REC (Regional Environmental Center)

Legacy of the Regional Environmental Center

The Resource Environment and Climate Association continues the activities of REC Türkiye, which served as the Türkiye office of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe—an international, non-profit organization independent of political views and interest groups. REC Türkiye operated in Türkiye for 18 years, from 2004 to 2022, and officially transferred its projects to the Resource Environment and Climate Association on February 11, 2022. Within this framework, the association collaborates with REC offices established in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

The Regional Environmental Center (REC) for Central and Eastern Europe was an international organization with a mission to support the resolution of environmental issues. REC fulfilled this mission by promoting collaboration among governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other environmental stakeholders, as well as by facilitating information sharing and public participation in environmental decision-making processes. REC formally brought its operations to a close in 2022, and transitioned its operations to newly established non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the countries where it had been active. Its projects and legacy were handed over to these new NGOs, which continue to advance on environmental protection. New NGOs were established in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Türkiye to carry forward REC’s work and build on its achievements.

History of the REC

REC was established in 1990 by the United States, the European Commission, and Hungary. Its legal framework was based on an agreement signed by over 30 countries. The organization operated through a network of offices and experts located across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond. Its headquarters were in Szentendre, near Budapest.

REC actively contributed to environmental and sustainable solutions both within and beyond national borders by participating in key global, regional, and local processes. It facilitated the transfer of knowledge and experience across countries and regions.

Its donors included the European Commission, the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), the United Nations, as well as the governments of Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with other international organizations, banks, and the private sector.