European Environment Agency

European Environment Agency (EEA), agency of the European Union devoted to establishing a monitoring network for the monitoring of the European environment. It is governed by a Management Board composed of representatives of the governments of member states, a European Comission representative and two scientists appointed by the European Parliament, assisted by a committee of scientists.

Its member states are the member states of the European Union; however the Council Regulation establishing it provided that other states may become members of it by means of agreements concluded between them and the European Community. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia have concluded such agreements and joined the EEA on August 1 2001; the other candidate countries are in the process of negotiating agreements to enable them to join as well.