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| The Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe |
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Introduction
Stability Pact Many people have heard
about the so-called Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The Stability
Pact wants to support: In fact the Stability
Pact consists of a large amount of money to be made available for the
countries of South Eastern Europe. The money is to be divided over three
topics, the so called Working Tables: The total amount of
funding under the Stability Pact is not clear, nor is it clear how the
money will be divided and in what timeframe. Another major question is
whether the funds are grants or loans for the countries. It is clear that
Working Table 2 is the largest of the three, about 80% of the funding
is supposed to go there. This Working Table includes also all investments
in infrastructure for the whole region. The Stability Pact targets all
countries of South Eastern Europe, although active involvement of Yugoslavia
is not accepted by the stability pact as long as the current political
regime is in power. For Montenegro there are limited possibilities for
support funding, and the situation for Kosovo is not completely clarified,
at least not for the Stability Pact as a whole. Environmental projects As you can see environmental issues were not defined for funding under the Stability Pact, which is the main reason that REC, in co-operation with the Ministers of Environment of the South East European countries decided to launch an initiative to include environmental projects under a separate financing program. This initiative grew into the Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program for South Eastern Europe, or REReP. In March 2000 the Stability Pact leaders accepted REReP as a branch under the Pact, and in July 2000 the first Task Force meeting of REReP was held in Cavtat, Croatia. The Task Force for REReP is the steering group of the fund and consists of donors, such as the European Commission, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, USA, Norway and others together with the Ministers of Environment of the South East European countries. In practice this means Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia and Romania. Non-governmental NGOs are represented with 5 people, who are elected by a network of Balkan NGOs. The NGOs have decided to come together and participate actively in REReP during the Balkan NGO meeting in Struga at the end of June 2000. A very important moment at the first REReP Task Force was the official inclusion of Kosovo for the REReP funding opportunities. Kosovo and REReP Since July 2000 it is guaranteed that project proposals from Kosovo are welcome under REReP. The REC Headquarters is the secretariat for the whole REReP. In order to facilitate submission of project concepts and full project proposals REC has developed standard forms and guidelines. The bodies that can submit project concepts and project proposals have to be governmental, or at least co-operating with governmental organisations. For Kosovo the UNMIK Department of Environment is to be contacted for development of project concepts and proposals. The REC Field Office plays an assisting role upon suggestion of UNMIK.
Contacts Ministry of Environment
and Spatial Planning The Regional Environmental
Center, Field Office Kosovo/a
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