European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the European Union (EU). Its task is to provide sound, independent information on the environment. It is a major information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public. The EEA is governed by a Management Board composed of representatives of the governments of its 32 member states, a European Commission representative and two scientists appointed by the European Parliament, assisted by a committee of scientists.
It was established by the European Economic Community (EEC) Regulation 1210/1990, as amended by EEC Regulation 933/1999 and EC Regulation 401/2009, and became operational in 1994. It is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Professor Jacqueline McGlade is the current Executive Director of the agency.
As an EU body, member states of the European Union are automatically members; however the Council Regulation establishing it provided that other states may become members of it by means of agreements concluded between them and the EU.
It was the first EU body to open its membership to the 13 candidate countries (pre-2004 enlargement).
The EEA has 32 member countries and seven cooperating countries. The European environment information and observation network (Eionet) is a partnership network of the EEA and the countries. The EEA is responsible for developing the network and coordinating its activities. To do so, the EEA works closely together with national focal points, typically national environment agencies or environment ministries. They are responsible for coordinating national networks involving many institutions (about 350 in all).
The 32 member countries include the 27 European Union Member States together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
The seven West Balkan countries are cooperating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia as well as Kosovo under the UN Security Council Resolution 1244/99. These cooperation activities are integrated into Eionet and are supported by the European Union under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.
The EEA is an active member of the EPA Network.
Read more about European Environment Agency: European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet), Annual Discharge Process, International Cooperation
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