3: Integrated Environmental Assessment

Carry out or contribute to environmental assessments of different geographical areas in Europe, neighbouring countries and globally

Other Information:

There is an increasing demand to carry out or contribute to environmental assessments of different geographical areas in Europe, neighbouring countries and globally. These assessments are needed to help frame, support and evaluate the progress of a wide range of policy processes. There is also an increased demand to include economic information, forward looking perspectives and to address uncertainties. However, this growth in the number and diversity of assessments is leading to inefficiencies, overlaps and inconsistencies, which can undermine their effectiveness. In line with its founding Regulation, the EEA is required to publish every five years a report of the state and outlook of the European Environment. The next report is due in 2010. Since its inception, the EEA has also published four pan-European assessments, covering the countries of eastern Europe, central Asia and the Caucasus, two focused on the Mediterranean and two on the Arctic. In addition, we have paid increasing attention to scenario development and forward studies, economic evaluation and historical analyses of environmental and health issues to improve policy evelopment and decision‑making under conditions of high uncertainty and complexity. Over the next five years, the EEA will deliver its main five-year reporting and assessment and with partners develop and contribute to other regional, pan-European and global assessments. It will also aim to provide a strong basis for the EU Environment Action Programme. To ensure that these assessments support decision-making processes and policy development, increasing emphasis will be given to four elements: • integrated environmental policy analysis and assessments of national and regional policies and actions to secure the environment e.g. in transport and infrastructure, agriculture (biotechnologies and transgenic organisms) energy and industry (sustainable production and consumption and nanotechnologies) and in the finance (insurance), and commerce (distribution); • decision-making under conditions of risk, uncertainty and complexity and the use of decision support tools; • providing more social and economic analyses to help put the interconnectedness of the environment into the mainstream of societal thinking; and • intensifying the use of scenarios and other forward looking methods to support the development of sustainable futures. The activities under this strategic area are found under five themes: • Integrated environmental assessment • Regional and global assessment • Decision support • Economics • Strategic futures

Objective(s):

3.1: Integrated Environmental Assessment

3.2: Regional and Global Assessment

3.3: Decision Support

3.4: Economics

3.5: Strategic Futures

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