Budapest, July 12, 1989: „...economic progress cannot be at the expense of the air we breathe and the water we drink. I will ask the United States Congress to appropriate $5 million to establish an international environmental center for Central and Eastern Europe, to be based right here in Budapest, which will bring together private and government experts and organizations to address the ecological crisis. After all, our shared heritage is the Earth. Hungary has led Eastern and central Europe in addressing the concerns of your citizens for cleaner air and water. And now you can do even more, working with the West to build a bridge of technical and scientific cooperation.” President G. H. W. Bush

Bridging Partners, Regions, and Concepts… Presentation of The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe Dr. Radoje Lausevic Regional Director for SEE

Our Mission “(…) The REC is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit international organisation with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems (…)” REC Video – Click!

Bridges – Across Borders Government NGOs Government NGOs The REC Local Governments Business Local Governments Business Citizens Citizens

The REC The REC is legally based on a charter signed by the governments of 28 countries and the European Commission Inter-governmental organisation 180+ staff (some 30 nationalities) Over 300 running projects 12 million Euro annual turnover

Board of Directors CORRADO CLINI Chairman of the Board of Directors Director General Department for Environmental Research and Development / Ministry for the Environment and Territory / Italy SOLEDAD BLANCO European Commission Directorate General of Environment / Head of the unit “Enlargement and Neighbouring Countries” NADYA BONEVA Executive Director Time Ecoprojects Foundation / Bulgaria ALLAN GROMOV Director General Ministry of the Environment / Estonia JON OPEM Senior Advisor Ministry of Environment, Department for International Cooperation / Norway ISTVAN POMAZI Chief Advisor Department for Strategic Planning, Ministry of Environment and Water / Hungary YUKIO YANAGISAWA Professor of Department of Environmental Science Graduate School of Frontier Science / University of Tokyo / Japan

CEE 15 COs 2 FOs Head Office New Office Operation beyond CEE! Banja Luka Kosovo/a Podgorica Head Office Szentendre, Hungary New Office Turkey/Ankara Operation beyond CEE!

Pillars of Bridging geo-political position mission, given and supported by Signatories CO network flexible staff project-management system capital from 13 years of existence the know-how, goodwill, expert network and institution network 3000 projects sharing knowledge and best practice

Programmes and Funds REC carries out projects within the following programmes and funds: Business and Environment Capacity Building Climate Change Environmental Law Environmental Policy & Local Initiatives Information NGO Support Public Participation Italian Trust Fund Japan Special Fund

Activities and Tools New Solutions: Lessons Learned Direct Solutions Enabling, Capacity Building Information Policy Tools Cooperation Transition Accession Sustainable Development 1990 2000 2010 Post Accession Support New Solutions: Lessons Learned Direct Solutions

Key Achievements in TB protection Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme (REReP) (14/05/2002 to 30/07/2003); funding: EC, Obnova programme, Phare programme) Promotion of networks and exchange of experience in the countries of SEE (2000-2003); funding: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Cross-Border Municipal Cooperation: Drina River Basin (06/12/2002-31/03/2004); funding: Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Key Achievements in TB protection (2) Plants along the borders (2001-2003); funding: Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway Transpark – The Golden Gates of Danube (November 2001 – November 2002); funding: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Germany

Our Future Developing new centers of excellence: Sustainable Development Climate Change Strategic Environmental Assessment Renewable Energy Business & Environment Environmental Investments Transfer of best practices from the new EU member states to the SEE and EECCA regions

Bridging – Beyond 2004 REC’s strategic program development approach is tailored to the needs of (new) EU Member States Countries negotiating their EU Accession (Candidate Countries) Balkan Stability Pact Countries (SEE, West Balkan countries) NIS/EECCA Countries Turkey

Our Future We have introduced modern approaches to sustainable development to countries in the region with widely diverse histories, cultures and levels of development. We aim to build on this know-how and remain a solid partner for government and business in the Europe and beyond!

Thank You for Your Attention!