The strategy of the GTOS CEE programme for the coming three years should be to focus on coordination and information dissemination. Coordination, in addition to communication, covers initiation, facilitation and support of regional activities. It ensures active participation through providing useful information and support.
The coordination work should involve:
promoting follow-up on the regional environmental change priorities that have been identified during the first phase of the programme (including trans-boundary issues);
developing and using existing networks and GTOS contacts (NFPs etc.);
developing stronger links and dialogue between the science community and policy makers on regional and global environmental change issues in order to identify data and information requirements and better match observation capacity with policy needs;
maintaining availability of the programme achievements to other environmental initiatives;
following EU accession procedures in target countries and contact relevant initiatives related to environmental monitoring and observations;
facilitating links between potential collaborators and sources of funding;
increasing demand from decision-makers for integrated regional information;
providing funding for coordination efforts;
assisting in retaining information management personnel.
distributing information on the GTOS CEE programme (how to contribute, how to benefit) at governmental, scientific and public level;
publicizing the use of TEMS database as a common platform for data access;
initiating demonstration projects and disseminate results;
distributing the implementation plan and other relevant documentation to sponsors and potential further collaborators.
Resources for programme implementation will be provided by three main contributors:
Scientific institutions representing international biodiversity programmes, such as the Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Science which provides biodiversity measurements on 13 European countries;
National institutions responsible for policy formulation such as Ministries of the Environment;
UN organizations such as UNEP GRID, which could provide expert support on meta-database development, and FAO, which could provide assistance on climate change and agro-biodiversity conservation.
GTOS, which will facilitate the development of proposals in key areas including data and information management, land cover change and Net Primary Productivity;
Additional financing organizations such as the European Union and bilateral agreements with Western European countries.
