REC Powerpoint template

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Sustainable Development (SD)

• Vision for the Future

Marta Szigeti Bonifert Executive Director
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REC

• International organization
• Established 1990
• Head Office in Hungary
• 16 Country Offices
• 200 staff (30 nationalities)
• Over 300 running projects
• Mission to solve environmental problems in
  Central and Eastern Europe

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EU and Candidate Countries (before
accession)
EU Env. infrastructure Policy making
capacity Technology Funds Consumption patterns
Transport Agriculture Structural and inst.
rigidity
Candidates Natural Capital/Biodiversity Less
wasteful lifestyle Readiness for
restructuring Policy innovation Energy
inefficiency Pollution hot spots Lack of env.
infrastructure Low enforcement capacity Costs

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Sustainability in CEE

• The countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
  have many advantages and hindrances on the path
  to sustainability.
• New institutions and laws that
• respect the environment
• promote participatory decision making
• emerging civil society promoting environmentally
  sound habits
• economic restructuring has helped stream line
  production, reduce public subsidies and conserve
  raw materials
• numerous challenges, such as the impact of
  globalization on traditional life style, growing
  consumerist behaviour, dependence on external
  markets and social stability.
• Governments must consider all of factors when
  planning for sustainability

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Message from the EC

• But to become members of the EU the Accession
  States must do more than just pass new laws. They
  must also ensure that these rules are respected
  on the ground. This means they had to improve
  coordination between the government ministries
  that deal with environmental issues, had to set
  up new administrative infrastructures and had to
  give training to officials and inspectors. While
  this has been successfully accomplished on
  national level, some more efforts are still
  necessary on the regional and local level.
• Soledad Blanco
• Director
• European Commission
• DG Environment
• International Affairs

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Radical change the roots

• The problem is not simply economic and
  technological it is moral and spiritual. A
  solution at the economic and technological level
  can be found only if we undergo, in the most
  radical way, an inner change of heart, which can
  lead to a change in lifestyle and of
  unsustainable patterns of consumption and
  production.
• The Venice Declaration on Environmental Ethics,
  June 2002

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Did SD implementation take off?

• Any missing policies?
• Any missing institutions?
• Any missing partnership?
• Do we have the political will from all corners?

Sharing lessons learned during strategy
development - Assisting each others at national
level - Feedback to the EU level
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Common Characteristics of Successful Partnerships

• Commitment to the subject of partnership
• Common understanding of the goals
• Partners being professional in the chosen field
• Mutual trust
• Keeping quality standards
• Joint activities with high added value

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Serving the Rio Process

• Since its establishment the REC is contributing
  to the sustainable development in CEE with a
  strong environmental advocacy
• RECs Mission emphasises partnerships /
  multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation
• 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

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Successful Mechanisms

• Sustainability Course
• High Officials (8 countries, various ministries)
• Tisza Sustainable Development Programme
• Crossborder cooperation in the river basin
• Green Pack
• Multimedia education kit for schools in 5
  countries

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High official's course for sustainable development
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• Wishing you a fruitful and successful conference
  and a useful partnership in the future!
• Thank You for Your Attention!