Background

The basic goal was set in relation to the participation of Etropole in the European Sustainable Development Campaign when in the year 2000 local authorities signed the Aalborg Charter and adopted the principles of Local Agenda 21 as their vision. A priority objective is the development of sustainable society through active participation of the local community, which in the long-term should work for achieving global sustainability. LA 21 is a proper basis for policy of the local community as it comprises the social sphere, economy, environment, culture, the elaboration of local plans and long-term development strategies through community debates, the introduction of innovation technologies for safe living conditions in the town, a complex approach to all mankind welfare and health.

Practice

The local government of Etropole uses the process of LA 21 for harmonizing and implementing a strategy for local sustainable development through partnership and in conformity with the obligatory environmental requirements. The activities of the Council for sustainable development facilitated the outlining of the priorities the community had to work on and initiated the development of a long-term action plan.

The Council for sustainable development was established in December 2000 under the initiative of the Municipality of Etropole. It is a community body that functions on partnership basis and all important institutions within the municipality are represented in it: Local executive authorities; Local legislaive authorities; NGOs; Journalists from local and regional media; Directors and managers of companies and enterprises registered on the territory of the municipality, major polluters of the environment, etc.; Small and medium-size businesses: tourist and agricultural companies; Police, Inspection on Hygiene and Epidemics, Hospitals, medical centers, schools, kindergartens, electricity and water supply companies, telecommunication networks, committee on emergencies and disasters, etc.; Cultural institutions; Citizens.

All members of the Council for sustainable development participate on voluntary and partnership basis in its activities. Each of them according to the relevant sphere of competence of the institution participate in one or more commissions such as Commission on environment protection, Commission on cultural and social policy, Commission on economics and investment. Important decisions are made at the Council s meetings through voting.

The problems encountered during the implementation of this large scope municipal project could be summarized in several categories:
1. Problems related to the geographical position of the town.- Etropole is a small town situated near the capital of Bulgaria, but communications are hindered because of the bad road infrastructure.
2. Problems related to the lack of Internet communication in the town. - There is no local server because of the lack of financial resources and that hinders the Internet access.
3. Problems related to the lack of trust of the local community, which makes the adaptation to the new dynamics of the processes of globalization, European integration and sustainable development rather difficult.
4. Problems related to the social-economic environment of the countries in transition: It is difficult to convince people in the significance of the environmental problems, the urban sustainability, the global changes and the risks for the future generations when they have to face the daily problems of unemployment, insufficient money for living, stress etc.
5. Problems related to the lack of funds:-Municipal budgets still do not have funds for developing and implementing LA21 and that makes the pursuing of sustainable policy very difficult.

Verifiable indicators for the success of the project were established. As the project is still being implemented, the overall results could not be measured, but here are some concrete ones: Local community awareness; Education for sustainable development; Economy and quality of life.

Results
For a two-year period the local authority of Etropole in partnership with all sectors of the local community has the following achievements: Realized its key role in the LA21 process; Drew partners from all sectors for active work; Started developing management methods and techniques for successful implementation of LA21; Integrated sustainability in the local policy; Increased public awareness through eco-parliaments, media campaigns, etc.; Initiated the development of a local action plan; Trained the municipal staff on subjects of sustainable development; Introduced the subject in schools and kindergartens; Introduced a pilot model of sustainable use of local natural and historical resources through employment in tourism; Improved the town safety; Adopted the principles of the European Social Charter for Human Rights and Democracy; Improved the urban design (town parks, places for children, recreation areas, etc.); Initiated anti-poverty actions through alternative employment opportunities; Implemented initiatives on environment protection and sustainable development.

For a two-year period the local authority of Etropole in partnership with all sectors of the local community has the following achievements: Realized its key role in the LA21 process; Drew partners from all sectors for active work; Started developing management methods and techniques for successful implementation of LA21; Integrated sustainability in the local policy; Increased public awareness through eco-parliaments, media campaigns, etc.; Initiated the development of a local action plan; Trained the municipal staff on subjects of sustainable development; Introduced the subject in schools and kindergartens; Introduced a pilot model of sustainable use of local natural and historical resources through employment in tourism; Improved the town safety; Adopted the principles of the European Social Charter for Human Rights and Democracy; Improved the urban design (town parks, places for children, recreation areas, etc.); Initiated anti-poverty actions through alternative employment opportunities; Implemented initiatives on environment protection and sustainable development.

Etropole Municipality have shared their practice in developing, applying and accounting for the results of LA21 with other municipalities. The model has already been multiplied in three Bulgarian towns Dryanovo (of similar size and population), Vidin (a regional center), and Botevgrad.