OUR WORKING GROUPS
The EEB Working Groups play a central role in the daily work of the EEB. They are the primary forum through which EEB members collaborate with each other on substantive issues.
To be effective, close co-operation and the exchange of information between the EEB and its member organisations is crucial. The Working Groups bring together environmentalists from all over Europe to discuss the priorities set by EEB members in the organisation’s long-term strategy and annual work programmes. The Working Groups allow members to agree EEB’s policy positions and develop joint strategies to influence policies at a national, European and international level. They also facilitate the sharing of best practice, meetings with policy experts and allow participants to keep up to date with the latest political developments in Brussels and around Europe.
Full and associate EEB members can join as many Working Groups as they like. Working groups typically meet once or twice a year and use collaborative tools to work together during the rest of the year. They are usually coordinated by a member of the EEB staff. The EEB generally contributes towards travel and accommodation costs for one participant per full member per country to attend the Working Group meetings, though it may cover more or less depending on the budget available for the specific topic.
Organisations interested in membership are encouraged to join one or two of the EEB’s Working Groups for a three-month trial period. Joining a Working Group is the best way to better understand how the EEB works!
Learn more about our Working Groups by browsing through the list below and contact the EEB staff in charge for more information.
Learn more about our Working Groups
1
Agriculture

Topics of interest to the group include:
• The CAP and related policies
• EU nature legislation
• Energy policies
• Air quality
The Agriculture Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by , Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture and Food Systems.
2
Air

• Development and implementation of EU legislation on air quality (e.g. Ambient Air Quality Directives, NEC Directive)
• Development and implementation of source policies (e.g. agriculture, domestic heating, industry, energy production, transport, shipping)
• Development of relevant legislation and policies at international level (especially under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution)
The Clean Air Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by the Margherita Tolotto, Senior Policy Officer for Air and Noise.
3
Biodiversity

Topics of interest to the group include:
• The implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
• The new Nature Restoration Law
- The implementation and enforcement of the Nature Directives
The Biodiversity Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Water and Biodiversity and Laura Hildt, Policy Officer for Biodiversity and EU Affairs
4
Bioenergy
The EEB Working Group on Bioenergy contributes to the development of a new policy that really delivers and is formulated into a truly effective sustainability policy for bioenergy In addition it monitors the implementation of existing legislation to limit foodbased biofuels and emissions from indirect land use change that was adopted in 2015.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Monitor implementation of the biofuels/ indirect land use change (ILUC) provisions of the revised existing Renewable Energy Directive;
• Support the adoption of an effective and meaningful sustainability policy on bioenergy use in the negotiations on the new Clean Energy Package;
• Further clarifying the distinction between sustainable and unsustainable bioenergy with a view to promoting the former and opposing the latter.
The Bioenergy Working Group is currently a virtual Working Group only. It has a mailing list but no physical meetings are organized. For more information, please contact Emma Ernsth, Director of Membership and Development.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Monitor implementation of the biofuels/ indirect land use change (ILUC) provisions of the revised existing Renewable Energy Directive;
• Support the adoption of an effective and meaningful sustainability policy on bioenergy use in the negotiations on the new Clean Energy Package;
• Further clarifying the distinction between sustainable and unsustainable bioenergy with a view to promoting the former and opposing the latter.
The Bioenergy Working Group is currently a virtual Working Group only. It has a mailing list but no physical meetings are organized. For more information, please contact Emma Ernsth, Director of Membership and Development.
5
Chemicals

Topics of interest to the group include:
• Non-toxic environment strategy
• Circular economy
• Better regulation
• National activities
The Chemicals Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Tatiana Santos, Policy Manager for Chemicals & Nanotechnology.
6
Coolproducts

Topics of interest to the group include:
• Correct implementation of ecodesign and energy labelling requirements
• Energy savings
• A circular approach: On recyclability, reparability and toxic-free design
• Empowering consumers
• The bigger picture: Circular Economy
The Coolproducts Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Stephane Arditi, Director of Policy Integration and Circular Economy.
7
Ecolabel

