619.
Croatia plans 'largest environmental project in Mediterranean'
A World Bank loan agreement worth DEM 65 million will fund improvements in the water supply system as well as the construction of a sewage system for the Croatian cities of Split, Solin, Kastela and Trogir, according to a government publication. This is "the largest environmental project in the Mediterranean" according to "Croatia Weekly," which reported that the loan is to be repaid over 15 years, with a five-year grace period, by increasing consumer water fees.
Contact: Dr. Ante Kutle, director, Croatian Directorate for Environmental Protection, tel: (385-1) 611-8388 or (385-1) 611-1992.
Romanian ecologist groups merge
A congress of the Romanian Ecologist Federation (FER) on Sept. 26 approved the merger of their party, which is a member of the Democratic Convention of Romania, with the Romanian Ecologist Movement (MER) according to a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Former MER chairman Octavian Ciobota was elected first deputy chairman of the FER, the report said.
Contact: Vanta Vasile, Romanian Ecologist Federation, tel: (40-68) 412-556.
Energy efficiency partnership identifies projects in CEE
An international partnership working in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has identified projects to help revolutionise the energy business in three different nations by promoting energy efficiency, according to a press release. The three-year partnership, formed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Alliance to Save Energy and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), will soon be operating projects in five key countries in the region: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, the release said. After a three-country assessment process, concluded last month, the partnership has made plans to: work with Hungary's new government on removing barriers to energy efficiency and encouraging efficient technologies; work with Polish Network for Energy Cities, a network of roughly 40 small- and medium-sized municipalities, to increase energy awareness in Poland; and work with the Romanian Energy Policy Association to build support for the draft of the Energy Efficiency Law, the statement said.
Contacts: Alliance web site, REC web site. Or, contact Eric Carlson, tel: (36-26) 504-000.
Region's forests join in general European malaise
The region's trees are apparently sharing in an over-all decline that is afflicting the forests of Europe. In fact, a survey conducted by the European Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe shows that forests in non-European Union countries appear to be worse off, according to a report by the Environmental News Service (ENS). The report shows that only 51 percent of EU conifers and 37 percent of broad-leaved trees showed no significant defoliation, ENS said. When the rest of Europe is included in the survey, the numbers are worse: only 36 percent and 34 percent respectively fell into these categories, ENS reported.
For more information, contact the local office of the European Commission or see their web site.
N U C L E A R R O U N D U P
Radioactivity-tainted mushrooms found in Romania, Bulgaria
Bulgarian officials announced Oct. 6 the discovery of mushrooms tainted with radioactive cesium 137 in the southern part of the country, in levels that are the highest since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 and twice as high as generally accepted levels, according to a report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Meanwhile, the report said, Romanian officials announced last week that the country had exported contaminated mushrooms to several EU countries, but that the levels were not high enough to threaten public health.
Contact: Bulgarian environment ministry press office, tel: (359-2) 8472-2231 or (359-2) 981-1385; or Bulgarian Environment Minister Maneva, tel: (359-2) 882-577; or Romanian Environment Minister Tomescu, tel: (40-1) 410-0246; fax: (40-1) 312-4227.
Bulgaria: cost of closing reactors would be $100 million
Decommissioning the two largest reactors at Bulgaria's controversial Kozloduy nuclear power plant will cost $100 million, said Ivan Shilyashki, the chairman of Bulgaria's Power Generation Commission, on Oct. 5, according to a report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The European Union has repeatedly called for Bulgaria to close down the reactor, because it deems Kozloduy unsafe. Shilyashki, whose committee is charged with formulating the country's national strategy on nuclear power for the next 30-50 years, said Bulgaria will continue to transport spent nuclear fuel rods to Russia, which takes the rods for 25-30 percent cheaper than Western Europe does, the report said.
Contact: Bulgarian Atomic Energy Committee, tel: (359-2) 720-217.
