GREENPEACE: THERE WILL BE NO 'DRACULA' PARK AT SIGHISOARA
In a June 27 press release, Greenpeace announced that the Romanian government had scrapped plans to build a "Dracula" theme park for tourists in an old-growth forest near Sighisoara, a relatively untouched area of great historical and environmental value. Greenpeace praised the "high sensitivity and flexibility" of Romanian Tourism Minister Dan Matei Agathon, who had pushed for the construction of the park but apparently backed down due to local and international opposition to the project. Among opponents was England's Prince Charles, who reportedly urged rejection of the project in a May 7 phone call with Romanian President Ion Iliescu. Greenpeace said it hoped that, if an alternative site is chosen, it would be in a place where construction would entail less environmental damage and that it would be subjected to an "Environmental Impact Assessment." 
Contact:
Greenpeace, e-mail: franko.petri@greenpeace.at
web: http://www.greenpeace.at; or Romanian Environment Ministry
tel: (40-1) 410-0246 or (40-1) 410-0215; e-mail: biodiv@mappm.ro

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REVIEWS SAFETY OF KOZLODUY
At the request of the Bulgarian government, the International Atomic Energy Agency began a safety review of blocks No. 3 and 4 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, according to a June 25 report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The government is hoping for a positive assessment on the modernised reactors because it wants to keep them running as long as possible, the report said. The World Council of Nuclear Workers (WONUC) is also interested in keeping the plant open for as long as possible, and has proposed taking action in the European Union Court of Justice to counter European Commission efforts to close the plant, according to a June 18 report from eisnet.be. 

The WONUC is arguing that the EC is trying to enforce standards that do not exist at the EU level and that, "no studies have been undertaken to determine the alleged level of risk posed by reactor units 1 to 4, nor to justify their closure," the eisnet.be report said. Sofia agreed to close Kozloduy's two oldest reactors by 2003, and reactors No. 3 and 4 by 2010, as a condition for starting European Union membership talks in 1999. Now the EU is pressing for closure of the entire plant by 2006. But Bulgaria wants to maintain its position as the main energy exporter in South Eastern Europe, and it is in competition with neighbouring EU member Greece, so it is looking to delay Kozloduy's closure as long as possible. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is also considering restarting work on a nuclear plant in Belene, which was about 40 percent completed when it was abandoned in 1990, due to concerns about the environment and the costs. 
Contact:
Bulgarian Atomic Energy Committee, tel: (359-2) 720-217
or the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters Press Office 
tel: (359-2) 940-6231; or Bulgarian Environment Minister Dolores Arssenova tel: (359-2) 940-6222; web: http://www.moew.government.bg

PROJECT AIMS TO HELP YUGOSLAVIA HARMONISE LEGISLATION
Work to help Yugoslavia harmonise its environmental legislation with that of the European Union made progress at a June 17 workshop in Belgrade, according to a press release from the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) Country Office Yugoslavia. The workshop, part of a project sponsored by the Finish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together experts from around Yugoslavia, as well as from Finland, Estonia, the University of Stockholm and an international consortium involved in implementing the project, the release said. After a bilateral agreement between Finland and Yugoslavia is signed, participants will begin the next phase of the project, which "will encompass harmonisation of domestic legislation with EU Directives on environmental impact analysis, integrated pollution control and prevention and access to environmental legislation," the release said. 
Contact:
Srdjan Susic, senior project manager, REC Country Office Yugoslavia,
tel: (381-11) 306-1715 or (381-11) 306-1716; e-mail: ssusic@recyu.org
web: http://www.recyu.org

CONFERENCE TO COVER TRANSBOUNDARY POLLUTION IN SEE
The Balkan Environmental Association (BENA) will hold a conference about transboundary pollution in South Eastern Europe (SEE), between Nov. 7-10 in Belgrade, according to an announcement from the Community Research and Development Information Service (Cordis). The conference is intended to bring together scientists, politicians and public administrators from SEE countries so that they can improve relations, enhance scientific cooperation and discuss ways to maintain and improve the region's environmental conditions, the announcement said, adding: "Topics for discussion include environmental legislation, environmental monitoring and control, air pollution, water management, waste management, soil pollution, environmental education, clean technologies, recycling, radioactivity, ecology, biology and risk assessment." 
Contact:
Dr P. Polic, tel: (381-11) 635-004; e-mail: ppolic@helix.chem.bg.ac.yu

DESPITE ACTIVISTS CONCERNS, KANGAROO MEAT BOUNDS INTO SEE
Kangaroos, which are considered a pest by many in Australia and have become a popular import in Europe due to concerns about diseased beef, are jumping into the South Eastern European market, to the chagrin of animal rights activists, according to a June 28 report from Reuters. The first shipment of kangaroo meat for Romania, 20 tonnes, arrived in mid-June, and in Bulgaria the meat is already a popular import, the news service said. Don Cairns, chief of Australia's Trade Commission for the Balkans was quoted by Reuters as saying that animal rights activists in Western Europe were opposed to the idea of using animals hunted down as pests for food, but apparently SEE consumers are less concerned, or less aware about the animal rights issues involved. 
Contact:
Australian Consulate-General in Bucharest, tel: (40-1) 320-9802 or 
(40-1) 320-9823; e-mail: office.austemba@xnet.ro
web: http://www.australia.org.yu

