New environmental co-operation between East & West Europe

New environmental co-operation between East & West Europe

Reinforcement of the EEA's contributions to the 1998 conference of European environment ministers in Denmark

Good environmental information in Central and Eastern Europe is essential to ensure that enlargement of the EU does not compromise environmental standards.

A 7 million ECU programme from PHARE [1] is at the heart of a unique partnership announced today between the European Environment Agency (EEA), the EU and countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The programme is focused on providing practical tools to improve the quality of environmental information from Central and Eastern European countries.

The activities will include: the extension of the EEA's European Information & Observation Network, EIONET [2], to Central and Eastern Europe; close co-operation with UNEP's ENRIN network [3]; personnel training; technical back-up with hardware, software and other equipment; and help with disseminating information via workshops, publications etc.

This programme will help Central and Eastern countries to protect their environments, reduce their contribution to European and global pollution, and help pave the way for the successful enlargement of the European Union. In particular, this co-operation will directly contribute to the work leading from the last pan-European environment ministers conference held in Sofia, Bulgaria in October 1996, to the next to be hosted by the Danish government in May 1998.

At a press conference at 11.45 in the Board Room (1^st floor) of Den Gyldne Fortun in Domus Technica, Ved Stranden 18, on June 10^th,

Mr. Pelovski, Ministry of the Environment in Bulgaria,

Mr. Griepink from the European Commission,

Mr. Jiménez Beltrán, European Environment Agency, Executive Director,

Mr. Osborn, Chairman of EEA Management Board, and,

Mr. Alders, Director and Regional Representative of UNEP for Europe,

will provide details of this unique partnership.

Notes for Editors.

1. The European Union's PHARE programme provides grant finance to support its partner countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE) to the stage where they are ready to assume the obligations of EU membership. Apart from the CCEE co-operation with the European Environment Agency, launched today, the multi-country environment programme of PHARE supports projects in a wide number of areas including the Black Triangle, the Danube Basin, the Black Sea and the Baltic.
2. The EEA's European Information and Observation Network (EIONET) links together the EEA, the EU Commission, the national environment centres of EEA countries (EU + Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and European Topic Centres in a computerised web of data monitoring and analysis. Part of the new programme involves extending the Topic Centres on Air Quality, Air Emissions and Inland Waters to the PHARE countries.
3. The UNEP ENRIN programme (Environment and Natural Resource Information Networking), which began in 1994, was established to improve access to environmental data and information for governments and decision-makers, and to promote the development of national and sub-regional capacities for environmental data management. Where appropriate the activities may be used to develop further Global Resource Information Database (GRID)-compatible centres in Central and Eastern Europe. Thus far, significant progress has been made in the Baltic States, Georgia, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine and the Black Sea region.

For further information on the European Environment Agency contact:

David Gee
The European Environment Agency
Kongens Nytorv 6
DK-1050 Copenhagen K
Tel: +45.33.36.71.00
Fax: +45.33.36.71.99

…concerning the PHARE programme, contact:

Mr. Griepink
The European Commission
DG I PHARE
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
Tel: +32.2.296.25.80
Fax: +32.2.296.80.40

…and concerning UNEP, contact:

Michael Williams
United Nations Environment Programme
11, chemin des Anémones
CH-1219 Chatelaine
Tel: +41-22-979.92.42
Fax: +41-22-979.90.29