Focus Eco Center
Romania

Project No. 20522: Advisory Services to Promote Public Participation

Background

The Focus Eco Center, an outgrowth of the Rhododendron Eco Club, established in February 1990, is a non-profit NGO whose aim is to raise public awareness of environmental issues. Focus Eco Center promotes and implements environmental education initiatives, fosters public participation, offers environmental counseling services and implements water management policies. The group numbers about 35 active members, including teachers, engineers, lawyers, students from a teacher training college and others.

Although Focus is funded mainly by Western foundations, for smaller projects it draws on domestic resources, mostly in-kind contributions from local partners.

In 1994, the center's Education Working Group published an environmental manual for teachers, Cunostinte despre mediu. The same team compiled a methodological guidebook, Omul si mediul inconjurator, likewise published in 1994 by Focus. Among the other major, long-term projects of the Focus Eco Center is the "Niraj River Basin Water Management Scheme," which got off the ground in June 1993 with the intention of establishing a joint administration to manage the river basin.

The organization participates in various projects and activities, including:

Environmental Manual for Local Authorities in Central and Eastern Europe (in collaboration with ICLEI-Europe)
Manual on Public Participation in Central and Eastern Europe (REC project)
Promotion of eco-agro tourism (in collaboration with ECEAT, the Netherlands)

Project Goals

To develop public participation by reinforcing the conceptual knowledge and practical skills of NGOs and individuals to assure that environmental problems can be addressed (and solved) with the use of an available legal and institutional framework for public participation
To increase the knowledge of the NGO community and the public on legal provisions on public participation, thus assuring more efficient application of legal and nonformal instruments
To stimulate cooperation between NGOs, individuals and local authorities by presenting and implementing a successful case for public participation

Objectives

Establishment of an advisory service to promote public participation projects in various parts of the country by providing NGOs and citizens legal assistance and information concerning legal and nonformal methods of public participation
Implementation of a successful public participation case and presentation of it to the NGO community and local authorities
Publishing of information materials and case studies

Amount Awarded

12,946 ECU

Implementation

In the initial phase, an advisory service was organized and a working team set up at the Focus Eco Center's facilities in Tirgu Mures. The team was composed of five to seven NGO experts and lawyers providing scientific, technical and legal assistance to the public. An environmental library and database was established where all case materials and information were collected. The advisory service was publicized in Tirgu Mures and in other cities through leaflets, newspapers, radio, the NGO newsletter, the working group members and in different workshops and seminars.

Plans called for three working group sessions to coordinate the team's work, but only two were held. During the first session, the role and functions of the working team members were formulated, and the principles of public participation and methods of project implementation were discussed. Members agreed to produce detailed written materials on various fields related to environment protection and public participation. Arrangements were made to disseminate information and materials about public participation through NGO newsletters, local newspapers and radio broadcasts. The members of the working group were acting as promoters of public participation in different parts of the Romania.

The legal background of the EIA procedure included in the permitting procedure was analyzed at the second working group meeting. Members also discussed how the public participation possibilities should be enhanced through publications and other activities. The working group decided to prepare and publish a booklet offering information and advice on public participation opportunities in the permitting procedure. The booklet, which was prepared, published and disseminated in September, is meant to be a practical guide for NGOs and citizens to understand and use the available legal instruments for public participation through the permitting procedure. It includes description of competencies, details of procedures, possibilities to participate and appeals, techniques and examples.

The working group members distributed several written materials concerning legal instruments. A detailed overview was drafted on the legal principles of public participation and a compilation of 11 leaflets explaining the different provisions of the new environmental law was disseminated and summarized on several occasions, including seminars. The leaflets addressed the following issues: hazardous waste, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, air protection, duties and obligation of juridical and physical persons, public participation, protected areas, water quality, permitting procedure, punitive regime, soil protection and radiation. More than 100 copies of laws and regulations related to public participation in environmental decisionmaking were distributed in the NGO community.

