We have so often heard the environmental mantra "think globally, act locally," that it's meaning has become almost hollow. But as environmental stakeholders from all sectors of society in the CEE region work to address the significant challenges facing them in their daily work, they have become increasingly aware that the European continent is a small one - even that the planet Earth is a small one - and that environmental problems do not recognize the artificial boundaries of nation states. Likewise, systems of governance and economics have entered an upward trend toward transnationalism - countries throughout the region are working furiously to join international policymaking, economic and security alliances from the European Union, to the United Nations, NATO, the OECD, etc. However, even as we awaken to trends toward globalization - as money, people, information, goods and services transverse boundaries in evermore rapid rates - we continue to imagine international activities as somehow disconnected from the daily activities and problems we face in our local communities and within our national boundaries. However, the natural environment that surrounds us - the rivers, lakes, air and soil we share with our neighbors - fails to recognize these artificial human deliniations.
These trends present both challenges and opportunities for environmental stakeholders throughout the CEE region. International environmental standards set by member nations of the EU for subscribing nations of CEE provide an opportunity to pressure for change in environmental policymaking at home, an issue the REC has examined in Approximation of European Union Environmental Legislation: Case Studies of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, published in January 1996. International treaties and conventions ratified by our governments in CEE can be used as tools for public pressure, for access to information, for influencing decisionmaking, for monitoring the progress toward implementation and enforcement. This manual addresses these very opportunities and tries to identify the options available first for NGOs and citizens, but also for other environmental stakeholders in CEE to utilize international instruments and international fora to further their missions. The manual presents practical cases and examples of how organizations, institutions and individuals have either attempted or succeeded to utilize international tools to gain information or access to environmental decisionmaking processes, or to influence domestic and international policymaking which affect them. Most notably, however, this manual illustrates the tremendous value and need for regional cooperation in CEE - among NGOs, authories and business/industries throughout the region.
A great deal of effort and expertise was expended to develop and publish this manual, and several individuals deserve particular recognition. The contents of the manual were a cooperative effort of a group of primary authors, the REC Public Participation Working Group, and the REC Public Participation Program staff. The primary author of Part I, Karel van der Zwiep, has devoted a great deal of his personal and professional time to the project, and has worked tirelessly to provide both accurate and practical information for the manual. Ralph Hallo and Math Noortmann both provided original manuscripts for several of the chapters and provided useful comment and guidance on developing the overall framework and content. Jiri Dusik provided material and professional advice on the development of the sections dealing with EIA. Macrin Desa provided advice and input for issues relating to international financing institution activities in CEE. The CEE country examples and case materials were provided by Andrian Vaso, Alexander Kodjabashev, Inge Separevic Perko, Bozica Jellusic, Martin Schneider Jacoby, Martin Robes, Gulnara Roll, Sandor Fulop, Una Blumberga, Saulius Piksrys, Mihail Dimovski, Jerzy Jendroska, Bartha Barna, Maxim Iurie, Ingrid Belcakova, and Barbara Vrecko.
Magda Toth Nagy was responsible for developing the project framework, for editing the content and writing many of the conclusions and lessons of the material, and for the overall coordination of the project. Hajnalka Benyhe coordinated the collection and development of CEE country case material and has written the final case examples together with Magda Toth Nagy. The Appendices were prepared by Karel van der Zwiep and Olivia Ahn, with input from Susan Casey-Lefkowitz and the CEE project partners, Fedor Bruoth, Milos Zdarek, Mr. Gajdousek and Lirim Selfo. Hajnalka Benyhe, Lee Davis, Eric Jones and Olivia Ahn also reviewed the text and provided useful comment. English language editing was completed by Reuben Stern and Helen Carr, with final proofreading assistance from Lee Davis. Layout and desktop publishing was performed by Reuben Stern and coordinated by Sylvia Magyar. Laszlo Falvay prepared the illustrations. The project which resulted in the publishing of this report was carried out as part of the REC Initiatives Public Participation Program under the management of Laszlo Karas.
Funding for the project was provided by the Dutch Ministry for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague.
I would like to thank all the contributors to and supporters of this manual for their dedication and commitment.
Jernej Stritih
Executive Director