About Green Plan   In the beginning of 2003, a Project 'Green Agenda in Croatia' was launched in Istria and Međimurje, under the guidance of two most prominent environmental organizations in those two regions: Zelena Istra/Green Istria (Istria) and ZEO Nobilis (Međimurje). Considering the fact that it is a project, which concerns every inhabitant in a specific local community, and that everybody should have a clear understanding of it (in order to participate more easily), the term 'agenda' was translated as 'plan'. This is the reason why the name Green Action Plan (ZPD) prevails in our circumstances, although the term "Zelena agenda" (ZA) -Green Agenda is still used for the same purpose. The idea of the implementation of the Green Action Plan/Green Agenda originates from the Local Agenda 21, with Green Plans/agendas having to do primarily with ecological /environmental problems and their solutions, and less with economical and social issues. The main co-ordinator and leader of the Green Action Plan is Dutch foundation Milieukontakt Oost-Europa, which finances the implementation of this Project by means of grant funds from the Programme "MATRA" of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The basic purpose of the Green Action Plan is to encourage and improve the communication and cooperation between local governments, business sector, citizens and non-governmental organisations, so as to develop sustainable development plans for local communities, based on common agreement. Green Action Plan encourages, supports and promotes the protection and conservation of basic living- and environmental conditions; develops the responsibility and care of all citizens for the nature and their local environment; is a transparent process, where all citizens have the same rights to participate in a decision making process aiming at better protection of environment; encourages cooperation and partnership of all social group in a local community; initiates and carries out concrete activities. Green Action Plan is a programme of long-term sustainable development of local communities. Many concrete activities related to sustainable development were launched through the Green Plan - in four communities in Međimurje and four communities in Istria. The ongoing activities still haven't reached the optimum, which would meet high criteria of sustainability of a local community, but we believe that the participation of towns and municipalities in the project is already a great benefit and a positive step for their environment and their development. This means that local governments have started to think and act in a more sustainable way. There are several steps to the Green Action Plan. They largely depend on-, change and adapt to specific local circumstances and conditions. Therefore it could easily happen that two municipalities from the same county require different approach and mode of operations, due to differences between them. It is very important to recognize on time all particularities and specific needs of local communities involved in the project, and to adapt the process methodology accordingly. Likewise, the experience, organisational skills and knowledge of an organization, which is initiating and coordinating the project, and the relationship between the organization and local administration, citizens and other relevant actors in the community, is of considerable importance for successful planning and implementation of the project. Prior to the beginning of project implementation, it is necessary to obtain the agreement/ decision on the implementation of the Green plan from a town (or a municipality). In case a town/municipality has an intention to finance the project from its own budget, it is necessary to make a decision about it one year in advance (in order to include the Green Plan in a subsequent annual budget). The next step is the assessment of local stakeholders (interested parties within a local community); public presentation of the project and the establishment of working groups, which will be authorized and responsible for project implementation. It would be worthwhile for working groups to be made of members from different social groups (administration, business sector, organizations, citizens etc,) so as to keep as much as possible the Green Action Plan in line with interests of entire local community. Working group task is to analyse the existing situation and trends in relation to environment according to established environmental priorities, and to draw up a Green Action Plan with specific activities, based on information and data gathered. Once the Green Plan paper has been presented in public and reviewed at various levels (citizens, local boards, working group etc.), and a municipal/town council or assembly has accepted the final version of document, the Green Action Plan will become an official document, providing directions for a current, as well as for a future local government. During this entire process, it is important to pay attention to the following: The general public has to be informed constantly about the phase of the project, so as to be able to always participate on time – both in process of planning in the course of drawing up the Green Action Plan, and in carrying out activities after the approval of the Green Plan. It is necessary to develop and maintain a good-quality cooperation with the media in all stages of the project. In that way the media will, by making all important information public, contribute to a creation of a positive atmosphere for the project and facilitate its successful realization. Project coordinators and work group coordinators should be realistic when assessing project feasibility, and shouldn't make promises they can't keep. It is necessary to carry out particular smaller-scale activities in the first phase of the project (focused more on planning, making decisions and writing actual documents), in order to keep and to encourage stakeholders' interest and motivation for the Green Plan.