E M T C  N E T W O R K

  By using its network of 13 leading environmental management training institutions and more than 50 environmental training professionals across the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe, the EMTC Network and its members assist the region's stakeholders, including national and local governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and the public, to identify and effectively address their environmental training needs.

  In 1996, the EMTC Network was involved in several exciting international training projects.

• EMTC Network institutions have been delivering a series of environmental management training courses in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Among these are:
  • "The Environmental Management Training in the Czech Republic." The goal of this project was to establish the Environmental Training Project in the Czech Republic, and to deliver environmental management training courses developed in and tailored to the needs of the Czech Republic based on the experience of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Environmental Training Project. The training courses were partly developed in-country, and partly by the USEPA. The project will further build successful cooperation among the leading environmental training centers in the Czech Republic.
  • "The Transfer of EPA Training Modules to Hungary." The goal of this project was to complete the transfer of eight EPA training modules in Hungary and to build the capacity of the Hungarian EMTC to ensure that it would be able to cover the training needs in Hungary effectively. On completion, the project will have delivered and trained HEMTC trainers in the following eight environmental management training modules developed by USEPA: Environmental Impact Assessment; Environmental Auditing; Environmental Policy; Environmental Risk Assessment; Hazardous Waste Site Ranking; Program Management; Principles of Government Contracting; and Public Participation.
• Training of trainers in three selected topics were conducted in Albania. The goal of the "Training the Trainers in Albania" project was to provide access to and build capacities for environmental training in Albania through training of trainers.
• Two projects within the Danube Environmental Program have been implemented, which include the international training of trainers and the delivery of subsequent national training courses in five and six countries respectively.

  To enhance its operations, the EMTC Network will offer the following products and services to its members in 1997:

• "Training, Management, Funding" - these monthly information sheets dealing with relevant aspects of training, management, and funding contain a wide range of practical ideas and suggestions with the aim of providing environmental training professionals with practical advice which is brief, to-the-point, and can be used right away.
• Insight - this quarterly newsletter will provide features, interviews, and columns on environmental training, trends, institutions, techniques and new developments in Central and Eastern Europe. After its eight-page debut issue, this publication is expanding to become a professional publication for environmental trainers in the region.
• Internet services - this expanded version of a service already available in 1995 provides the most pertinent information on the EMTC Network. For more information see http://www.rec.org/REC/Programs/EMTC/EMTCNetwork.html.

  How can you make the best use of your membership?

• Take part in projects. Participate in our international training projects. Make the most of your training expertise and gain international experience. To find out about the opportunities write to us about your expertise and inquire about new and upcoming projects.
• Try out the ideas. The information you will find each month in your mailbox is meant to be used rather than read. Scan it for ideas you can use in your practice and try them out.
• Turn the ideas into your own. Do not feel that you have to follow the suggestions to the letter - try them out in your own way. Find out how they best work for you.
• Let us know how you are getting on. Are you interested in learning about how your colleagues throughout Central and Eastern Europe have been using the ideas? So are they! Write to us about your successes and we will be delighted to add your ideas and comments to the next issue of the Forum (with due acknowledgment, of course). Similarly, if you would like to share things that went hopelessly wrong for you, we shall be pleased to include them in the next Forum issue (with due anonymity, if you wish).

  If you would like to enjoy the benefits of being a member of the EMTC Network, please write to:
The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, EMTC Network, Ady Endre ut 9-11, 2000 Szentendre, Hungary, Tel: (36-26) 504-000, Fax: (36-26) 311-294