Implications of EEA/EU enlargement for state-of-the-environment reporting in the EU and EEA Member States

The enlargement of the European Union from 15 to 28 Member States over the next decade has been described as the greatest task facing this generation of Europeans. The EEA Expert Group on Guidelines and State-of-the-Environment Reporting, which brings together state-of-the-environment reporters from over 30 countries in Europe, has discussed the implications of this process for national and European reports. Focusing primarily on issues associated with 10 countries in central and eastern Europe, this report, which results from the discussions in the expert group, deals with: a description of environmental issues in the accession countries; the enlargement process in relation to environmental issues; the consequences for EEA reporting of the new policy context, the larger geographic area and the increasing number of Member States; and, the consequences of enlargement for state-of-the-environment reporting in the accession countries.