Mission

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 in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). 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 interprets and puts into practice this mission in the spirit of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, giving due attention to the links between social, economic and environmental issues.

Vision

As an international environmental service provider, the REC has a vision to:

History and Geography

The REC was established in 1990 by the United States, the European Commission and Hungary. The REC has its head office in Szentendre, Hungary, and country offices and field offices in 16 beneficiary countries which are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Legal Status

The RegionalEnvironmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) is legally based on a Charter signed by the governments of twenty-eight countries ( * ) and the European Commission, and on an International Agreement with the government of Hungary. It has a special legal status, based on an inter-governmental cooperative arrangement of a multilateral nature to establish an organisation with a special regional purpose. The REC has a head office in Szentendre, Hungary, and country offices and field offices in 16 Central and Eastern European countries. Within Hungary, the REC has the status of an international organisation based on the International Agreement.
( * )Signatory countries to the REC Charter are: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA

The REC is governed by a board of seven to nine directors, who are elected for three years by the signatory governments to the REC Charter. The Board is advised by a General Assembly, which is composed two-thirds by delegates of signatory governments and one-third by independent members. Daily operations of the REC are managed by the executive director.

This governance structure defines a public organisation of international character, independent from the direct influence of governments on its operations and fulfilment of its mission. Thus the REC has a uniquely open, flexible and adaptable structure, able to develop very diverse programmes within the frame of its mission. From a legal point of view, the REC is fully eligible to serve governments, NGOs, businesses and all other environmental stakeholders. It can explore, in its own right, any concrete modalities of flexible or formalised cooperation with relevant international and national, governmental, non-governmental and private organisations.

Given that the REC was established by governments, it is not an international non-governmental organisation. However, because of its independence, it cannot be considered an inter-governmental organisation either (according to the criteria of the United Nations). This unique status, partly similar only to a few other organisations, may well become a precedent in developing an open, efficient and accountable model of international cooperation in the future.

Financing

The REC is a not-for-profit organisation relying 100% on project funding. The funding for the projects comes through grants and service contracts from various governments, international organisations and businesses. Recent donors are the European Commission and the governments of Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as other inter-governmental and private institutions.

The main funding sources in the last five years are: the European Commission, the governments of Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, United States and Japan, and various UN agencies.

Objectives

The REC works in various fields of sustainable development, bridging solutions and stakeholders on issues such as environmental policy, biodiversity, climate change, renewable energy, environmental information and waste management. Through different activities, such as training programmes, pilot projects, environmental assessments, educational packages, and grants, the REC seeks to support CEE countries in various political and economic situations. The REC also provides a bridge for transferring regional experience to countries of the whole world.

To achieve its goals, the REC pursues the following objectives:

Major Achievements

The REC carries out some 300 projects a year. Within the last three years some of the most significant regional programmes have been the Regional Reconstruction Programme for South Eastern Europe; the Green Pack multimedia education package; EcoLinks; the Tisza River Basin Integrated Sustainable Development; Capacity Building for Improving the Quality of Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Europe/CIS Region); Identification of Municipal Environmental Investments and Partnerships for EU Accession; Strategic Environmental Assessment; and Assistance in Environmental Law Drafting in South Eastern Europe.

REC Country Offices Network

The REC Country Office Network contributes to the mission of the REC as an international environmental service provider by ensuring local presence, providing the REC programmes and projects that serve local needs, providing local access to the REC services and ensuring that, within the REC activities, the local view is taken into account.

REC Serbia and Montenegro

The REC has a strong presence in Serbia and Montenegro through its country office in Belgrade, a field office in Podgorica (Montenegro), and project offices in Podgorica (Montenegro), Pirot, Bečej, Kikinda and Bačka Topola (Serbia).

The annual turnover of REC Country Office Serbia and Montenegro (REC SCG) shows continuous growth: from EUR 315,000 in 2001, to EUR 663,000 in 2002, to EUR 950,000 in 2003, to an expected EUR 1,200,000 in 2004. Around 87% of the annual turnover represents direct investment into the country’s environmental sector.

REC SCG has carried out numerous projects in the country and is therefore recognised as a high-profile environmental service provider with extensive knowledge of the current situation related to environmental issues in Serbia and Montenegro.

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