Over the eight years of our existence, we have begun a variety of new activities while remaining true to our original goals. More than ever before, our emphasis for the coming year will be on promoting shared responsibility and cooperation for the sake of the environment. The main reason behind this extra emphasis is the demonstrated lack of government and policymaker interest toward such an important issue. If the Hungarian government is unable or unwilling to put forth a strong effort to promote environmental awareness and develop legislation, then it is imperative that such initiative be driven by the public at large together with the business community. The protection of environmental interests should not have to wait for a more friendly political setting, we must keep this process alive now! A clear indication of the desire for such efforts came in the message EMLA members delivered with the election of the 2000?2002 Board of Directors, when in plenary they elected three new representatives (a company environmental manager, a professor of agriculture, and the chairman of the National Environmental Council).

The most important message from the international community came in the formof UNEP's invitation to EMLA to set up and manage the Hungarian UNEPNational Committee (HUNEP). (HUNEP's goal would be promoting a widespreadunderstanding of the environment and attendant challenges, through projects,publications and policy recommendations.) That UNEP wanted an independentand respected non-governmental organization to host the Hungarian NationalCommittee proves the importance of a neutral, but environmentally sensitiveprofessional association capable of bridging the gaps between all environmentalstakeholders. This communion of interests can be seen in the team we set up for thisprocess--it is composed of NGOs, government representatives, members ofParliament, business community representatives, and independent professionals.

While the interest of the general political sphere towards environmental issues is at the moment limited, our relationship with the Environmental Ministry in particular continues to grow. The Ministry is increasingly aware that our legal and administrative experiences make us an excellent partner for the development of draft legal regulations (some of which we will do during the coming fiscal year), submission of international tenders, and the editing of such items as an environmental legal handbook for the public at large. With its limited budget and limited number of experts, our expertise is much appreciated, it is also our intention to strengthen the Ministry's capacity through this mutually beneficial relationship.

Our international connections continue to grow stronger. Not only do EMLA and EMLA experts continue with a leading role in Hungary's EU approximation process, we also play an advisory role to several other countries currently in negotiations with the European Union to achieve the approximation status that Hungary currently has. The leadership role EMLA has in the development of public interest environmental organizations in the Central and Eastern European region (e.g., the Public Interest Environmental Lawyers Association commonly known as "GUTA"), or in the implementation process for the Aarhus Convention on Public Participation, allows us to share on an international level our environmental legal, management, and administrative knowledge. We are harmonizing our systems with those of the EU and other international entities, yet we do not forget that Hungary is a Central European country with responsibilities to our neighbors. Our experiences can be particularly valuable to those countries currently at the starting point for development of their market-based economies and rule-of-law-states, which desire to set up a balanced and integrated approach to combining economic and political policies with the necessity of protecting the environment.

I send our warmest thanks to all those individuals, organizations, and foundations who continue to trust us and help us develop our necessary and fulfilling work. Without your support, EMLA would not be where it is today.

Thank you very much!
Dr. Gyula Bándi