Chapter 3
On the Way: The Environmental Movement in Central Europe
3.6 The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)
[Introducing the REC - Leaflet, 1995]
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
(REC) is an independent, non-advocacy, non-profit foundation.
The REC was established in 1990 by Hungary, the United States,
and the Commission of the European Communities. Seven countries
have since joined these founding sponsors.
Currently the REC has approximately 45 persons staff (including
volunteers). Since the establishment of the REC many things changed
in organization and staff. This report will only deal with the
current situation.
3.6.1 Mission
The REC's mission is to promote cooperation among diverse environmental
groups and interests in Central and Eastern Europe; to act as
a catalyst for developing solutions to environmental problems
in this region; and to promote the development of a civil society.
Beneficiary countries are Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Estonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
In these countries, the REC primarily supports environmental non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), but also cooperates with local authorities,
national governments, academic institutions, and the private sector.
In addition to its head office and local office in Budapest,
the REC has local offices in Bratislava , Bucharest, Ljubljana,
Prague, Riga, Skopje, Sofia, Tallinn, Tirana, Vilnius, Warsaw
and Zagreb. Local representatives extend the REC's assistance
throughout the region - they understand local conditions, communicate
in local languages, and provide first-hand advice and information.
This research on East-East cooperation among environmental NGOs
in CEE is done on request of and based at the Earmarked Grants
Team at the REC head quarter in Budapest.
3.6.2 Program activities
The REC has four demand-driven program areas:
- Grants to support the institutional development of NGOs and their capacity to increase public participation in environmental issues;
- Information exchange to provide public access to environmental information and to facilitate networking among diverse interest groups;
- REC Initiatives to assess and share regional experiences in addressing crucial environmental issues;
- Fellowships and internships to provide networking and training opportunities to promising individuals;
All these programs are unified in promoting regional cooperation
and building the capacity of stakeholders to solve environmental
problems.
Grants
The REC offers two grants programs to help environmental NGOs
implement projects and strengthen institutional development. When
considered together, these programs complement each other as they
support NGOs in the different stages of their organizational development.
The first is the Local Grants Program, the second the Earmarked
Grants Program. The latter gave the commission for this research.
Local Grants Program
Local grants target emerging NGOs that need assistance to get
started. They often lack experience preparing project proposals,
do not speak English, and are located outside capital cities.
Local grants are available up to ECU 5000 to support operating
expenses, training and educational activities, local projects
and local events (such as Earth Day events and summer camps for
children). This program is administered by the local offices and
applications are accepted in local languages. Advisory boards
in each country evaluate the applications, award grants, and advise
the REC on NGO needs and program development. The local representatives
assist the NGOs in project proposal preparation and advise on
project implementation. For 1996 the total budget is 1,200,000
ECU.
Earmarked Grants Program
Earmarked grants primarily promote regional cooperation and target
more advanced NGOs who can handle more complex projects. Grants
are awarded in specific environmental topics that have been selected
each year, based on a NGO needs survey and expert advice. A certain
amount of money is set aside, or earmarked, for each topic; a
deadline is announced for accepting applications in English; and
grants are awarded up to ECU 20,000 on a competitive basis. The
program is administered by REC staff in Budapest with the assistance
of independent experts who help evaluate grant applications.
In 1995 the following earmarked categories have been announced
and completed: Nature Conservation, Sustainable Rural Development,
Industrial Problems and Energy Conservation, Urban Community Problems.
The awarded NGO projects are running now. For 1996 the Earmarked
Grants Program is modified. Absolute priority will be given to
transboundary/regionwide cooperation among environmental NGOs.
This is a pilot project sponsored by PHARE money. The actual topics
under which this will be done will be Nature Conservation and
Sustainable Development, these are announced in April 1996. The
application procedure is modified as well, hopefully towards an
efficient and effective implementation of the Earmarked Grants
Program. The pilot project will be evaluated by the end of 1996.
The total budget for 1996 is 624,000 ECU.
The Earmarked Grants Program is concentrating on East-East cooperation,
just like this research. The recommendations coming forth from
the research will be mainly applicable to the Earmarked Grants
Program. Although the mission of the REC as a whole fully subscribes
to regionwide cooperation within the environmental movement throughout
CEE.
Information Exchange Program
The REC helps to match the needs of the region with world-wide
expertise and resources. Because of its regional orientation,
geographic presence, and links to other organizations, the REC
is uniquely positioned to provide access to environmental information
and promote partner-ships with other information exchange organizations.
The REC's Information Exchange Program collects and disseminates
useful information, encourages collaboration among NGOs and other
sectors, and communicates opportunities for western assistance.
In terms of priority services, it provides access to a core collection
of print materials and environmental databases. It offers contact
lists of environmental resources in the region and in the west
as well as project summaries of the grants that the REC has funded.
In addition, the Information Exchange Program produces several
publications, such as the REC's Bulletin, the translated Monthly
Supplements, a series of informative papers about the environmental
situation in the region and for example publications such as Project
Summaries of REC Grants, the Government and Environment Directory
and the NGO Directory.
REC Initiatives
The REC initiates programs addressing the critical environmental
issues related to the transition to a new economic and political
system in the region. By highlighting these strategic issues and
providing a forum for discussion, the REC can encourage national
and local governments to cooperate in environmental policy making
and promote the involvement of other sectors. Examples of REC
Initiatives include:
- Public Participation.
The REC advises all stakeholders on the benefits, methods, and
techniques of public participation in environmental decisionmaking.
It has produced a practical users manual that has been translated
into 13 CEE languages and disseminated through in-country workshops.
And its status report on public participation practices draws
a baseline for measuring progress regionwide.
- Environmental Action Program.
This program promotes the approach and methodology of the Environmental
Action Program for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP). Its status
report on National Environmental Action Programs in 12 CEE countries
promotes the sharing of experiences on this crucial issue.
- Comparative Policy Analysis.
The REC assists CEE countries to improve their environmental policymaking
by providing a comparative analysis of policy-making tools, such
as legal, regulatory, and economic instruments. It also supports
the process of approximating environmental legislation with European
Union standards.
- Environmental Training.
The REC maintains a network of Environmental Management Training
Centers (EMTCs) in 9 countries to facilitate information sharing,
to improve program quality, and to plan for sustainability. Modular
courses adapted to the local situation include Environmental Impact
Assessment, Environmental Policy and Environmental Enforcement.
Fellowships and internships
The REC sponsors two fellowship programs and an intern program
to provide promising individuals with training and networking
opportunities and an introduction to the REC.
- Junior Fellowships.
The REC sponsors a four week fellowship program on a continuing
basis for young NGO members in the region. The program provides
training courses on NGO management issues and valuable work experience
in an international environmental organization.
- Senior Fellowships.
The REC provides six governments policymakers, academic experts,
or NGO leaders each year with the unique opportunity to work at
the REC for two or four weeks on a specific area of interest.
They have the freedom to explore a number of different environmental
issues, but their work should build upon their current expertise,
address CEE problems, and take advantage of the REC's resources.
- Environmental Leadership Training.
The REC, along with the Environmental Partnership for Central
Europe, co-sponsors a leadership training program for NGOs. Interns
are assigned to advanced, well-organized NGOs in the region for
up to one month. This exchange program helps to develop project
management and organizational development skills, and it promotes
regional cooperation among NGOs.
Special Programs
In addition to its regular programs, the REC reserves the flexibility
to assist other institutions to implement programs that support
its mission in the region. Examples are:
REC * PUBLICATIONS * BEYOND BORDERS * ON THE WAY: THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN CENTRAL EUROPE * THE REC
