Institutional capacity building for pollution prevention centres in Central and Eastern Europe with special reference to Lithuania

The paper presents an overview of the experience of pollution prevention centres (PPCs) established in Central and Eastern Europe by the World Environment Center (WEC) with a special emphasis on the experience of the PPCs in Lithuania. The WEC established 11 PPCs, which still constitute the majority of pollution prevention/cleaner production centres in the region. The centres were established as independent industry consulting firms specialising in pollution prevention practices and technologies. The PPCs were created in partnerships with host institutions and received training in PP as well as in business planning, branding and marketing. Though WEC’s financial support largely ceased in 1998–1999, nine of the 11 PPCs became self-sufficient and continue to operate. The capacity built in the Lithuanian PPC resulted not only from its association with WEC, but also from other significant donor funded programmes in the region.