In attempting to help countries in Central and Eastern Europe cope with environmental problems that required urgent action, the EAP Task Force, after its establishment in 1993, introduced a new approach to regional environmental cooperation. Rather than setting environmental quality targets and then determining how to achieve them, the EAP: emphasised the need to build on the positive linkages between economic development and the environment; recommended criteria for identifying national priorities and policies that tackled the underlying causes rather than the symptoms of environmental problems; urged the use of cost-effectiveness as a criterion in allocating scarce financial resources; and  promoted a mix of policy, institutional and investment actions as the most cost-effective approach to address priorities.

Introduction Vehicle for change How the Task Force works Priority work areas Environment and transition Milestones in the EAP EAP Newsletters