Few realize that some 70–80% of environmental legislation in the
member states of the European Union and member states of the
European Economic Area is actually decided and agreed at EU level., The laws developed and adopted at EU level either apply directly or are transposed into national legislation after decision by national parliaments. . This should, though, not come as a surprise. Air and water pollution, acid precipitation, climate change and many other environmental problems tend to ignore national borders. Typically, they present a threat that can affect more than one country. If we want to tackle these problems successfully, it makes more sense to address them at regional, and even in some cases global, level. It is usually the task of Environmental Protection Agencies within individual countries, with around five exceptions where the ministries have the role, to oversee and implement these obligations and enforce national laws. However, as the legal and institutional structures differ remarkably across Europe, so too do the approaches to implementation of environmental legislation. Consequently there is a substantial variety in the roles of EPAs and what they are tasked with, however the main tasks are: • Information and data handling, including research, monitoring, as well as information systems and assessment • Operational tasks, including: advice to ministries and citizens, enforcement of regulations and licensing The EPA Network provides a forum for the heads of these agencies to exchange vies and share experiences at a strategic level. ==References==