143. The future development of CEE countries is also addressed by the Environmental Action Program for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP), which was adopted by the Ministerial Conference in Lucerne in April 1993. The EAP proposes a methodology for addressing environmental problems and implementing solutions. An integrated and financially balanced program focused on local, national and regional environmental protection problems is recommended. The use of market incentives to prevent new pollution and to reduce existing waste is suggested. The stress is placed on assuring strict enforcement of laws and regulations. Cooperation among the CEE countries in exchanging experiences and developing joint undertakings is proposed among key recommendations. Training of environmental specialists and capacity building in environmental administration are listed as supplementary activities. Foreign assistance is seen as support to mitigate the CEE countries' contribution to creating global environmental challenges.

144. To a large extent the conclusions drawn from the comments provided by experts of the CEE countries mirror those conclusions presented in the EAP. However, it may be useful to repeat some of them with additional comments.

• Development of environmental/economic "win-win" measures. The transition period presents unique opportunities to integrate economic development and environmental protection so that both benefit. To address environmental liabilities from the past and ensure the potential for sustainable economic well-being in the future environmental and economic concerns must be seen as equally important and mutually dependent.
• Maximizing the cost efficiency of environmental investments. Funds available for environmental protection purposes are, and will continue to be, extremely limited in the region. To achieve the maximum benefit from these funds priorities should be clearly set and effective implementation measures established.
• Harnessing market forces for environmental improvements. Free market reforms are now the major driving forces in the region. These forces allow possibilities for improved environmental protection but they must be recognized, fully understood and incorporated into environmental strategies. New economic instruments for environmental protection can and should be used to take advantage of these market forces.
• Immediate reductions of severe environmental threats to human health. There are some localized "hot spots" in the region which pose serious risks for human health and the environment. These areas need immediate attention and short-term actions may be warranted while longer-term solutions are devised.
• Realistic, enforceable environmental policy and law. The state of environmental policy and law varies considerably in the region. While some countries have fairly advanced systems others are still relying on regulations established in the past. Enforcement is almost unanimously considered the weakest point of existing environmental programs. Modern policies and laws which fully reflect existing economic, political and technical realities are required.
• Substantial improvements in expertise, management and methodological capacity. Training and exchange of experience and information are needed to improve policies, management and project implementation skills for government authorities, businesses and NGOs.
• Modern production and environmental protection technologies. Many of the existing problems in the region result from a lack of proper technologies. Proven modern production technology which uses less raw materials and minimizes waste by-products, as well as advanced environmental protection equipment, are greatly needed.
• International and intergovernmental cooperation. The need for more effective cooperation between Western and Eastern governments, and especially between governments of the CEE region, as well as better working relations amongst the different government ministries and institutions within countries, are absolutely essential to maximize the positive effects of limited funds and to solve shared regional problems.

145. While this Report and the EAP discuss many of the same issues, certain themes and topics presented here received special attention from the CEE experts involved. These themes and topics represent a collective perception of environmental problems displayed from within the region.

• The significance of existing political, economic and social realities. The countries of the region are undergoing truly profound changes, the implications of which are not fully comprehended within the region itself, let alone elsewhere. The transition process is going to be long and difficult and environmental protection is but one, albeit important, element of this process. Current political, economic and social driving forces must be fully considered and accounted for in the development of environmental protection strategies.
• Existing environmental assets of the CEE region. The environmental damages of the region are well-documented. The natural capital of the region, however, goes under-appreciated. Europe's greatest biodiversity and large areas of pristine nature are currently being threatened by rapidly emerging, largely unregulated economic initiatives as aggressive business ventures seek to exploit new resources in the spirit of capitalism.
• Western development patterns. Consumer behavior is changing as new products become available and as marketing becomes pervasive. Consequently, new environmental problems are emerging. Environmentally harmful products such as automobiles and disposable plastic packaging are becoming widespread.
• Comprehensive environmental education. While much attention has been given to the need for professional training, not nearly enough has been done to initiate broad based environmental education campaigns. There is a strong need to introduce environmental education into the school systems and to devise programs which will effectively reach adult members of the general public. Education is a relatively low cost option having important long-term benefits.
• Respect for the rule of law. It is almost pointless to discuss improvements in environmental laws when the rule of law generally is not accepted as a social norm. Public understanding and acceptance of the general concept of the rule of law is essential for the development of civil society and the proper functioning of any government administration.
• Obstacles to integrating economic development and environmental protection. There is no precedent in the region for such integration and no experience for how to accomplish it. In this regard western experience can be very helpful. The pro-environment lobby has not yet been able to convincingly demonstrate to decision-makers how such integration can occur, and what the consequences of not following a sustainable development path will be. Economics are guiding the transformation yet most environmentalists are unable or unwilling to use language which economists can understand and vice-versa.
• Continued foreign assistance. It remains crucial but should not create false expectations. To this point much energy and resources have gone into assessments, studies, skill-building and methodological and institutional strengthening. While it has been and remains necessary, new focus should go on practical measures yielding concrete environmental improvements. The CEE region should also realize that foreign assistance may soon be focused on other regions, namely the NIS, and that it will remain a small portion of overall environmental expenditures. Therefore, the CEE countries should improve internal cooperation and take a more unified approach in approaching western donors.
• Cooperation between the different interest groups. Mechanisms and efforts to bring together governments, businesses, scientists, NGOs and the media must be devised and employed. The different motivations and perspectives of these groups must be understood and taken into consideration as public participation becomes more of the rule instead of the exception. These groups should focus on shared interests rather than positional conflicts, and combine their energies and comparative strengths to achieve common goals of environmental protection and sustainable development.

