Reports and letters

Below is a list of reports and correspondence where members of the EPA Network have expressed their views.

All publications are written in the name of network members who have given their agreement.

Title	Description
Letter in support of Ukrainian colleagues	The Heads of Environmental Protection Agencies in Europe (EPA Network) expressed support and solidarity to Ukrainian colleagues after Russia's invasion in February 2022, in this letter sent to the Ministry of energy and environment protection and the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union.
Letter DG RTD European Partnership for Actionable Sustainability Knowledge and Solutions	February 2022: This is a letter sent to DG RTD Directors John Bell and Rosalinde van der Vlies. EPA signatories propose a continued dialogue with DG RTD and to create an EPA Network linked/originated platform for cooperation to support the European Research Area in support of the European Green Deal.
Opinion Paper Gene Drive Organisms (IG GMOs)	October 2021: This is an opinion paper produced by the joint EPA Network and ENCA Interest group on Genetically Modified Organisms, endorsed by nine EPAs. Key messages include that gene drive applications are likely to entail considerable ethical and ecological implications. Apart from societal issues, they pose challenges for environmental risk assessment (ERA), monitoring and risk management.
The Bellagio Declaration	March 2021: The “Bellagio Declaration” is a set of principles on how to ensure that a monitoring of the transition to a circular economy captures all relevant aspects and involve all relevant parties. The work was started as a collaboration between ISPRA from Italy and the EEA and guided by an advisory group encompassing EPA Network representatives from Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Slovakia.
Circular Business Models (IG GCE)	March 2021: This is a discussion paper from the Interest group Green and Circular Economy. The objective of the paper is to share respective country information based on practical case studies, to analyse cross-country experiences and lessons obtained to increase the understanding of the potentials connected to Product Service Systems (PSS) business models as a cornerstone of the European Green Deal.
Citizen Science and Zero Pollution (IG CS)	This paper from the EPA Network Interest group on Citizen Science gives an overview of initiatives on Citizen Science related to Zero Pollution. The paper was presented in the 35th EPA Network plenary on 8-9 February 2021.
Nature Based Solutions (IG CCA)	January 2021: The report "Recommendations for overcoming barriers to mainstreaming the delivery of Nature-based Solutions" is a joint report from the Interest group Climate Change of the European Network of the Heads of Environment Protection Agencies (EPA Network) and Heads of European Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA).
European Green Recovery recommendations	October 2020: This is a letter sent to First Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans 13 October 2020. Heads of EPAs signatories sent their recommendations on how to link the Covid-19 recovery to the green transition.
Recommendations on 2nd EU Adaptation Strategy (IG CCA)	September 2020: This letter, sent to Director-General Raffaele Mauro Petriccione in DG CLIMA, includes recommendations from the EPA Network Interest group on Climate Change and Adaptation (IG CCA) on the second EU Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
Response DG ENV on IG GMOs report	May 2020: The letter is a response from DG ENV on the technical report on gene drive organisms from the Interest group on GMOs (March 2020).
Littering (IG Plastics)	March 2020: In this discussion paper endorsed by 8 EPAs, the EPA Network Interest group on Plastics underlines the need to develop a common European understanding of the term “littering” to enable comparison of quantities, define mitigation measures, and distinguish littering from other sources of litter in the environment.
Gene drive Organisms (IG GMOs)	March 2020: This technical report from the joint ENCA and EPA Network Interest group on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) delineates the potential implications of the use of Gene Drive Organisms (GDO) on the environment, including nature conservation, and addresses the uncertainties linked to gene drive applications. The report also analyses the challenges GDOs will pose to the environmental risk assessment, post-release monitoring and risk management.
Non Toxic Environment Strategy Paper	December 2019: A joint strategy for proactive and up-stream chemicals management would help to resolve many of the down-stream environmental issues that fall under the responsibilities of the EPAs, such as air, water and soil pollution and waste management, writes a working group of the EPA Network in this paper on an European Non-Toxic Environment Strategy, endorsed by 9 EPA Network members.
Critical noise values in EU (Summary) (IG Noise)	October 2019: This technical report describes the current state of noise limits in Europe. The goal is to provide guidance on how the 2018 WHO guidelines should be implemented in national legislation.
Critical noise values in EU (IG Noise)	October 2019: This technical report describes the current state of noise limits in Europe. The goal is to provide guidance on how the 2018 WHO guidelines should be implemented in national legislation.
Deposit return schemes (IG Plastics)	March 2019: This working paper gives an overview of how deposit return schemes are organized in different European states. Data from 16 EPA Network members have been collected through a questionnaire.
Genetically Modified Plants (IG GMOs)	February 2019: This technical report provides an overview of the experience with monitoring of spontaneous populations of genetically modified plants (GMPs).
Biodegradable plastics (IG Plastics)	January 2019: This working paper presents seven recommendations on the use of biodegradable plastics based on a recent study from the German Environment Agency and a questionnaire developed by IG Plastics.
Conclusions 2018 Plastics Conference	December 2018: This document contains the documentation and conclusions from the EPA Network conference "Eliminating Plastic and Micro-Plastic Pollution – an Urgent Need, 2nd Stakeholder Conference" held 20 November 2018 in Brussels.
Response European Railway Association on IG Noise letter	June 2018: This letter is a response from the European Railway Association (ERA) to a letter sent by IG Noise on the EU strategy for noise abatement in freight railway traffic in February 2018.