European Environmental Bureau

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is a network of around 180 environmental citizens' organisations based in more than 40 countries.[2] The EEB is a democratic federation, representing local, national, European and international groups in European Union Member States, plus some accession and neighbouring countries. It plays a prominent role in defending and promoting environmental interests and legislation at the different EU institutions.[3]

European Environmental Bureau
AbbreviationEEB
Formation1974
TypeNGO
PurposeEnvironmental protection
HeadquartersRue des Deux Eglises, 14-16, 1000 Brussels[1]
Region served
Europe
Membership
over 180 organizations
Official language
English
Secretary General
Patrick ten Brink (since July 2022)
Main organ
Executive Committee
Websitehttps://www.eeb.org/

History

Before the first Environmental Action Plan was adopted by the European Community, environmental NGOs from Europe met in the United Kingdom, together with the European Commission, the UNECE, the UNEP and the IUCN. During the meeting, the creation of a federation of non-governmental organizations within the European Community was proposed,[4] which later become an information clearinghouse for the EC countries.[5]

In order to give its members a central location to follow and respond to the developing environmental policy of the EU, the EEB headquarters was established in Brussels in 1974.[6]

In 1998, the EEB led the issue group on public participation of the pan-European coalition on environmental citizens' organizations, later named as European ECO Forum, which was closely involved in the negotiating phase of the UNECE Aarhus Convention.[7]

By 2013, it was considered as one of the seven core environmental organizations in Europe, together with Friends of the Earth Europe (FFoE), Greenpeace International, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Climate Network Europe (CAN-E), the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), and BirdLife International.[8]

EU political institutions had a large role in the formation and maintenance of Brussel-based umbrella- and federation type groups representing EU civil society, through direct funding relationships (estimated around 80 per cent in 2005) from the Union budget, and by virtue of an early preference of the Commission for engaging only with EU level groups.[9]

Mission

The EEB's mission is to be "the largest and most inclusive European network of environmental citizens’ groups – and the only one that works on such a broad range of issues", while advocating "for progressive policies to create a better environment in the European Union and beyond."[10]

Activities

The EEB has an information service, runs working groups with its members,[11][12] produces position papers on topics that are, or EEB feels should be, on the EU agenda,[13] and represents its members in discussions with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. It closely coordinates EU-oriented activities with members at national level, and also closely follows the EU enlargement process and some pan-European issues such as follow-up to the Aarhus Convention (the UNECE 'Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters').

The organisation has consultative status at, and relations with: the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee of the European Union, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and the United Nation Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

Membership network

Environmental organisations in candidate countries (those applying to join the EU) and, increasingly, in the Western Balkans, regard the EEB as their main partner with a European focus. The EEB's experience, relationships and position are of great value to these states in determining their own role in processes related to EU enlargement and the environment. Owing to the EEB's proactive involvement, its members from New Member States and those aspiring to join the EU are already numerous and are increasing.

