The collapse of communism in Central Europe in the late 1980s and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s brought the region’s serious environmental problems to the attention of the international community. Many of these problems had been obvious to those living in the region, and environmental issues were one of the catalysts for change. The reform process offered a unique opportunity to integrate environmental concerns into the development of democratic, market-based societies. In 1993, all European countries, the United States and Canada joined forces and launched a process of environmental reconstruction for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). One of the main elements in this process has been the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP), which serves as a framework for supporting CEE countries in their efforts to solve their most urgent environmental problems and create the basis for sustainable development of the region. In 1998, environment ministers from Europe, Central Asia and North America meeting in Aarhus, Denmark, agreed that the EAP, which had proven to be an effective tool for encouraging environmental cooperation, should focus more attention on the needs of the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS) and those CEE countries that are not in line for European Union accession.

Introduction The EAP Task Force Vehicle for change How the Task Force works Priority work areas Milestones in the EAP