Background
The EU enlargement is an enormous environmental challenge and entails the largest environmental programme of Europe, possibly worldwide. In order to cope with this task it is necessary to convince the people living in the old and the new EU countries of the importance of an intact environment. To achieve EU environmental standards in these countries, encouragement of cooperations and intensive exchange of know-how as well as investments are required. Networks are an excellent platform to provide access to information, to sensitise the population on the protection of the environment and they offer the possibility of constructive dialogues.
Objectives
The overall goal of the network Living Lakes Eastern Europe - Germany is to intensify networking and to promote target-oriented cooperation between NGOs and communities in the field of protection of lakes and sustainable development of lake regions. Objectives are as follows:
- Realisation of model projects in the fields of sustainable tourism, sustainable land-use planning and sustainable fisheries.
- Long-term partnerships between NGOs and municipalities in lake regions.
- Capacity building for NGOs in the new EU-member countries.
- Improved level of information and sensitisation regarding environmental problems and the need for sustainable development.
- Improved implementation of EU-Directives in the project regions.
Results, methodology and transferability
The project goals will be achieved through networking and exchange of information. Instruments are thematic workshops and conferences as well as the realisation and documentation of model projects. Within the model projects aiming to improve tourism, land use planning, visitor management and fishery towards sustainability, actual know-how and state-of-the-art information will be implemented.