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| PRESS RELEASE Support to Environmental Civil Society from SIDA |
| (Belgrade,
Serbia and Montenegro, April 11, 2006) SIDA’s environmental cooperation in South Eastern Europe aims at poverty reduction and European integration through the Stabilisation and Association process. The REC and SIDA have a history of cooperation in the Western Balkans. SIDA has said of REC that: “In the environment area, REC is well established as a service provider. With its operations covering all Central and Eastern Europe REC has a wide network and implementing capacity.” In light of previous experiences and lessons learned, the REC and SIDA have formulated a programme of support for environmental civil society organisations in the Western Balkan region for urban themes addressing both national and regional issues. This new project will last for four years and grants SEK 37 million (nearly EUR 4 million) for project implementation. The goal of the activities is to promote the development of a vibrant and democratic environmental civil society within South Eastern European countries, in order to positively influence society towards sustainable development and improved living conditions in urban areas. The beneficiaries are civil society organisations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo (territory under interim UN administration). “The project will be a milestone for the SEE civil society organisations,” said Szigeti Bonifert. “We are very grateful to Sweden for funding this significant regional project and look forward to cooperating with all the stakeholders of the SEE region.” For more information, please contact:
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The
executive director of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and
Eastern Europe (REC), Marta Szigeti Bonifert, and Helen Holm, coordinator
of urban development and environment of the Swedish International Development
Agency (SIDA), have signed an agreement to implement the project SECTOR:
Supporting Environmental Civil Society Organisations in South Eastern
Europe.