FEE Slovenia

DOVES - Slovenian Foundation of Environmental Education in Europe and FEE International

Aim and work Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation aiming to promote sustainable development through environmental education (formal school education, training of staff and general awareness raising).

FEE is mainly active through our five environmental education programmes: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment, Learning about Forests and Green Key.

Member organisations FEE is an international umbrella organisation with one national member organisation per country representing FEE on the national level and in charge of implementing FEE programmes nationally. FEE has member organisations in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Since 1994, the programmes Blue Flag (1994), Eco-Schools (1996) and Young reporters for Environment (2010) have been carried out in Slovenia by the Association for Environmental Education in Europe Slovenia – DOVES - FEE SLOVENIA as the full member of FEE.

Besides the national associate/full FEE member organisations, international institutions/organisations or other national organisations can also become affiliate member of FEE and FEE does furthermore have some individual persons as honorary member of FEE. HistoryThe Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEEE) was established in 1981. In the early years of FEEE, the organisation was mostly active through internal meetings, external seminars and conferences and in a number of publications.

The Blue Flag Programme was originally a French idea launched in 1985 in France. In 1987, the idea of the award scheme was presented to FEEE. This year was also the European Year for the Environment initiated by the European Union, so Blue Flag was launched on the European level (10 countries) in a partnership between FEEE and the European Commission..

In 1987, there were only four national FEEE member organisations (Spain, France, Germany and Denmark). After the launch of Blue Flag in other six European countries, FEEE started to require organisations as members of FEEE in order to run Blue Flag. In the late 1980s and in the beginning of 1990s, big constitutional changes were made for FEEE.

In 1994, the Eco-Schools and the Young Reporters for the Environment Programmes were implemented as second and third programmes of FEEE.

The Learning about Forests Programme (2000) and the Green Key Programme (2003) were already existing programmes and were implemented as FEE(E) programmes with the use of external steering committees.

In the mid-1990s there was a growing interest for FEEE programmes from outside Europe. In a co-operation with United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a manual for coastal zone management with the example of the Blue Flag was produced. With a further support from UNEP, workshops were held in Caribbean, Africa and Asia. An interest grew rapidly in the Caribbean area and a very solid interest was shown from South Africa.

FEEE was therefore challenged by internationalism and perhaps one of the biggest steps was taken in 2000 when it was decided to have FEEE becoming a global organisation with future regionalization of the organisation. In 2001, the necessary step was taken and FEEE could no longer limit itself by the last “E” meaning Europe, so the name is now Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). From 2001, a number of non-European organisations have joined membership of FEE.

In 2003, FEE signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MoU) with UNEP which "formalises long-standing relationship between UNEP and FEE and provides a framework for long term co-operation on areas of common interest relating to education, training and public awareness for sustainable development globally". This MoU provides a solid basis for furthering the work already undertaken in collaboration between FEE and UNEP, in particular with regard to the introduction of FEE programmes and associated activities, particularly in developing countries and those with economies in transition.

Another MoU was signed in 2007 with the UN World Tourism Organization, where especially the tourism related programmes of FEE was recognised.  

FEE is officially registered as a limited company in England (registration number 4752279) under the address 74 The Close, Norwich Nr1 4DR, England.