International Programs

The United States and the industrialized nations of Europe often face similar social, political and economic problems arising from environmental degradation, making the U.S. and its European counterparts natural partners.

The United States works with our European partners bilateraly, with the European Union, and in multilateral fora such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations. EPA's relationship with Europe is of great importance in improving our scientific and technological capabilities for environmental protection.

EPA's cooperation with Europe has yielded substantial results, including cost-savings from sharing information and working together to improve environmental management. U.S. consultations with European officials also help U.S. industry avoid potential trade difficulties arising from different environmental standards and regulations. Cooperation among industrialized nations can build consensus on environmental issues and, eventually, lead to a cleaner environment for everyone.

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) is the focal point within the EPA for coordinating cooperative activities with Europe. Key activities with Europe currently include:

• coordination on global environmental issues such as climate change, chemicals management, and energy policy;
• coordination on technical assistance to other regions of the world;
• promoting joint research and scientific activities with European institutions.

Additional partnership activities with Europe include:

• United States and Europe Renew Agreement on International Energy Efficiency
• The European Commission participation in Methane to Markets
• International Participation in Environmental Technology Verification
• Joint Report on the Roadmap for US-EU Regulatory Cooperation (PDF) (6 pp, 50K,  About PDF Files)
• Promoting Cooperation on Environmental Research and Ecoinformatics (PDF) (5 pp, 261K,  About PDF Files)

Additional Information on Bilateral and Regional Cooperation:

• UK: Cooperation on Integrated Permitting (PDF) (2 pp, 77K,  About PDF Files)
  • Read: Lessons from the U.K.'s Permitting Experience: Exploring New Directions for Environmental Permitting in the U.S.
• Italy: Joint Statement on Environmental Cooperation
• Spain: Joint Statement on Environmental Cooperation
• Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
• Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles

Contacts
For additional information about EPA's work with Europe and the European Union, contact:
Anna Phillips
Office of International Affairs (2650R)
U.S. EPA
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
Email: (phillips.anna@epa.gov)