Environment agency budget and work programme better-balanced, says chief

By Ian Mundell

Date: 07/10/04

THE European Environment Agency (EEA) is responding to calls to secure its finances by taking greater control over the work that it carries out, rather than chasing after additional funds.

"We've got such a full work programme, that while we really do appreciate the fact that [the European Commission's] DG Agriculture has confidence in us to give us additional funds, we are not seeking them," says Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the EEA.

"I don't go out asking for extra funding, because it would extend us beyond our real capabilities. It's too much," she added.

The agency has learned this lesson the hard way. It was set up in Copenhagen ten years ago, with the task of collecting data and providing assessments of the state of Europe's environment.

From the beginning the agency's budget was too small to fulfil its entire mandate, a situation it dealt with by leaving some tasks on the shelf while looking for additional funds.

However, at the same time, the work demanded of the EEA has changed.

On top of the data, it has increasingly been asked to provide broader support for policymakers in all areas trying to include the environmental dimension in their work.

This dual role is acknowledged in the EEA strategy for 2004-08, which foresees a 5% growth each year in core funding. 3% of this is intended to cover inflation and salaries, while the additional 2% will cover the cost of streamlining of data reporting and improving quality assurance.

But, says McGlade, the budget and the work programme do line up now. "In a way the work has led and the budget has followed."

She maintains that this achievement rests on a close relationship with the European Parliament (which signs off the EEA budget), the Commission and other stakeholders.

As for the Commission DGs, McGlade encourages them to get the most out of what the agency does already.

Of greater concern is an unexpected demand from the Danish government that the agency owes it around €1 million in back taxes. McGlade thinks this is part of a broader initiative against international organizations in Denmark, rather than a specific move against the agency, and intends to contest it.

• Ian Mundell is a freelance journalist based in London.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is responding to calls to secure its finances by taking greater control over the work that it carries out, rather than chasing after additional funds, article reports.

European Environment Agency: Homepage http://www.eea.europa.eu/

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