Even if four months have passed this year, I hope to not bother anyone as I want to do a short retrospective of the year 2012 regarding the activity of a foundation. I do this because Mr. László Potozky, director of the Environmental Partnership Foundation testifies, without false modesty, that “2012 can be considered as one of the best years in the history of our Foundation, so far." In a situation where everybody else is affected by the never ending economic crisis, here is someone, who can boast with successes by the end of the year.

Professional flaw, of course, I wanted to find out and I found out from its director, why 2012 was a good year for the Environmental Partnership Foundation.

I consider that 2012 was one of the best years - said Mr. Potozky - on one hand due to the fact that we were able to accomplish everything that we set out in our strategy, and on the other hand because we succeeded to provide the funds needed to achieve the targeted goals. In this context it is worth mentioning that last year we had the higher budget so far.

You had the money. Is that meaning that you could fund more projects compared to other years?

Regarding the implemented activities, we managed to fund over 80 projects with nearly 3 million lei, through our 7 grant-making programs.  What is perhaps even more important is the innovative nature of many of our programs.

Can you provide an example?

I think it is worth to mention the “Green Entrepreneurship” Program which proposes a model of sustainable development in areas with significant natural and cultural heritage, that can bring long-term, major benefits to organizations that have implemented this program and, of course, to local communities. At the same time, I can mention the Community Foundations Program that aims to contribute significantly to the development of communities in Romania. As a result, at the end of the year 2012, we talk of the existence of eight such foundations. It is equally important to mention those two major programs that are based on public money from external sources and which are implemented by the two consortiums in which our Foundation is participating.

With regard to these two consortiums, under what conditions, or what are the destinations for which we can use external financial sources?

Starting, therefore, from our two major programs, the first is implemented within the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Program and refers to funds for the non-governmental sector in Romania, amounting 16.8 million CHF, and in which our Foundation is responsible for the implementation of the environmental component. The second is the NGO Fund, worth 30 million Euros, funded by the Governments of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In order to implement this program, in the last quarter of the year it was selected a consortium in which participates our Foundation, together with two other partners. In this framework we will implement the sustainable development component.

I can't stop asking about the fate of programs such as „Green spaces" that we are used to, and not only. I hope they have not been abandoned.

On the contrary, the multiannual funding programs, such as “Green Spaces” or “Speak Up and Get Involved” programs and not only, grew, as usual, and we have significant achievements in the areas targeted by them. As regards, operational programs as the “Transylvania Authentica" or activities related to the “European Mobility Week," have produced the expected results as scheduled.

Without going into details, these would be, therefore, the grounds for which last year was for the Environmental Partnership Foundation one of their best years in the history of the organization. And, for all these – results and successes - director Potozky addresses by this way thanks to all those who contributed to the activities of the Foundation.

24th May 2013, AURELIA ILUŢ – Informaţia Harghitei