Member organisations

NFI - Naturefriends International  ÖKO-BÜRO - Alliance of the Environmental Movement Umweltdachverband Dryade BBL - Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen Bellona Europa Carbon Market Watch CATAPA ECOS - Environmental Coalition on Standards EFCF- European Federation of City Farms European Union of Mountaineering Associations - EUMA HCWH - Health Care Without Harm Europe Canopea IFLA Europe - International Federation of Landscape Architects PAN - Pesticide Action Network Europe SAR - Seas At Risk stRaten-Generaal UECNA - European Union Against Aircraft Nuisances Europe and We Za Zemiata SUNCE - Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development ZELENA AKCIJA - Friends of the Earth Croatia Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education FEO - Federation of Environmental Organisations of Cyprus Friends of the Earth Cyprus Terra Cypria-The Cyprus Conservation Foundation Arnika Association Frank Bold Society J&E - Justice and Environment SSL - Society for Sustainable Living YEE - Youth and Environment Europe Zeleny Kruh - Green Circle Danmarks Naturfredningsforening - Danish Society for Nature Conservation Rådet for Grøn Omstilling - Green Transition Denmark ESNC - Estonian Society for Nature Conservation Let's do it foundation Natur och Miljö - The Finnish Society for Nature and Environment Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto - Finnish Association for Nature Conservation Terre d'Abeilles Agir pour l'Environnement ASPAS - Association pour la Protection des Animaux Sauvages FNE - France Nature Environnement La fresque du climat One Voice SEPANSO SOS Loire Vivante - ERN France Zero Waste France CENN Green Alternative BBU - Bundesverband Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz BHU - Bund Heimat und Umwelt in Deutschland Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND) - FoE DE Bundesverband Boden E.v. Deutsche Umwelthilfe E.V. - Environmental Action Germany DNR - Deutscher Naturschutzring ELSA - European Land and Soil Alliance European Compost Network Forest Stewardship Council International Center - FSC IC Grüne Liga HEJSupport – Health and Environment Justice Support Licht und Natur Living Rivers Foundation Naturschutzbund Deutschland - NABU Runder Tisch Reparatur Öko-Institut E.V. - Institute for Applied Ecology SDW - Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Testbiotech UVP Gesellschaft E.V. Verband Der Deutschen Höhlen- Und Karstforscher E.v (VdHK) Umweltinstitut München ECOCITY Elliniki Etairia Enaleia Organization Earth CAAG - Clean Air Action Group - Levegö Munkacsop CEEweb for Biodiversity EMLA Environmental Management and Law Association HUMUSZ - Hulladek Munkaszövetseg - Waste Reduction Alliance MTVSZ - National Society of Conservationists - Friends of The Earth Hungary Náttúruverndarsamtök Íslands - Iceland Nature Conservation Association The Just Environment Charitable Trust An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland Coastwatch Europe Feasta: the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability FIE - Friends of the Irish Environment IEN - Irish Environmental Network IWT - Irish Wildlife Trust SWAN - Sustainable Water Network VOICE - Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment Zero Waste Alliance Ireland Green Impact CieloBuio - Coordinamento per la Protezione del Cielo Cittadini per l'Aria Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura Free Rivers Italia Genitori Antismog Legambiente Societá Speleologica Italiana Green Liberty LDF - Latvian Fund for Nature - Latvijas Dabas Fonds Aplinkosaugos koalicija - Environmental Coalition Circular Economy - VšĮ Žiedinė ekonomika Lithuanian Fund for Nature Federation Speologique Européenne (FSE) Mouvement Ecologique Natur & Emwelt NTM - Nature Trust Malta Eco-Tiras TAPP Coalition - True Animal Protein Price Coalition Stichting Feedback EU Mondiaal Alternatief Natuurmonumenten NSG - Nederlandse Stichting Geluidhinder SNM - Stichting Natuur en Milieu Vereniging Milieudefensie - Friends of the Earth Netherlands Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF International) Changing Markets Foundation Citizen's Climate Europe Landschappen Tegengif Go Green Eko-Svest Journalists for Human Rights Future in Our Hands CPE - Centrum Prawa Ekologicznego - Environmental Law Center Eko-Unia ISD - Institute for Sustainable Development - Instytut Na Rzecz Ekorozwoju Nowa Idea Polish Zero Waste Association - Polskie Stowarzyszenie Zero Waste Polski Klub Ekologiczny - Polish Ecological Club Pro Terra GEOTA - Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do Territorio e Ambiente LPN - Liga para a Protecçao de Natureza Quercus - Associaçao Nacional de Conservaçao da Natureza ZERO - Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável 2Celsius ARM - Romanian Environment Association CEDD - Centrul de Excelență pentru Dezvoltare Durabilă Ecoteca Focus Eco Center Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania GEC Bucovina - Grupul Ecologic de Colaborare - Ecological Group for Cooperation Green Planet EEG – Environment Engineering Group Safer Chemicals Alternative - ALHEM Sredina - Association of Citizens Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development CEPTA - Centre for Sustainable Alternatives INCIEN - Institute for the Circular Economy PIC - Pravni center za varstvo človekovih pravic in okolja Drustvo Temno Nebo Slovenije - Dark Sky Slovenia Umanotera - The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable development ACEN - African Circular Economy Network AV Chueca ECODES - Ecology and Development Foundation - Fundacion Ecologia y Desarollo Ecologistas en Accion Ecómetro Ecoserveis Eco-Union FNCA - Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua - New Water Culture Foundation Fundación Vida Sostenible Fundación Vivo Sano IIDMA - Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente AIRCLIM - Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat ChemSec - International Chemical Secretariat MKG - Swedish NGO Office for Nuclear Waste Review Naturskyddsföreningen - SSNC - Swedish Society for Nature Conservation Noé21 Together Association TEMA Foundation Environmental Alert Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction EPL - Environment People Law Resource & Analysis Center Society and Environment Child Rights International Network (CRIN) CHEM Trust CIWF - Compassion In World Farming Client Earth FERN Green Alliance LINK - Scottish Environment Link Population Matters RSPB - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Woodland Trust The Restart Project

