22 May 2006 - Today,
the EEA will play host to the first global expert
meeting for the United Nations Environment Programme's
(UNEP) proposed global information network system
- Environment Watch.
'Environment Watch' aims to
help monitor the world's environment situation
by collecting environment data from observation
systems and scientific programmes at all levels
- local, regional and national - throughout the
world.
UNEP's governing council has
expressed support for further refinement of the
Environment Watch proposal, and suggested piloting
activities and twinning arrangements between focal
points in different regional networks.
Top - level environmental information
managers and representatives from the EEA's National
Focal Points will be attending the 2-day event,
which runs from 22 - 23 May. The meeting will
focus on drafting the guidelines for piloting
national and regional information networks as
suggested in the Environment Watch proposal, and
issues for discussion include the network structure
and architecture, and network functioning.
Agency feeds debate on quality
of life in European cities
22 May 2006 - As a result of
Europe's growing urban population, urban spread
and the quality of life in cities are becoming
major problems. The EEA background paper, 'The
urban environment in its broader territorial context'
says that these issues cannot be dealt with solely
by looking at towns and cities in isolation or
as 'islands'. Urban areas must be viewed in the
broader context of their surrounding countryside
or hinterlands.
The EEA's Executive Director,
Jacqueline McGlade, delivered this message to
European Environment ministers at the Informal
Council meeting in Eisenstadt, Austria over the
weekend.
The event was organised by the
Austrian Presidency under the theme: Environment
technology and urban environment, and the debate
centred on improving the quality of life in urban
areas by using environmental technology.
Europe is one of the most urbanised
continents in the world, and today some 70% of
its population is urban. Between 11000 and 2000
built-up areas in Europe grew by three times the
size of Luxembourg. By 2020 around 80% of Europeans
will be living in urban areas, while in seven
countries the proportion will be as high as 90%
or more.
The upcoming report, 'Environmental
aspects of urban spread in Europe' will offer
further insight into the interconnectivity between
urban areas and their regional hinterlands, and
discuss how this affects environmental resources.
The report is set for release in autumn.
