The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe was opened in September 1990 in the presence of Hungarian President Árpád Göncz and Prime Minister József Antall. Soon additional European countries (Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands) and next year Canada and Japan joined the founding countries, providing additional funds.

Europe is the western part of the continent of Eurasia, often thought of as its own continent.It is separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains in Russia and the Bosporus strait in Turkey.. Europe is bordered by water on three sides. On the west is the Atlantic Ocean.To the north is the Arctic Ocean.The Mediterranean Sea separates Southeastern Europe from Africa.