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CONTENTS: NEWS FOR JOURNALISTS
Directory lists CEE environmental sources for journalistsThe Media Information Service of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), has just published a new guide listing more than 1,000 experts who are available to give interviews about the environment of the region. The publication, entitled "Media Source Directory: A Journalists Guide to Environmental Contacts in Central and Eastern Europe," can be an invaluable aid for anyone seeking knowledgeable, English-speaking experts who can discuss the region's environment intelligently. The guide lists experts by country, area of speciality and sector -- academic, business, government or NGO. Hundreds of journalists from around the region, including many who are on this mailing list, will be receiving the guide by mail. An announcement about the guide's availability on the web is expected soon. Others who are interested in obtaining copies of the guide should send their name, full contact information and professional affiliation to: Emese Gal, REC, e-mail: info@rec.org; web: http://www.rec.org/media/; fax: (36-26) 311-294. New life for 'Green Horizon'"Green Horizon," a publication designed to encourage media coverage of environmental issues in Central and Eastern Europe by keeping journalists informed about those issues, is resuming publication in 2000. The "Green Horizon" project ended in September of last year, but enough interest was generated to ensure continued publication. We look forward to sending you newsletters like this one, with news tips and story ideas from around the region, at regular intervals. For more information or to join our mailing list, contact Tom Popper, REC, e-mail: GreenHorizon@rec.org; web: http://www.rec.org/media/; tel: (36-26) 504-000.
Spill near Hungarian-Romanian border threatens water supplyA Jan. 30 break in a retaining dam at a waste-water facility in Northern Romania allowed a cyanide spill that has entered Hungary, killing fish and threatening the water supply of approximately 60,000 people, according to the Feb. 3 edition of the Hungarian Daily Nepszabadsag. The nature of the spill made it difficult to clean, so officials could only track the poison, to see how far it travels before dissolving to a safe level, the paper said. Measurements taken in the Hungarian River Szamos at the Romanian border showed a concentration of 32.5 milligrams per litre, 325 times the tolerable limit, the paper reported. The contamination was continuing to flow north, and was threatening to enter the Tisza River, where it could affect the water supply of several surrounding towns, the paper said. Contact: Dr. Judit Moser of the Hungarian environment ministry's press office, tel: (36-1) 201-2619. Deadly cold and snow storms wreak havoc in regionThe coldest weather of the year and heavy snows during the last half of January were blamed for the death of at least 14 people in Romania and three in Croatia, according to a Jan. 28 report from the Albanian Daily News. The storms also wreaked havoc in: Albania, where interruptions to the power grid left large sections of the country in darkness; Bulgaria, where high snow blocked access to 23 villages; and Yugoslavia, where harsh weather and a flu epidemic compounded existing fuel shortages and spurred two-hour power cuts in the capital and other major towns, according to the Albanian Daily News and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Snow fell even on the southern Croatian islands, which is extremely rare, and the southern Albanian port of Vlora, where it was the first snow in 20 years, the reports said. Czech Parliament OKs energy efficiency taxThe lower house of the Czech Parliament on Jan. 28 approved an energy-efficiency bill that would tax traditional energy suppliers to fund alternative energy sources, according to a Jan. 29 report from Radio Prague. The bill, which would tax energy producers CCR .01 (one hundredth of a crown) for every kilowatt of energy that they sell, would also provide for obligatory energy use audits for certain companies, the report said. The bill must still pass the other half of Parliament, and it faces some stiff opposition, the report said. Contact: Czech Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart, tel: (420-2) 6712-2719 or (420-2) 6712-1111. Lithuanian Greens protest expansion of military groundsThe Lithuanian Green Movement says it will protest against government plans to expand military training grounds, according to a Jan. 26 report from Radio Free Europe. The movement's leader, Rimantas Braziulis, said on Jan. 25 that demonstrations would continue until the government "comes to its senses," according to the report. The Defense Ministry plans to acquire 20,000 hectares of state- owned forests, which comprises 2 percent of the nation's forests, the report said. The Greens vowed to continue protesting the expansion, saying they will also protest outside embassies of NATO countries in Vilnius, the report said. Contact: Lithuanian environmental spokeswoman Natalija Gedvilaite, tel: (370-2) 72-325; e-mail: Leidybos.biuras@nt.gamta.lt Slovakia suspends plan to ship spent nuclear fuel to RussiaA plan to ship roughly 300 metric tons of Slovakian spent nuclear fuel to Russia for reprocessing was abruptly halted by the Slovakian Ministry of Economy, and cancelled indefinitely, because it would cost too much, according to a Jan. 25 report from Environmental News Service. Spent fuel from the Bohunice nuclear power plant in western Slovakia was to be sent to the Mayak nuclear facility near Chelyabinsk, located in the most radioactively contaminated region in the world, in a deal that would cost Slovakia roughly USD 6 billion, according to the report. But an alternative plan to deal with the waste, involving construction of a dry storage facility, would only cost around USD 1.7 billion. So, for financial reasons, the Slovakian Ministry of Economy called for the indefinite suspension of the reprocessing deal with Russia, the report said. Contact: Slovak Environment Ministry, tel: (421-7) 516-2306. Hungary, Austria: Post-war Danube cleanup to cost $24 millionA joint report put together by Hungary and Austria said the ruins of three bridges in Novi Sad destroyed during NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia could be cleared from the Danube in two or three months at a cost of USD 24.1 million, according to a Jan. 25 report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Representatives of the two countries presented the document in Budapest to Helmuth Strasser, chairman of the Danube Commission, on Jan. 24, the report said. Strasser was quoted a saying that, if a consensus is reached, the commission will forward the document to the EU which will then seek bids from member-states and other countries.
