European Environment Agency (EEA)
What the European Environment Agency does
The EEA is a key EU body dedicated to providing sound independent environmental information to help its members and the EU make informed decisions about integrating environmental considerations into policy and moving towards sustainability.
The Agency also serves as an information resource for those involved in the coordination of environmental policy in the EU Director General Environment, Eurostat, JRC, UNEP, WHO, United States EPA and OECD.
- European Environment Agency website
Structure of the EEA
The EEA was established by the EU Council of Ministers in 1990 (Regulation 1210/90/EEC) and came into force in 1994. It is an Agency mainly funded by, but independent of, the EU Commission.
Current membership is 31 countries: the 25 EU States together with Bulgaria, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Romania and Turkey.
Mission of the EEA
Jacqueline McGlade the EEA's Executive Director has declared its mission is to:
- Be the leading public body in Europe committed to providing environmental information to policy-makers and the public, to support sustainable development, and to help achieve significant and measurable improvements in Europe's environment
- Assist the European Community institutions and EEA member countries to identify, frame, prepare and implement sound and effective environmental policy measures and legislation; and to monitor, evaluate and assess actual and expected progress in the implementation and results of such measures
- Establish and coordinate the European environment information and observation network (Eionet), based on an infrastructure for collection, analysis, assessment and management of data shared with European Commission services, EEA member countries and international organisations, agreements and conventions.
Work programme
The EEA's work programme consolidated its contribution to the 6th Environmental Action Programme (6EAP) in the areas of climate change; nature and biodiversity; environment and health and quality of life; and natural resources and waste.
Other recent work streams include:
- EEA Core Set of Indicators (CSI)
- Launching the European Pollution Emission Register (EPER)
- Development of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme, and European Space Agency
- Participation in the INSPIRE proposal
The UK supports these actives through contributions from its management board member, national focal point, national reference centres and other national experts.
For further information please contact the national focal point at:
Email: enviro.statistics@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7082 8611
EEA National Focal Point
Defra, Environment Statistics and Indicators Division
5/A1 Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street
London, SW1E 6DE
Page published: 22 June 2006