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SEE ENVIRONMENT WATCH Information for journalists interested in the Environment of South Eastern Europe April 16, 2003 * Volume 2, Number 5 |
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* * * E-networking contributes to Balkan recovery Brezovica, Serbia and Montenegro, April 10, 2003 - Representatives from eight environmental electronics networks from South Eastern Europe (SEE) met in Kosovo, in the town of Brezovica, on April 4-5 to foster further development of similar groups within the region. More than 30 participants planned for the exchange of environmental information and pledged mutual assistance. The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) and Milieukontakt Oost-Europa helped organise the meeting and financed it as part of the South East European NGO electronic networking project. Networks of environmental groups from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo discussed common challenges, made progress appraisals and identified tasks to be undertaken. A representative from the Turkish environmental movement also attended. Most participating networks - including Serbia's Volvox, FYR Macedonia's Eko.net, Albania's Jehona, Bosnia and Herzegovina's EkoMrezaBiH and the Kosovar hosts' Sharri.Net - were formed in the last two years. These groups are still learning the ropes with regard to marketing, communications, financing and human resources, and are also confronting issues related to day-to-day operations. "The meeting gave representatives a chance to work together on the challenges ahead," said Nina Blagoeva, executive director of BlueLink, a Bulgarian environmental NGO network. "Serious fighting in the Balkans has come to an end, but divisions between people are still evident," said meeting participant Jerome Simpson, head of the REC's Information Programme. "Concerns were often raised over the choice of locations and language, which drove home the need for continued confidence-building exercises and virtual networking," Simpson said. "NGOs have made remarkable progress in establishing networks," said Gabor Heves, the electronic networking project manager at the REC, "and entirely new organisations have sprung up in a very short time. However, continued assistance is critical for nurturing and guiding future development. Any withdrawal of international support could, however, undo this progress." Governments of the Netherlands, Norway and Italy have been funding REC efforts to build an environmental electronic networking for South East Europe since 2001. This work is part of the Regional Environmental Reconstruction Programme for South Eastern Europe. The event attracted several donors and received wide local media coverage. -- For more information about Brezovica meeting, see http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/SEE_Networking/ * * * Bulgaria to receive eco-development funding Sofia, April 10, 2003 - In the next three years, starting from June 2003, Bulgaria will receive USD 1.325 billion in grant monies for the development of alternative tourism and agriculture in 11 municipalities. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Meglena Plugchieva announced that the Ministry will provide USD 800 thousand, the United Nations Development Program will contribute 360 thousand, and local governments will chip in with USD 165 thousand. The project "Sustainable Development of Rural Areas" targets the boundary area between Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro. The first municipalities selected are Trun, Varshec, Satovcha, Ardino and Kirkovo. It is hoped that the beneficiaries - local governments, farmers, land and forest owners, small and medium-size companies, NGOs and professional unions - will be able to increase their capacity to implement sustainable development activities. According to Plugchieva, this project will enable local-government representatives with the necessary skills to apply for European Union pre-accession rural-development funding through SAPARD (Special Accession Programme Agriculture Rural Development). -- Story by Maria Krusteva, Zemia Daily - Bulgaria. * * * Project will target Panchevo polluters Belgrade, April 7, 2003 - A delegation from the Italian Ministry of Environment recently visited the city of Pancevo (14 km from Belgrade) to assess the level of pollution and draw up plans to protect the environment. The project will help to define and implement a technique for assessing the quality of environment in Pancevo's industrial zone, which includes Rafinerija nafte (an oil refinery), Petrohemija (a petrochemical complex) and "Azotara" (a fertiliser company) - the biggest polluters of air, land and water (the Danube and Tamis rivers) in the region. The people of Pancevo have lived in dangerous environmental conditions for more than three decades now - that is, ever since this city of 150,000 became the regional hub of the chemical industry. The city's industrial zone comprises approximately 400 hectares. Pancevo was heavily targeted by NATO air forces in 1999 because of the oil refinery and other