International Involvement
The Environment Agency Austria provides advice on administrative capacity building and national environmental legislation to institutions of the European Union, new and upcoming EU Member States, and the EU Neighbourhood Policy partner countries in the East and Mediterranean region.
Since 1998 the Environment Agency Austria has participated in more than 120 country partnerships, so-called Twinning projects, in more than 27 countries. We provide assistance to authorities in administrative capacity building and in the implementation of EU law. Our geographic reach extends to EU Member States, the West Balkans, Georgia, Turkey, the Middle East and the Maghreb countries. The projects are funded by the EU.
The Environment Agency Austria is a member of more than 200 national, European and international partner networks, bodies and working groups. The Environment Agency Austria collaborates with international organisations such as UNEP and the OECD.
Cooperation in Europe
European Environment Agency and Eionet
The mission of the European Environment Agency (EEA) is to provide the EU and its Member States with objective, reliable and comparable information on the state of environment in Europe. This information shall enable them to take the necessary measures to protect the environment, assess the effects of these measures and ensure that the public is informed about the state of environment.
With the help of its European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) the EEA is able to gather environmental and climate data reported by its member countries and draw conclusions at a European level. Eionet is the partnership network of the European Environment Agency and its 32 member and six cooperating countries, which connects more than 2 000 experts in about 400 national institutions from all around Europe.
The EEA is supported by the European Topic Centres. Each of these Centres is a consortium formed by organisations in the field of environmental research and information, which supports the EEA in collecting and assessing environmental data in a specific field at the European level. The ETCs also actively contribute to the drafting of EEA reports.
Europäische Umweltagentur - EEA
Environment Agency Austria – Partner of the EEA
Umweltbundesamt - Environment Agency Austria is one of the most active national partner institutions of the EEA: as National Focal Point (NFP) it coordinates Austria’s national environment information and observation network for the collecting of environmental data to be reported to the EEA and coordinates Austria’s contributions to consultations and surveys.
Experts from the Environment Agency Austria participate in the majority of the 38 Eionet Groups on different environmental topics. They cooperate with the EEA and the ETCs in capturing and assessing the state of the environment and of the climate in Europe.
Furthermore, the Environment Agency Austria forms part of five of the seven European Topic Centres (ETCs):
ETC on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (ETC BE) (Partner)
ETC on Climate Change Adaptation and LULUCF (ETC CA) (Partner)
ETC on Climate Change Mitigation (ETC CM) (Partner)
ETC on Data Integration and Digitalisation (ETC DI) (Lead)
ETC on Sustainability Transitions (ETC ST) (Partner)
ENCA Network
The European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) is an informal network, which fosters the exchange of information and collaboration amongst its partners. It identifies future challenges and offers information and advice to decision-makers in the fields of nature conservation and landscape protection. Umweltbundesamt - Environment Agency Austria is member of the ENCA Network and has headed its Secretariat since 2019.
ENCA - European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies
EPA Network
The EPA network was founded in 2003 as an informal network of the heads of European environmental protection agencies. Umweltbundesamt - Environment Agency Austria is also a member, alongside organisations from 38 European countries, including the European Environment Agency.
The diversity of members enables different approaches to European environmental legislation and issues of common interest to be explored. The exchange of experience at a strategic level strengthens the common environmental agenda.
EPA - Network of the Heads of European Environmental Protection Agencies