REC in an independent, non-profit international organisation established in 1990 by the USA, European Commission and Hungary (and now sponsored by an additional 9 countries). Its aims are: to promote cooperation among diverse environmental groups and interests in Central and Eastern Europe; to act as a catalyst for developing solutions to environmental problems; to promote the development of civil society. REC assists environmental NGOs, government, business and other environmental stakeholders to fulfil their role in a democratic, sustainable society.
Beneficiary countries are: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Solvenia.
Information services include:
(1) WWW server/gopher: includes databases (see below), full text of country reports on participation in environmental decision making, REC publications list (some available in full text), REC programmes description (including Green Spider initiative for electronic networking among NGOs), country maps, archive of daily Environews news stories, environmental events database
(2) Discussion lists: Envbus-l (business and environmental issues) and Envcee-l (environmental issues): see separate entries
(3) Ecodirectory: libraries and environmental information centres in E/C European countries. Available on WWW
(4) Envirodirectory: database, with abstracts, of environment related Internet sites. Available on WWW
(5) Funding institutions database: sources for environmental NGOs in C/E Europe. Available on WWW
(6) Governmental directory:
(7) Environmental NGOs: in E/C Europe. Available on WWW
Other databases available via CEDAR (see separate entry: password needed)
(a) Regional Environmental Center Library Books (RECB): International Environmental holdings.
(b) Regional Environmental Center Library Pamphlets (RECP): profile of international holdings available at the REC headquarters.
(c) REC Environmental Health Inventory (REHI): information on projects and programmes concerned with environmental impact on human health