industrial capacities. When the industrial zone was bombed, large amounts of poisonous substances emptied into nearby rivers and channels, and large tracts of land were polluted with oil derivates, mercury, ammonia and chloral-hydrogen acid. Environmental experts consider Pancevo and its surroundings as one of the most ecologically endangered regions in Serbia. The visit from the Italian Ministry officials is part of a "Memorandum of Understanding" signed between Italian Ministry of Environment and the Serbian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. "At the first meeting held in Rome in 2001," said Andjelka Mihajlov, Serbian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, "Pancevo's industrial zone was identified as the most polluted among four environmental hot- spots in Serbia - namely Novi Sad, Nis and Baric." Mihajlov also said the project, worth EUR 250 thousand, will be carried out jointly by the Italian Ministry of Environment, the Serbian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the Pancevo local government. -- Story by Ekoforum, ekoforum@eunet.yu - Yugoslavia. * * * Air pollution worsens in Albania Tirana, April 10, 2003 - Representatives from Albania's Health and Environment ministries met recently to discuss environmental issues, focusing mainly on pollution. Air pollution has worsened in Albania in recent years, yet responsible institutions are doing little to correct the problem. Despite growing concerns over threats to public health, ministry officials have yet to declare any kind of concrete strategy for tackling the problem. The most recent report on air quality, published jointly by the Public Health Institute, Nuclear Physics Institute, Hydro-Meteorology and Albanian Geological Service, concluded that pollution levels are above what is permitted by the state. The amount of dust in the air is also well above acceptable levels, and is generated mostly by enterprises involved in the building and transport sectors. Experts have stated a growing danger of respiratory illnesses, and have warned that the presence of radon should be carefully considered when choosing building sites and materials. State institutions are further hampered in their ability to address rising pollution levels caused by automobile traffic. This is largely because most cars are old and run on diesel fuel. -- Story by Rajmonda Sallaku Nelku, raymillenium@yahoo.com - Massmedia and Environment, Albania. * * * The REC seeks a motivated and energetic individual who wishes to gain media experience and knowledge about the environment in Central and Eastern Europe. Successful applicants will assist with the transformation of the REC's quarterly news publication, the Bulletin, into a full-fledged environmental magazine, which will be launched in September 2003. English-language fluency, experience in environment-related journalism, and knowledge of media-related market research are top requirements. Knowledge of one or more regional languages will be an advantage. The REC will provide basic training at the beginning of the internship, and guidance and supervision throughout the term. This is an unpaid, full-time internship. Candidates are expected to cover their travel and accommodation costs, although the REC may match funding that is secured from another source. A part-time schedule is possible in special circumstances. The REC will make all legal arrangements necessary for the intern's stay in Hungary for the contracted period. Applications must be received by April 24, 2003, 5 p.m. (early applications are encouraged). Interview dates are from April 25 until May 5, 2003. The internship period will be two to six months, beginning between May 15 and June 15, 2003 in Szentendre, Hungary. For more information about the Bulletin and the REC see http://bulletin.rec.org and http://www.rec.org/. -- Contact: Pavel Antonov, editor, the Bulletin, REC, editor@rec.org. * * * SEE Environment Watch is an e-mail newsletter designed to keep journalists informed about interesting environmental stories developing in South Eastern Europe (SEE). This mailing is going out to everyone on the Green Horizon mailing list. SEE Environment Watch is published by the Regional Environmental Press Center, which has the goal of encouraging more press coverage of environmental issues in the SEE region by making sure journalists are well informed about these issues. This newsletter is designed to assist in that goal by disseminating information. The Press Center, which has an office in Skopje, Macedonia and correspondents in all the countries and territories of the SEE region, also publishes a website at <www.ecopresscenter.org> and answers individual journalist's queries sent to <ecopress@ecopresscenter.org>. The Regional Environmental Press Center is funded by the Government of the Netherlands. The project is being administered in cooperation with the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe. ********** Copyright 2003 by the Regional Environmental Press Center ********** | Home | About Us | News | Resources | Services |
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