146. The conclusions of this Report and the recommendations of the EAP provide building blocks for designing local, regional or national environmental protection activities. However, successful use of the outlined findings will surely be influenced, and perhaps limited by current values, attitudes, behavior and practices existing in the CEE countries. Such limitations illustrate the difficulties of societies passing through a transformation to market-based democracy with mentalities and perceptions formed under a system of economic and social paternalism. The transition to a market-based economy will not succeed without a professional, methodological approach to solving important problems such as the region's environmental challenges but, the transition will also fail if the unrealistic egalitarian social values and passive attitude cultivated by the past remain dominant in the CEE societies of today. Methodological advice presumes a certain perceptual background or frame of reference on the part of the advice recipient. The experience and skills needed to effectively assess, and respond to evolving market forces are not fully developed in the CEE countries. Such skills and experience are absolutely necessary, however, to devise and implement an environmental protection strategy based on those forces.

147. For findings and recommendations such as those presented in this Report and the EAP to realize their potential worth they must contribute to practical outcomes in the real environment. In order to make practical use of the findings presented here, the acknowledged dilemmas resulting from the transformation must be overcome. In considering solutions to these dilemmas the following messages stand out:

• The public must play a responsible and proactive role in environmental protection. The value of high public awareness and sophisticated government policies will not be fully benefited from if there is persistent resistance to environmental protection efforts. Active and informed citizens participating in decision-making bring new strength to protection activities and give environmental administrations the backing they need to fulfil their mandates. As consumers, citizens can also motivate businesses towards improved environmental practices.
• Decision-makers must have the necessary knowledge and capacity to implement market-based solutions. Leaders in government, business, NGOs and academia must acquire expertise in the full range of market-based environmental protection strategies and mechanisms and they must develop the capacity to implement them under the current realities existing in the region. Foreign assistance is critical in this area as such expertise is very limited in the CEE countries. While activists must be prepared to use economic arguments in environmental debates, businesses and governments must be open to considering alternative solutions.
• A deeper appreciation of the importance of environmental protection must be cultivated in the society. The evolving values and attitudes in the CEE countries must be addressed, with real resources going to support concrete efforts aimed at reducing harmful behavior patterns. An atmosphere needs to be created in which businesses and industry can contribute to solving environmental problems. Conditions conducive to voluntary changes in practice should be created whenever possible, with market incentives and public attitude playing influential roles. Positive examples of environmental business practices should be identified, supported and replicated.

148. The ultimate factor which determines the prospect for environmental improvements in the CEE countries is rooted in people's reactions, attitudes and practices formed in the past political system. The hidden areas of the transformation, consisting of human values, perceptions and expectations, are decisive for absorbing and effectively using the new tools available in a market economy for environmental protection. Experts of the CEE countries very often discussed the problem of current environmental decisions being made based on outdated perceptions of social values and development forces. Progress in better understanding market forces, and the values and behavior that they engender, by environmental activists and decision-makers is crucial to achieve environmental improvements. As experience, knowledge and skills are acquired in the CEE countries perception of strategic environmental issues and their solutions is likely to evolve towards adopting the professional methodological approach proposed in the Environmental Action Program. However, how this perception evolves should itself be considered a strategic issue.