MIO-ECSDE Secretariat News

The 8^th MIO-ECSDE Executive Bureau Meeting took place in Athens on the 15^th of May 1998. The meeting’s agenda included among others

• Discussion on MIO-ECSDE’s activities (December 1997-April 1998)
• Presentation of the report of activities and financial Statement 1997
• Presentation of the Annual Activities Proposal 1998
• Evaluation of new membership applications
• Discussion on Organisational maters
• Financial Relations with the Commission of the EU
• Relationship with the EEB
• Relationship with the RAED
• Projects
• On going projects (Thessaloniki UNESCO Conference, SUDECIR)
• MIO-ECSDE’s proposals under the SMAP budget line. It was decided that MIO-ECSDE will submit proposals to SMAP for projects involving members in all counties.
• Discussion on forthcoming important meetings such as the EIB/NGO consultation meeting in Luxembourg, 8-10/6/98 and the ‘Environment in Europe’ Conference in Arhus, 21-22/6/98

MIO-ECSDE organised a second consultation meeting with stakeholders and key-actors involved in the sector of tourism in Rhodes island. Most of the important organisations were represented in the meeting.

The working document «Attempting to obtain a Sustainable Tourism Development in Rhodes: Discussion on the Proposals for Action», prepared by MIO-ECSDE for this meeting, included a brief introduction to the methodology of the SUDECIR project and focused on suggestions with regard to the institutional aspect of the needed partnership among the involved parties, which would permit an adequate follow-up of the agreements made in order to re-orient Rhodes’ tourism towards sustainable paths. Also some specific actions striving for sustainable development that could play a catalyst role in the begging of the process were mentioned.

During the discussion the participants gave their point of view on which are the real barriers to the sustainable development of the island (e.g. inadequacy of the State organisations to implement the legal framework, short-term and short-sighted actions adopted by the local authorities and by several investors either for political reasons or for the sake of easy but unsustainable profit, lack of efficient coordination amongst initiatives and policies aiming at sustainable development). It became evident that the creation of a ‘committee’ is necessary, where all the interested parties would be represented on equal footing, in order to keep the dialogue going on a regular basis and also coordinate and monitor the implementation of the decisions taken. The meeting closed with the agreement that the participants would suggest a structure, seen favourably by the organisation they represented, for such a committee. MIO-ECSDE was asked to further contribute by trying to combine these suggestions and by convening a new meeting for final discussions on the setting up of such a committee.

A Workshop of the International Conference was dedicated to the presentation of the SUDECIR (Sustainable Development of European Cities and Regions) research project. MIO-ECSDE and the three other Institutions involved in this project (IEEP-Brussels, STENUM-Graz, and TAURUS-Trier) presented their approach of how to: (i) analyse the environmental and development status a region,

1. identify its key-sector(s) and
2. through the analysis of this(ese) key-sector(s) formulate an appropriate Sustainability Plan.

The SUDECIR partners also presented some of the results of the implementation of the aforementioned methodology in their case-studies. It is reminded that MIO-ECSDE’s case-study is focusing on the Sustainable Touristic Development of the island of Rhodes. In the discussion that followed with the workshop’s participants, two remarks were frequent and pressing, viz. the desire of others to join the SUDECIR-team, and the request to try the methodology outside the EU, in regions with less developed participation experiences. Another repeated request was to apply the SUDECIR methodology to other islands.

UNEP/MAP, UNESCO, the EU, IOC, ICCOPS, MEDCOAST etc. and many Universities were represented at the Conference. MIO-ECSDE participated actively and its Chairman presented a paper on the role and potential contribution of NGOs in formulating curricula and training programmes on this issue. A full report will be included in issue No10 of the newsletter “Sustainable Mediterranean”.

C. Forthcoming Conferences and Meetings with MIO-ECSDE’s participation

• Conference «Waste and the Oceans», Lisbon, 5-6/6/1998, (EC DGXI: tel: +322 2990302, fax: +322 2991068, e-mail: grete.bossenmeyer@dg11.cec.be)
• NGO Consultation Meeting organised by the EIB, Luxemburg, 9/6/1998 (EIB: 100, Blv. Konrad Adenauer, tel +352 4379-1, fax: +352 437704)
• ICZM Demonstration Programme National Experts Group Meeting, Lisbon, 11/6/1998 (EC DGXI: tel: +322 2954388, fax: +322 2969556)
• Environmental Citizens Organizations Conference, «Environment for Europe» Arhus, Denmark, 21-22/6/1998 (European ECO Forum: tel+386 61 1322354, fax: +386 61 1337029, e-mail: albin.keuc@k2.net)

Member-Organisations will be receiving soon copies of MIO-ECSDE’s recent publications, which are:

1. A Directory of Environmental Organisations Active in the Mediterranean
2. Public Awareness and Environmental Education: A tool leading to Participation
3. Positions Adoptιes par les Organisations Mιditerranιennes pour l’ Environnement.

If extra copies will be needed, please contact the Secretariat.

Since the beginning of 1998, the newsletter «Sustainable Mediterranean» has been edited and published by the MIO-ECSDE Secretariat in Athens, in collaboration with EEB and RAED. Ms Anastasia RONIOTES will be co-ordinating the edition.

The next issue, no. 10 of the newsletter, will be titled: «The Mediterranean - a contribution to the International Year of the Oceans». It will contain, as usual, a dossier dedicated to the Mediterranean, and a section on miscellaneous Mediterranean news which will include new publications and an agenda of future meetings.

The Editorial Board welcomes your contributions, articles, NGO profiles, etc. Please send us in English or French what you think may be relevant to the next issue (no. 10). Soon we will be able to include articles in Arabic as well!.

(In case of change of address please report to the MIO-ECSDE Secretariat to update the mailing list)

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW EDITION OF THE DOBRIS REPORT

On the occasion of the International Environment Day of June 5 and the Arhus Pan European Conference 21-25 June 1998, the European Environment Agency presents throughout Europe the new edition of the Dobris (+3) report a very interesting review of the environmental situation in the entire Europe.