The European Environment Agency is the agency of the European Union which provides independent information on the environment. Its goal is to help those involved in developing, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and to inform the general public.
Organization
The EEA was established by the European Economic Community Regulation 1210/1990 and became operational in 1994, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The agency is governed by a management board composed of representatives of the governments of its 33 member states, a European Commission representative and two scientists appointed by the European Parliament, assisted by a committee of scientists. The current Executive Director of the agency is Professor Hans Bruyninckx, who has been appointed for a five-year term. He is the successor of Professor Jacqueline McGlade.
Member countries
The member states of the union are members; however 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. The EEA has 33 member countries and six cooperating countries. The 33 member countries include the 27 European Union member states together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Since Brexit in 2020, the UK is not a member of the EU anymore and therefore not a member state of the EEA The six Western Balkan countries are cooperating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, 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 EU under the "Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance". The EEA is an active member of the EPA Network.
EU Member countries
non-EU Member countries
Cooperating countries
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Reports
The European Environment Agency reported in 2017 that climate-related extreme events accounted ca €400 billion of economic losses in EEA area from 1980 to 2013, and were responsible for 85,000 deaths during 1980-2013.
European environment information and observation network
The European environment information and observation network 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 which are responsible for coordinating national networksof the National Reference Centres involving many institutions. Apart from the NFPs and NRCs, Eionet covers six European Topic Centres in the areas of air and climate change, biological diversity, climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, water, land use and spatial information and analysis and sustainable consumption and production.
Annual discharge process
In February 2012, the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control published a draft report, identifying areas of concern in the use of funds and its influence for the 2010 budget such as a 26% budget increase from 2009 to 2010 to €50 600 000. and questioned that maximum competition and value-for-money principles were honored in hiring, also possible fictitious employees. The EEA's Executive Director refuted allegations of irregularities in a public hearing. On 27 March 2012 Members of the European Parliament voted on the report and commended the cooperation between the Agency and NGOs working in the environmental area. On 23 October 2012, the European Parliament voted and granted the discharge to the European Environment Agency for its 2010 budget. In April 2013, the MEPs voted and granted the discharge to the EEA for its 2011 budget.
Executive directors
International cooperation
In addition to its 33 members and six Balkan cooperating countries, the EEA also cooperates and fosters partnerships with its neighbours and other countries and regions, mostly in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy:
EaP states: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