MEP urges transparency, caution in environmental accession issuesNegotiations between the European Commission and potential EU members in Central and Eastern Europe on environmental compliance are too secretive and could lead to environmental harm, the chair of the European Parliament's environment committee was reported as saying in a Jan. 21 edition of ENDS Environment Daily. "Our aim is to achieve greater transparency," Chair Caroline Jackson was quoted as saying at the parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg late last month. Negotiations on accession opened last year, after EC President Romano Prodi said he would push for accession despite reports of slow progress on environmental compliance. But Jackson said Prodi's emphasis on early membership might create a "groundswell to let them in" without proper consideration for the environment, according to ENDS. Contact: European Parliament, tel: (32-2) 284-2111; web: http://www.europarl.eu.int. To subscribe to ENDS Environment Daily, e-mail: envdaily@ends.co.uk. Environmental efforts on display in Hannover 2000 expositionEfforts to improve the dialogue between Western Europe and the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, and the importance of Local Agenda 21 projects for the environment, will be among key themes of the displays at the Hannover 2000 exposition in Hannover Germany, according to a press release. A conference, set for Feb 9-12 will serve to open the exposition, which will focus on the needs of humankind nature and technology, the release said. The exhibits will be on display in Hannover for the rest of the year. On the topic of Agenda 21, the European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign will be repeating its call to everyone committed to the Local Agenda 21 process to help in finding ways of improving and maintaining the quality of urban life, the release said. The groups efforts will be supported by well-known figures from the fields of politics, science and business. Other environmental exhibitors at the conference will include the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC). For further information, please contact: Julia Bolzek, tel (49-511) 1684-0912; e-mail: julia.bolzek.12@hannover-stadt.de.
PPC, EAP Task Force to assist Balkan environmental task forceThe Task Force of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) for Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States has been asked to work closely with a new Environmental Task Force, established on Jan. 27 to help implement international environmental policy for the Balkans. At a Jan. 27 meeting in Skopje, FYR Macedonia, high officials from the Ministries of Environment from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR Macedonia -- observed by representatives of donor countries, international organisations, institutions and NGOs -- agreed to develop the Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme (RERP), which will become the basis for world policy on the environment in South Eastern Europe (SEE). The RERP is currently being developed and will be proposed as the main environmental component of the Balkan Stability Pact, which outlines international policy towards the Balkans in the wake of last year's war in Yugoslavia. Once the RERP is adopted into the Stability Pact, the programme will allow for rebuilding of an environment that was badly damaged by military actions during the war -- and by years of neglect preceding the war. The EAP Task Force has been asked to work closely with a newly formed Task Force, set up to coordinate the RERP. The Project Preparation Committee, which facilitates cooperation between international financing institution's and donors to accelerate environmental investment in Central and Eastern Europe, has also been asked to assist the new RERP Task Force. The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, which currently works with the OECD on the EAP Task Force Secretariat, has been asked to serve as the secretariat of the new RERP Task Force. Contact: Jennifer Braswell or Mihail Dimovski at the REC. Tel: (36-26) 504-000; e-mail: jbraswell@rec.org or mdimovski@rec.org; web: http://www.rec.org. EAP Task Force meeting focuses on BalkansEAP TASK FORCE MEETING FOCUSES ON BALKANS The need to take action on the environment in the Balkans was one of the key issues discussed at the 11th meeting of the Task Force of the Environmental Action Programme (EAP) for Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States (NIS). The meeting, held Oct. 18 -19 at the Regional Environment Center for Central and Eastern Europe in Szentendre, brought together close to 110 delegates, who also discussed methods of enforcing EAP policies and the concept of "New Regional Environmental Centres" for the NIS.
About Green Horizon"Green Horizon" is a free newsletter
designed to help journalists stay ahead of environmental news
in Central and Eastern Europe. We 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 Regional Environmental Center for Central
and Eastern Europe. To join the mailing list: Send e-mail to:
GreenHorizon@rec.org. Funded by the European Commission's DG-XI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
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