GREENPEACE SHARPENS CEE-FOCUS WITH NEW BUDAPEST OFFICE, WATER CAMPAIGN
As part of a new regional network, focusing specifically on Central and Eastern Europe, Greenpeace has opened an office in Budapest, from where they will coordinate campaigns throughout the region -- starting with a an effort targeting dirty industries that create water pollution -- according to a June 14 press release. "After extensive assessment, Greenpeace has identified many 'hot spots' of industrial pollution in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in the Tisza River basin," the release said. "In Romania, Slovakia and Hungary many ecological time bombs, such as unsecured burning landfills, toxic factory sewage and dead rivers, unsafe cyanide tailing ponds and leaky pipelines, are still ticking. In the next two months, Greenpeace will run the 'Clean Water Tour 2002' throughout the region. . 

Activists will take samples, analyse industrial wastewater and inform the people in more than 20 cities in the three countries about pollution." The Tisza leg of the campaign began with a June 19 press conference in Miskolc, Hungary, where Greenpeace activists released a map and specific information about nine "hot spots" in the Miskolc area. The release said Greenpeace hopes to bring attention to pollution by specific companies in the region: "The polluting companies include Borsodchem in Kazincbarcika, which has to clean up their on-site contamination and change their product range long-term to a more environmentally friendly one. Also the EMV and the Kiss companies in Sajobabony have to reduce their water pollution. The TVK in Tiszaujvaros has to remove its old soil contamination and reduce its salt emissions. 

The Columbian Tiszai Koromgyarto and the Mol plant in Tiszaujvaros have to further improve their safety standards. The old mine deposits in Gyongyosoroszi and the AES power stations in Tiszaujvaros and Kazincbarcika, with their ash deposits, are also dangerous contaminations of the environment," the June 19 release said. The next event will be July 13 in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, and the exact time and place will be announced at http://www.greenpeace.hu, according to the release. Those who visit can meet the Greenpeace crew, and bring water samples for testing, the release said. 
Contact:
Greenpeace, e-mail: franko.petri@greenpeace.at
web: http://www.greenpeace.at

LITHUANIA TO ASSIST KALINGRAD WITH RIVER POLLUTION PROBLEMS
The Lithuanian Environment Ministry has offered to assist Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in addressing the pollution problems of the Nemunas River, which is under pressure due to waste water from the cities of Sovetsk and Neman and the paper and pulp enterprises based there, according to a June 24 report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The ministry has reportedly offered to pay for expert consultations on the feasibility of building treatment facilities and on getting aid from international organisations. 
Contact:
Lithuanian Environment Ministry, tel: (370-2) 610-588

WORLD BANK ACKNOWLEDGES FLAWS IN LENDING TO MINING PROJECTS IN THIS REGION
During a week of meetings in Budapest, the World Bank's Extractive Industries Review (EIR) concluded that the USD 7 billion in support that the bank has given for oil, gas and mining projects in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia since 1990 has had some detrimental environmental and economic effects, according to a June 22 press release from several non-governmental organisations. "Key recommendations of the EIR consultation in Budapest included the need for full transparency of oil revenues, early start of consultations with affected communities and a need for improved focus on governance issues," according to the press release. 

"In addition, the need for certain areas and technologies to be placed off limits for the future was discussed, and no dissent was recorded." The press release noted that the bank did not agree to NGOs' request that some specific areas should be deemed off-limits for mining or oil exploration. "The World Bank, whose primary mission is to alleviate poverty, is under fire internationally as the largest source of public funding for the extractive industries," according to the press release. "In response to these critiques, the World Bank created the EIR, a quasi-independent body whose mission is to evaluate" the bank's support for these ventures. The meeting in Budapest was held so that the EIR could review World Bank policies in this region. "The EIR is currently scheduled to present their final report to the World Bank in June of 2003," the press release said. 
Contact:
Petr Hlobil, CEE Bankwatch, tel: (420-60) 315-4349 
web: http://www.bankwatch.org; or Steve Kretzmann, Institute for Policy Studies, tel: (1-202) 497-1033.

REC PUBLISHES BOOKS ON NGO FINANCING, CLIMATE CHANGE
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) on June 24 announced two new publications: "Planning for Sustainability: Supporting NGO Self-financing Ventures," which explains the importance of helping non-governmental organisations get into the business of paying their own way, and "Good Practices in Policies and Measures for Climate Change Mitigation: A Central and Eastern European Perspective," which looks at the ways in which the countries of this region can address climate change. To order the publications, send an e-mail to: EGal@rec.org; or see the web site at: http://www.rec.org/REC/Publications/publications.html

ONLINE DATABASE LISTS ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS IN CEE REGION
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) has an online database listing important conferences and events that are of interest to those who are concerned about the environment of the region. To search the database, visit http://www.rec.org/REC/Databases/Events/EventsFind.html. To have your event listed in the database, send an e-mail to: info@rec.org. The events database is a service of the REC's Balkan Information Service. For more information see: http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/REREP/