About us

The Green Circle is an association of 28 environmental NGOs working in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1989. Green circle promotes concerns of its members mainly by information and legislative activity.

This leaflet summarises the most important information for you.

The main goals of the Green Circle are:

  • the development of the civic sector in the field of environment
  • the strengthening of cooperation and communication of environmental organizations
  • public participation at the environmental policy making and at the implementation of environmental policy
  • growing of public awareness about the activities of environmental NGOs and current problems of environment

Green Circle´s members(28 environmental NGOs) can make use of the services offered by the association's information and legislative centres, can participate in setting Green Circle's development strategy, and receive access to various support services free of charge (e.g. the press room at Green Circle's offices). Green Circle's members sign an Ethical Code in which they commit to respecting ethical rules above and beyond the law.

Green Circle - Specialised Platform of Environmental NGOs

The Platform of Environmental NGOs was founded in 2003 as an open and informal communication network. Its goal is to facilitate and improve communication among non-governmental organisations and to support the creation of joint positions on environmental issues. The platform can be joined by signing a declaration of support. The platform consist of the members of Green Circle (see above) and another 45 environmental NGOs. Green Circle publishes an on-line monthly newsletter, „Zpravodaj oborové platformy” (Specialised Platform Newsletter), which is read by over 100 subscribers from the non-governmental sector. The newsletter provides a summary of important events within the Association and Specialised Platform, brings reports on developments in both national and European environmental legislation, and offers information on new publications, upcoming events etc. In order to ensure public participation in environmental matters, the Specialised Platform nominates representatives to working groups, specialised interministerial commissions,monitoring committees and advisory bodies of the Government of the Czechia. Towards the end of 2005, the Platform had representatives on 29 such bodies.

Green Circle´s Legislative Centre

A common interest of environmental organisations is to be able to participate in the commenting procedures of draft bills and to ensure that the principles of the Aarhus Convention are applied in practice - access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to legal protection in environmental matters. Green Circle operates a website on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the Czechia (www.ucastverejnosti.cz) and provides an information service for non-governmental organisations concerning the preparation of new laws that may affect the environment. Green Circle also prepares joint meetings and coordinates the preparation of joint comments on laws as well as their dissemination in the Czech parliament.

Green Circle´s Information Centre

Green Circle collects and provides information on its members and on the organisations within the Specialised Platform (annual reports, magazines, informational brochures etc.), runs the www.hraozemi.cz (Game for the Earth) website promoting sustainable development, operates the Ekolinka telephone line (222 51 83 52), and organises discussion meetings, debates and informational campaigns presenting the activities of environmental organisations.

The APEL series

As part of the project "Establishing a Think-tank within Green Circle; a new series of expert studies was launched under the acronym APEL (Alternativa=alternative; Příroda=nature; Ekonomika=economy; Lidé=people). The project´s first publication, Perverzní dotace (Perverse Subsidies) was released in 2005, analysing state funding that had a negative impact on the environment. Very short on it followed the Blind Alley study and in 2006 Czech footprint, social and environmental impacts of national consumption out of czech borders.

Here you can download our Annual Report 2005