The head office of the International Dialogue Centre Environment and Development (IDCED) is located in Magdeburg, Germany. The international IDCED network is represented by national centres and co-operation partners in the new EU member states in Central and Southeastern Europe.
IDCED was officially launched in Magdeburg on 20 October 2003 during a constitutional meeting of the international advisory board in the presence of guests from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) provided financial support to build up IDCED. It acknowledges the appreciation of the previous work of the IDCED initiators at the Environmental Institute IWU e. V. in 16 European countries.
Already in 2005 the IDCED network of experts was expanded with a new national centre in Hungary. Due to increasing work and challenges a new organisational structure became necessary. That’s why IDCED was separated from IWU e.V. and was launched as an independent incorporated society.
IDCED supports the development of efficient infrastructures with regard to water, waste and energy management as well as the enforcement of environmentally sound business concepts. The main focus is set on Central and Southeastern Europe. Supported by its network of environmental and business experts IDCED analyses the actual needs for action to implement national environmental targets in these countries and informs about the opportunities for co-operation with partners in Germany. For German businesses IDCED facilitates the access to the environmental markets of the new EU member states.
IDCED sees itself an agent between German enterprises and foreign regional and local authorities. It provides necessary communication and initiates co-operation. The network of national centres in the new EU member states supports the search for economically reasonable environmental concepts which are adapted to fit specific regional demands.
The IDCED network supports decision-makers from local and regional authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises within the new EU member states to make feasible decisions for the realisation of their regional or local environmental concepts.
IDCED gives impulses to medium-sized German businesses to get involved in these countries.
The network analyses the demands arising from regional and national environmental relief strategies. IDCED helps to initiate partnerships between enterprises and regional and local authorities and gives advice to apply for funding of environmental projects.
IDCED notably uses the experiences which it has gained in the sectors of waste, water and energy management during transformation process in Eastern Germany.