Focus was asked to provide advice on legal and nonformal public participation issues related to the environment in more than 20 cases. Many of these requests dealt with elimination of green spaces in the town or with tree cutting. Though some requests were not related to public participation issues, Focus examined the requests and transferred them to the competent authorities.

The Ministry of Environment organized a seminar for local environmental authorities to present legal provisions for the permitting procedure. The project leader was invited to discuss the role of NGOs in the area of public participation.

The first Romanian national seminar on public participation and access to environmental information was organized on July 12-14, 1996, by the Focus Eco Center and Transylvanian Conservation Volunteers (CET) in Cluj Napoca. The large number of participants, 62 in all, representing diverse institutions (NGOs, the Ministry of Environment, environmental agencies, the media and local authorities) reflected the importance of the issue, the commitment of participants and the success of the project's efforts to disseminate information. The main goals of the seminar were, among others:

to analyze the existing Romanian legal framework for access to information and public participation;
to evaluate the needs and the level of public participation from the point of view of both the NGOs and authorities;
to present and discuss different case studies on access to information and public participation (FOCUS, CENTRAS, CET) and evaluate achievements and failures;
to elaborate programmatic materials for the NGOs to follow public participation;
to create a cooperative network among Romanian NGOs to promote public participation.

Detailed discussions took place on many aspects of public participation, including the cooperation of NGOs. The major achievement of the seminar was the creation of a 13-member national working group representing large environmental NGOs. The mission of this group is to develop a working framework to foster public participation initiatives in Romania on both the local and national levels. Focus and CET plan to play a key role in this framework in the future.

Target Groups

NGOs, the public and local authorities.

Relationship with NGOs, the Public and the Government

The organization has had a good relationship with other NGOs as reflected by the number of participants at its seminars and during the establishment of the national working group on public participation. The same was true of its relationship with the public: substantial amounts of materials were distributed and numerous contacts made during the individual cases considered.

Cooperation during the implementation of environmental proceedings seemed to go more smoothly with local governments than with the central government. Indeed, some members of the working group developed a fine relationship with local authorities.

Lessons

Major Problems

The approach of the national government toward public participation is still utterly different from that of NGOs in terms of openness and transparency, and this rendered difficult the implementation of some steps of the project.

Major Successes

The most important success is that because of promotional activities, the advisory service can give support on public participation problems and is known across the country and by all environmental NGOs.

Overall Evaluation

Based on feedback, the establishment of the advisory service has met a real need within the NGO community and covers a gap in public participation activities. A core group for a national advisory service network was formed at the Cluj seminar. The materials collected and prepared during the project and the national working group sessions will serve as a sound basis for future public participation initiatives in Romania.

Sample Cases

During the duration of the project, the Focus advisory team was faced with 27 requests for advice and assistance.

An especially important case was the establishment of a public advocacy center by the NGO Ecomont in the town of Piatra Neamt. Ecomont established the Center for Citizen-State Dialogue with the aim of developing a fruitful partnership among the authorities, NGOs and the general public. The options available in doing so were discussed by Focus and Ecomont. The Focus team was thus involved both in the creation of the center, by providing legal support, and in solving the environmental issues the center was then faced with, including cases of air and noise pollution.

Another interesting case on which Focus is still working is related to air pollution in the center of Tirgu Mures. The citizens living near the City Hall are confronted with heavy traffic and intend to influence the competent authority to stop the traffic in that area. Focus provided legal advice for the citizen association on developing a strategy to reach this goal by collecting signatures and turning to the local environmental authority with their request. At the same time, Focus contacted the competent authority and requested to measure the level of pollution and compare it with the allowed legal standards. The next steps planned are to publicize the matter and submit a complaint to the administrative authority.

Contact

Bartha Barna: Focus Eco Center; Str. Belsugu Pui No. 6; O.P. 6; P.O. Box 620; 4300 Tg. Mures; Romania; Tel: (40-65) 131-080; Fax: (40-65) 163-692; E-mail: zoli@focus.sbnet.ro

REC * PUBLICATIONS * ADVISING CITIZENS * ROMANIA

Focus Eco Center Romania