REC: Strategic Environmental Issues, vol. 1: Annex Introduction

Annex
Introduction

This Annex summarizes the results of the needs assessment of the Strategic Environmental Issues project. Surveys were conducted in each of REC's constituent countries between October 1993 and April 1994. Using a standardized questionnaire, nearly 150 experts coming from each country of the region, variously involved in environmental issues (from national and local governments, enforcement institutions, parliaments, businesses, research institutions and NGOs), were extensively interviewed. The assessments were conducted by Andras Bezegh (Hungary), Sergiu Cristofor and George Romanca (Romania), Patrick Francis (Poland, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia and Romania), Marijana Ivanova (FYR Macedonia), Jürg Klarer (the Czech and Slovak Republics), Voline van Teeseling (Albania and Hungary), Niyanta Thomas (Hungary) and Magda Toth Nagy (Croatia and Slovenia). Appendix 1 provides the list of interviewed experts. Appendix 2 contains the list of questions used during the interviews.

The Annex has been compiled in order to provide the source information to those interested readers of the Regional Report. Based on the information collected in the interviews, Draft Country Reports were prepared for each country and then sent to the interviewed experts for review and comment. From February to May of 1994 the Country Reports and subsequent Annex were revised, updated and clarified as comments were received from the interviewed experts. The final Country Reports are available as Volume II of the Strategic Environmental Issues project. The Annex summarizes the information found in the Country Reports and presents it in such a way as to allow easy comparison between the countries.

The information presented in this Annex exclusively contains the opinions of the interviewees. No additional sources of information have been used. We would like to stress that the information presented does not necessarily represent an official view, or the view of all persons interviewed. It also does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Regional Environmental Center.

REC * PUBLICATIONS * STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 1 * ANNEX INTRODUCTION