The Ministry for the Environment and Territory of Italy has recognised the need to assist the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in implementing sustainable development through their policy making. Venice International University and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) have formed a partnership, with the support of Agroinnova and Central European University, to offer a high-level and specialised course entitled, Course for Sustainability: Strategies, Methodologies, Policies and Actions for Central and Eastern Europe.

This course aims to enhance the capacity of key senior government officials in the target countries to make more sustainable policies: environmentally, socially and economically. The programme is directed at senior government officials in six Central and Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia). For each course, six to 10 officials will be invited per country. Attendees will come from those national ministries or regional agencies that have primary responsibility for sustainable development in policy making.

Participants will include a broad mix of government officials from ministries of environment, water, energy, education, health, finance and interior, as well as from regional development agencies. To ensure the most relevant officials participate, selection will be based on the existing governmental structures and responsibilities for implementing sustainable development policy. The course enables participants to:

• join a high-level network of CEE government officials dedicated to sustainable development;
• build substance into their policy making on sustainable development;
• develop and gain an overview of different approaches toward sustainability.

For further information please visit the website www.sustainablecee.net