Wikileaks - CXXXV

28610 3/11/2005 15:07 05BUCHAREST611 Embassy Bucharest UNCLASSIFIED This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000611

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ACE JENNIFER CERIALE AND DAVID FROMAN AND EUR/PPD MARION EKPUK

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC, KDEM, KPAO, SCUL, PGOV, environment SUBJECT: DEMOCRACY GRANT TO TERRA MILENIUL III ASSOCIATION - REPORT

1. The purpose of the project "For Whom do we vote for sustainable development?" that Terra Mileniul III implemented through a $14,980 DSG was threefold: to monitor the environmental policies promoted by political parties in their electoral campaigns, to raise citizen awareness of these policies, and to influence the elected political parties on their environmental policy decisions.

2. As result of the meetings with political parties and citizens, and after collecting environmental information, Terra Mileniul III noted that political policies concerning the environment were scarce. Consequently, during the electoral campaign, the grantee initiated a series of articles in the press about the insufficient attention paid to environmental issues in public policies and electoral platforms.

3. The new Government has announced the ruling program for environment protection to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment. Terra Mileniul III brought together representatives of 29 NGOs and 7 political parties to analyze this program and establish a platform for cooperation in the next four years. In this respect, a list of partnership priority actions was developed for environmental authorities and NGOs. Environmental NGOs are committed to contribute to more effective environmental policies by sharing information and know- how with the government and by direct action.

4. The project has succeeded in raising public awareness of environmental issues in Romania and setting the grounds for a partnership between the Ministry of Environment, and Agency for Environmental Protection and Romanian NGOs in the field. Cooperation between the Government and environmental NGOs was not effective in the past. NGOs complained that in the past 15 years there had been 13 ministers of environment who had rather administered ecological crises than making decisions to improve the environment. Terra Mileniul III and the other environmental NGOs participant in the project are now confident that the new Government will want to work together with NGOs for the common cause of protecting the environment in Romania.

5. The grantee will continue to monitor the Government in its decisions affecting the environment and will publish a special report on environmental policies.

DELARE