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The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)

The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC). “… is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit international organisation with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems (…)”

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The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)

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  1. The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) • “… is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit international organisation with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems (…)” • The REC is legally based on a charter signed by the governments of 29 countries and the European Commission • Head Office in Szentendre, Hungary • Offices in 17 countries • Annual turnover in 2006 around EUR 10 ml • 300 projects in 2006 • 190+ staff (some 30 nationalities) REC Video – Click!

  2. REC beneficiaries • Turkey • Balkan Countries • New EU members – Bulgaria and Romania • EU countries – Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia

  3. Donors • RECENT DONORS: • European Commission • The governments of Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States • Other inter-governmental and private institutions THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION OF DONORS GIVEN TO CEE THROUGH THE REC EXCEEDED 100 MILLION EUROS!

  4. REC’s motto: “Building bridges” • The REC bridges decisions and actions • The REC bridges – stakeholders • The REC bridges – regions • The REC bridges – donors and beneficiaries

  5. The REC bridges decisions and actions • The REC works in the field to facilitate political decisions in its beneficiary regions • Over 3500 projects since 1990 • Environmental information • Environmental policy • Environmental law • NGO support • Climate Change • Capacity building • Public participation • Sectoral integration • Environmental education

  6. The REC bridges – stakeholders NGOs Government Government NGOs The REC Business Local Governments Local Governments Business Citizens Citizens

  7. The REC bridges – regions • The REC’s inputs have became an integral part of key international mechanisms and partnerships. • Contribution to European and Global Processes • International Mandates / International Secretariat support • Partnerships

  8. The REC bridges – donors and beneficiaries • The REC serves as a unique mechanism for implementing political decisions • Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme for South Eastern Europe • Local Environmental Action Plans • Strategic Environmental Assessments • Legal support – EU harmonisation • Implementation of the Aarhus Convention • Public Participation • Renewable Energy • Biodiversity Projects • Capacity building, NGO trainings • Education for Sustainable Development • …

  9. Partnership in focus… • The REC fulfils this mission by promoting cooperation among non-governmental organisations, governments, businesses and other environmental stakeholders, and by supporting the free exchange of information and public participation in environmental decision making • The REC has developed, promoted and implemented numerous varieties of models and tools to address environmental challenges, such as stakeholder engagement, clearing house mechanism, capacity building and regional/international partnerships • The REC aims to support the implementation and the enforcement of the acquis communautaire in the new EU member states and transfer the lessons learned about building environmental democracy to countries in the CEE region

  10. Partnerships • EEA – Several topic centers of the European Environment Agency • EC - Environmental Experts Group on Structural Funds (DG Env.) • OECD - EAP Task Force, Development Assistance Committee Working G. on SEA • UNDP - Danube and Black Sea Task Force • UNEP - Finance Initiative Task Force, Joint work on the Carpathians Convention, Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles • CSD – Commission on Sustainable Development • UNECE - Cooperation with UNECE on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention, the Espoo Convention, the International Water Convention, the International Accidents Convention and related protocols • ICPDR - International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River • MEDREP – Mediterranean Renewable Energy Programme Initiative • E3G, HBLF, VIU, CEU, Agroinnova, Bellagio Forum, IUCN, EPE, AMCHAM • TOYOTA, JIBIC, Philips, GE, ITDH • EECCA RECs

  11. Implementation • REC carries out projects – with the support of the country and field office network – with programmes,topic areas and funds • TAs were introduced in 2004 as a tool to better organise and manage the existing expertise and knowledge within the network of 16 Country Offices of the REC. • The topic areas are managed by REC experts based in different countries • This development is a direct result of the continuous efforts over the last years to strengthen the synergies within the organisation, to build on the accumulated experience and knowledge and fully use the available in-house expertise.

  12. Operation of the REC beyond CEE • EECCA, Asia, Africa, Latin-America • Transfer of experience, e.g.: • enforcement and compliance • strategic environmental assessment

  13. Climate Change Department • Capacity-building activities to support the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol in all beneficiary countries • Promotion of flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol (JI, CDM, IET) • Support of the implementation of the EU activities in the field of Climate Change • Adaptation • Support the development of new mechanisms (Green Investment Schme)

  14. Green Investment Scheme – an instrument to achieve sustainable economic growth • GIS facilitates foreign investment into the country; • GIS Fund (Ecological Investment Agency –Ukrainian case) channels the money towards the projects reducing the GHG directly or indirectly; • As a long-term financing mechanism GIS can cover small scale projects as well as non-quantifiable GHG reduction projects; • Less complicated procedures compared to JI. For instance, the rules for baselines and monitoring can be simplified.

  15. Ukraine and GIS: challenges ahead • Ukraine is in the beginning of the process • Assigned Amount Units is an asset needing proper management over the two Kyoto Commitment periods • Legislative and regulatory framework is be be set up • Institutional framework: first step done (Ecological Investment Agency) • REC is happy to support this workshop which hopefully contributes towards the establishment of GIS • Funds came through the Japan Special Fund (JSF) established by the Government of Japan within the REC.

  16. Thank you for your attention!

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