Description
MEA is a model of environmental auditing especially tailored for the Baltic cities. The model was created to offer a tool for city management and environmental experts to analyse and describe the current state of local environment and identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the environment within the municipality. This helps to develop a broad based environmental strategy in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. MEA helps in identifying and preparing the basis for future investments and development projects, and aims for full public participation in the development of environmental strategies.
Results
The implementation of the project was based on twinning arrangements and coop-eration already in progress between the city of Tallinn in Estonia and the cities of Helsinki and Turku in Finland. Tallinn was selected to act as the target of a pilot study on the basis of which the first experiential data of the audit would be ob-tained. The Tallinn Pilot Project functioned as a crucial part of the whole MEA Project in establishing the basic MEA model in addition to training material for the future. On the foundation of the experience derived in Tallinn, both the Man-ual and Workbook were developed.
During the spring of 1997, the project organization disseminated this MEA model to other Baltic cities. The main part of the dissemination phase was in the form of national seminars arranged in selected cities ranging from Estonia, Latvia, Lithua-nia, Poland and Russia. The MEA training seminars were organized by the UBC Commission on the Environment in cooperation with the city in question as well as the offices connected with the local Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology (ECAT)
Funding
Financed by both the EU´s Life programme and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment together with the participating cities.