Campaigns

In November 2004, working with the Ban Mercury Working Group,[14] EEB launched the Zero Mercury campaign,[15] whose ultimate goal is to achieve zero emissions, demand and supply of mercury, from all sources we can control, to reduce global environmental mercury levels to a minimum. An international Zero Mercury Working Group was created to follow up developments at European and global level.

Since the beginning of 2011, EEB has been coordinating the Coolproducts[16] campaign aiming at unleashing the energy savings potential of energy-related products.

References
  1. "European Environmental Bureau - EU Transparency Register". European Commission. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. Van der Heijden, Hein-Anton (2002). "Political Parties and NGOs in Global Environmental Politics". International Political Science Review. 2. 23 (2): 187–521. doi:10.1177/0192512102023002005. JSTOR 1601256. S2CID 220874620 – via JSTOR.
  3. Wijen, Frank; B. C. J. Zoeteman; Pieters, Jan (1 January 2005). A Handbook of Globalisation and Environmental Policy: National Government Interventions in a Global Arena. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 395. ISBN 9781781954355. OCLC 371031436. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  4. Kiss, Alexandre; Shelton, Dinah (2 October 1997). Manual of European Environmental Law. New york: Cambridge University Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780521598880. OCLC 35808407. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  5. Trzyna, Thaddeus C.; Didion, Julie (18 October 2013). World Directory of Environmental Organizations (6th ed.). Routledge. p. 30. ISBN 9781134204144. OCLC 868970932. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  6. On its history see: Meyer, Jan-Henrik. 2013. Challenging the Atomic Community. The European Environmental Bureau and the Europeanization of Anti-Nuclear Protest. In Societal Actors in European Integration. Polity-Building and Policy-Making 1958–1992, edited by W. Kaiser and J.-H. Meyer. Basingstoke: Palgrave. 197–220.
  7. Treves, Tullio; Fodella, Alessandro (2005). Civil Society, International Courts and Compliance Bodies. Cambridge University Press. p. 177. ISBN 9789067041867. OCLC 57223380. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  8. Aspinwall, Mark; Greenwood, Justin (13 September 2013). Collective Action in the European Union: Interests and the New Politics of Associability. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 9781136214028. OCLC 901761459. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  9. Jack Hayward; Rüdiger Wurzel (28 September 2012). European Disunion: Between Sovereignty and Solidarity. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 38–39. ISBN 9781137271358. OCLC 1058809071. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  10. "About EEB". EEB.org. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  11. "How we work with our members". EEB - The European Environmental Bureau. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. "Our Working Groups". EEB - The European Environmental Bureau. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  13. "Work Areas". EEB - The European Environmental Bureau. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  14. "BAN". Archived from the original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  15. "Zero Mercury Working Group". Zeromercury.org. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  16. "Coolproducts EU". Coolproducts.eu. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
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