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Local Initiatives / LEAPs
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Local Initiatives Program 2007 - 2010 We at the REC believe that the key to sustainable communities lies not in making local environmental and other strategies more competitive, but rather in better tailoring them to what the community has and needs, keeping in mind the long-term consequences of short-term choices identified in environmental planning processes. Public support for local sustainability initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has been declining and efforts are needed to keep sustainable development and the environment high on the political agenda. Efforts are needed to improve relationships between local communities and their governments, while democracy and the fight against poverty remain works in progress across the region. For the past 17 years, the REC has been providing vital assistance to local communities in CEE. REC's Programme for Supporting Local Initiatives promotes local sustainable development and decentralisation, strengthens local institutions and accelerates institutional reforms in local communities with a view to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals. The REC provides concrete assistance for environmental planning by developing local environmental action plans (LEAPs), facilitates environmental investments that help communities achieve their strategic goals, and improves environmental management by providing direct assistance to local communities and their institutions. The programme has three components: Local Environmental Action Planning for Sustainability in the Western Balkans, Environmental Financing, and Sustainable Rural Development and Biodiversity. Major ongoing activities Cross-Border LEAPs: Environmental Planning for Peace and Stability – a project funded by the Dutcj Ministry for Deevelopment Cooperation that develops four Local Environmental Action Plans (LEAPs) in municipalities of Bratunac (B&H), Rudo (B&H), Ljubovija (Serbia) and Priboj (Serbia), with the participation of all community stakeholders. Past Actions Identification of Municipal Environmental Investments and Partnerships for EU Accession — a project to build the capacity of local and regional authorities, utility companies and other organisations in the EU accession countries to identify and prepare high-quality environmental investment projects Cross Border Municipal Environmental Cooperation: the Drina River Basin — support to municipalities, NGOs, national parks, and other environmental stakeholders in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to come together to solve priority environmental problems Environmental Aspects of the Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund in New EU Member States and Candidate Countries — conference gathering environmental authorities and economic development authorities along with key environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss environmental aspects of the Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund organised by the REC on 13-14 May 2004. Download final conference paper (249-KByte 21-page PDF file) containing proceedings from the event. Development of Project Preparation Capacity for Municipal Environmental Investments in South Eastern Europe — training and support to local authorities and local consulting companies in SEE to prepare investments in water/wastewater treatment and solid waste management. Download project final report (350-KByte 48-page PDF file) on assisting local authorities to access financing Local Environmental Action Programme (LEAP) — information on planning and implementing Local Environmental Action Programmes in CEE, including a guidebook and training materials Training for Local and Regional Authorities on Environmental Investment Planning for EU Accession — a training programme for local and regional authorities in EU accession countries on financing compliance with EU heavy-investment directives. Download a guidebook for local and regional authorities containing overviews of directives, implementation requirements for local and regional authorities, gap analysis recommendations, strategic planning and financing tools EU Accession Local Authority Grants Programme City Towards European
Union Compliance Award For more information about REC's Local Initiatives/LEAPs
please contact: Srdjan Susic (ssusic@rec.org) |
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