EU offers aid if Lithuania agrees to shut plant
The European Union has offered consulting and financial aid to Lithuania if it sets a firm date to shut down its Ignalina nuclear power plant, parliament's press office said in a Sept. 22 statement, according to a report by Reuters. Ignalina, located some 120 km from Vilnius, has a large RBMK reactor, similar to the one which melted down in the Chernobyl 1986 nuclear accident, the report said. Lithuania, the most nuclear power-dependent nation in the world with over 80 percent of its power coming from nuclear plants, has committed itself to closing the twin reactors of the Ignalina plant in 2005 and 2010, according to Reuters.
Contact: Lithuanian environmental spokeswoman Natalija Gedvilaite, tel: (370-2) 723-251.
Moldova court rejects appeal to stop bulgarian waste
The Constitutional Court on Sept. 18 rejected an appeal by deputies from the Democratic Convention of Moldova against the parliament's decision to allow the transit of nuclear waste from the Bulgarian Kozloduy reactor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. The court reportedly said the appeal "lacked legal grounds."
Contact: Moldova Department of Environmental Protection, tel: (373-2) 22-6161, or (373-2) 22-51-44; or Bulgarian Atomic Energy Committee, tel: (359-2) 720-217.
J O U R N A L I S M N E W S
News service pays for tips on ISO 14000 stories
Victor House News, a U.S.-based news agency specialising in covering environmental affairs for environmental, health and safety professionals, is looking for help from journalists, consultants or professionals familiar with the ISO 14000 series of international environmental standards. According to an announcement from Victor House News, the service will pay USD 50 for "news leads," describing good articles about ISO 14000 that are worth writing about. The news leads should be short descriptions, of only a few sentences, giving details of a story and describing how to "answer the basic who, what, when, where, why, and how questions," the announcement said.
Contact: William D'Alessandro, Esq., Executive Editor, tel: (1-603) 672-5811; fax: (1-603) 672-5212.
REC Bulletin offers in-depth coverage of Aarhus conference
The latest edition of "The Bulletin," published by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), features 13 pages of analysis on this summer's environmental conference in Aarhus, Denmark. The Aarhus Conference was attended by environment ministers and other top environment officials from around the world and the decisions made there are likely to have a dramatic impact on the environmental policy of many nations. The articles in "The Bulletin" explain the significance of the "Aarhus Convention on Public Participation," the unique contribution of nongovernmental organisations and other important aspects of the conference.
To request a free copy of "The Bulletin," contact Emese Gal at the REC, tel: (36-26) 504-000.
'Doors to Democracy' series looks at public participation
Two new books that offer a survey of the state of public participation in environmental issues in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Newly Independent States (NIS) are now available via the internet. The country surveys were written by local experts, and the regional assessments were prepared by the Public Participation Programme of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) and ECOPRAVO-Lviv. According to a statement from the REC, these publications attempt to give a picture of each of the countries in the CEE and NIS regions, as well as giving region-wide overviews as a whole. It also offers comparisons of the actual situation in these regions with best practices and international standards, such as the Aarhus Convention, the Sofia Guidelines and EU Directives, the report said. The new books are part of a series, which also includes a Europe-wide review of public participation. Find the newest publications on line at: http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/PPDoors/CEE/cover.html and http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/PPDoors/NIS/cover.html. For a full list of REC publications visit: http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/.
W H O W E A R E
About Green Horizon
Green Horizon is a free newsletter designed to help journalists stay ahead of environmental news in Central and Eastern Europe. Twice a month, we'll offer tips on upcoming stories to watch for, as well as information and ideas to help you develop in-depth pieces about the region's environment. Green Horizon is produced by the Media Information Service (MIS) of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. The goal of the MIS is to assist the media in covering environmental issues. It is funded by the European Commission's DG-XI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For a free subscription, research assistance or to find a source: Send
e-mail to: GreenHorizon@rec.org, or call Tom Popper at (36-26) 504-000, fax (36-26) 311-294.
Funded by European Commission's DG-XI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
