European Environment Agency gets under way

The European Environment Agency (EEA) became a legal entity over a year ago but is only now embarking on its first year of substantive work. Its Executive Director is positively evangelical about the power of reliable information as a weapon for forcing change. A formal review of the scope of the Agency's functions is due later this year, and looks set to revive arguments about whether it should be given the role of an inspectorate with direct oversight of Member States' compliance with EC laws.