Visit of Commissioner Margot Wallström and Henning Arp from the Cabinet.

Visit of Commissioner Margot Wallström and Henning Arp from the Cabinet.

9 December 1999 and with the participation of the new Chairman of the Management Board (from 1 January 2000), Kees Zoeteman

The Agenda included a review of challenges the Agency is facing, the EEA ongoing work, cooperation with EC Services and presentation of recent developments.

The Commissioner offered to consider ways to reinforce EEA contribution and to make EEA work more visible and relevant, including:

• Giving political perspective to EEA work programmes on the basis of an EC programme for 5 years, including priorities to be served by timely EEA input.
• Establishing some (2 to 4) public hearings to take stock of progress in specific areas and related to Community legislation. Air Quality and Water (Drinking Water. Waste Water Treatment) were mentioned. The EEA should contribute with specific assessment (This should reinforce EEA support to implementation.).
• Analysing the Environment Quality Health issue, as to the kind of approach and related information to be developed by EEA required (As an example of "prior consultation" process).
• The possible delivery of specific report on progress on key issues (i.e. GHG emissions) at the occasion of Environment Councils.
• The reinforcement of a Community Information and Communication Strategy

Other topics of interest for the Commissioner included the EEA support to:

• Streamlining and implementing the reporting obligation.
• The implementation process.
• - The Priorities anticipated by the Commissioner related to issues:
  * Climate Change
  * Water
  * Chemicals
  * Enlargement
  * Health and Environment.

  And instruments:
  * Implementation
  * Information
  * Integration.

• The 6th EAP development
• The indicators (Sectorial. Headline) exercises.