Our Vision In a complex world, functioning legal rules and other governance tools are mainstays of the movement towards environmental protection, security and sustainable development. Laws on permitting, standards, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, voluntary instruments, liability regimes and citizens’ environmental rights all play a part in translating policies, goals and social objectives into reality. Other key pieces of the puzzle are the professionalism of dedicated environmental lawyers and prosecutors, and the independent and informed consideration of judges.  The Environmental Law Programme (ELP) of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) is dedicated to the progressive development of environmental law and governance both internationally and within each country of Central and Eastern Europe, through support to development of multilateral environmental agreements, state-of-the-art legislation, conflict-reduction tools, citizens’ environmental rights and legal professionalism.   Our Strengths The REC has made a long-term commitment to environmental law reform in CEE, through the EU accession process and beyond. ELP lawyers have been directly involved in and contributed significantly to the development of many multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) with relevance to the region, and have supported various convention secretariats through legislative assessments, implementation guides, case studies, and similar activities. The Joint Environmental Law Service Consortium combines the environmental legal capacities of three premier international organisations: the United Nations Environment Programme -- Regional Office for Europe (UNEP-ROE), the IUCN Environmental Law Programme, and the REC. The ELP team has significant experience in working to improve environmental security in the region through support to development of transboundary governance institutions, including the International Commission on the Sava River, the Tisza River Basin Sustainable Development Programme, and the Carpathian Convention, as well as building bridges in conflict situations through sponsoring the establishment of the Environmental Steering Committee for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our network of environmental lawyers and legal professionals in CEE and South Eastern Europe (including experienced international lawyers with an interest in the region) is unparalleled.   Our Services and Representative Projects The REC's Environmental Law Programme: supports the development of domestic environmental legislation through assistance in legal drafting, targeted regional workshops and exchange of experience focusing on EU approximation within the Stabilization and Association Process (REReP 1.3, CARDS);  provides expert input to the development of MEAs, through participation in the drafting of new legally binding instruments (Aarhus Convention, Water and Health Protocol, Civil Liability Protocol, PRTR Protocol, Carpathian Convention, Sava River Framework Agreement), and promotes their effective compliance, implementation and enforcement (AIMS, Aarhus Convention, UNECE Compliance and Implementation Guidelines, UNEP MEAs Reports);  supports the development of professional environmental legal communities in the beneficiary countries, including environmental advocates, judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals (REReP 2.6, EANSEE, JELS), as well as the state of environmental justice in the region; produces high-quality publications on important environmental law and sustainable development issues (Assessing Environmental Law Drafting Needs in South Eastern Europe; Aarhus Convention: An Implementation Guide; Handbook on Access to Justice under the Aarhus Convention; and Europe “Agreening”); produces comprehensive, high-quality assessments and diagnostic audits of legislation, institutions and policy frameworks (CITES legislative analysis, Tisza River Basin diagnostic audit, REReP 1.3, AIMS); analyses the international legal consequences of significant events of relevance to the region (Gabcikovo-Nagymaros, Baia Mare); and develops or sponsors processes relating to new soft or hard law instruments to address significant new challenges, such as investor responsibility/corporate social responsibility (Governance Principles on FDI in Hazardous Activities).   Our Partners Through JELS, the REC works in partnership with UNEP-ROE and the IUCN Environmental Law Programme to provide a full range of demand-driven services to countries in transition. The JELS consortium was established in 2001. The REC’s environmental law projects have been supported by a great variety of donor partners. They include the governments of Denmark, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Flanders region as well as UNEP, UNDP, UNECE, the European Commission (CARDS, Obnova and PHARE programmes), and various convention secretariats.   Our Beneficiaries The REC primarily operates in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. The Environmental Law Programme also works outside these countries, especially through the JELS consortium or in connection with various convention secretariats. Many of these activities have been focused on the EECCA region (Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia). Finally, the ELP works on a pan-European and even a global level in connection with its support to the development of MEAs, and instruments for governance.    Contact Information REC Environmental Law Programme Stephen Stec, Head of Programme Ady Endre ut 9-11 2000 Szentendre Hungary Tel: (36-26) 504-000 Fax: (36-26) 311-294 Email: sstec@rec.org The Environmental Law Programme. Left to right: Oleksandra Ratushnyak, Stephen Stec, Tsvetelina Filipova, Dana Romanescu, Vito Buonsante, Veronika Farkas, Plamen Peev

Contents of this page: Vision Strengths What We Do Partners Beneficiaries Projects and Services Publications Contact Information Team Photo Projects: Adriatic Sea Partnership Carpathian Convention Acceptance and Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements in South Eastern Europe (AIMS) CARDS: Assistance in Environmental Law Drafting in South Eastern Europe Governance Principles For Foreign Direct Investment in Hazardous Activities (PDF - 40 KB) Reports: The Baia Mare cyanide spill:  final project report (53 page, 283 Kbyte PDF file) Environmental Legislation: EU Directives in Focus (962-KByte PDF file) REReP Secretariat