The Ecolabel Working Group strives to ensure requirements of environmental excellence which can make a difference for the environment and citizens. its also aims at reinforcing the relevance of the instrument within the EU product policy framework and communicating its benefits towards consumers, procurers, retailers and producers.
The Ecolabel Working Group is coordinated by Coordinator for EU Ecolabel, Blanca Morales.
8
Ecological products policy

The EEB is also pushing for new schemes and economic incentives for longer lasting, more reparable and recyclable products. Stronger links should be established between product and chemical policy to prevent the use of hazardous material, to avoid their re-injection in the economy within recycled material.
The Ecological Products Policy Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Jean-Pierre Schweitzer, Senior Policy Officer for Circular Economy and Product Policy.
9
Economic Transition

• alternative measurements of well-being and prosperity beyond GDP,
• the question of how the objective of ‘sustainable economic growth’ enshrined in e.g. SDG-8 can be reconciled with the necessity to significantly reduce overall resource consumption levels and pollution,
• the relationship between a growing volume of global trade (also through new trade agreements), that is, the metabolism of the global economy, versus the carrying capacity of the planet
• the relationship between the sustainable development agenda and current negotiations on legally-binding rules and regulations on corporate responsibility and accountability.
The Economic Transition Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Policy Officer for Economic Transition, Katharina Wiese.
10
Energy and Climate

Topics of interest to the group include:
• Energy savings in buildings, transport and manufacturing
• Role of energy efficiency in a 100% renewable energy system
• Decarbonisation of industrial production
• Energy infrastructures and grids
• Nature compatible energy transition
The Energy and Climate Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Barbara Mariani, Senior Policy Officer for Climate.
11
Green Budget
The EEB Working Group on Green Budget is a forum to discuss how ecological fiscal reform and green budgeting can help catalyse a just transition to a sustainable Europe.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Monitoring progress of fiscal reform at EU and Member State level and opportunities for new commitments
• Keep a watching brief on developments in relation to the preparation and implementation of the post-2020 EU budget as well as wider green finance.
The thematic focus of the Working Group is developing, and over time will include climate change, circular economy, economic sanctions, biodiversity and water.
The Green Budget Working Group includes experts from EEB member organisations as well as academia and government experts.
The Working Group meets twice a year and is coordinated by Policy Officer on Fiscal Reform for Circular Economy and Carbon Neutrality Marco Musso.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Monitoring progress of fiscal reform at EU and Member State level and opportunities for new commitments
• Keep a watching brief on developments in relation to the preparation and implementation of the post-2020 EU budget as well as wider green finance.
The thematic focus of the Working Group is developing, and over time will include climate change, circular economy, economic sanctions, biodiversity and water.
The Green Budget Working Group includes experts from EEB member organisations as well as academia and government experts.
The Working Group meets twice a year and is coordinated by Policy Officer on Fiscal Reform for Circular Economy and Carbon Neutrality Marco Musso.
12
Industry

The group comes together to form EEB policy by sharing scientific evidence and experience of best practices from the Member State level.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED)
• The Sevilla Process and related BREF work
• The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR)
• The SEVESO III Directive (accidents involving dangerous substances)
• Related EU policies (liability, environmental impact assessments, chemical legislation, etc)
The Industry Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Policy Manager for Industrial Production Christian Schaible.
13
Law

Topics of interest to the group include:
• Press for sectoral as well as horizontal initiatives to ensure effective compliance;
• Follow the EU work on the Environmental Implementation Review and help identifying and promoting solutions to Member State-specific issues;
• Collecting information on complaints cases about bad transposition of the EIA Directive or about breaches in its application.
The Law Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Francesca Carlsson, Senior Legal Officer and Lead on Trade and Due Diligence.
14
Nanomaterials
The EEB Working Group on Nanomaterials works on the EU legislative framework to address nanomaterials, in particular through the chemicals EU legislation, REACH.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Transparency measures with regard to nanomaterials and EU wide register
• Nanomaterials in cosmetics
• Nanomaterials in food
• National activities
The Nanomaterials Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Tatiana Santos, Policy Manager for Chemicals & Nanotechnology.
Topics of interest to the group include:
• Transparency measures with regard to nanomaterials and EU wide register
• Nanomaterials in cosmetics
• Nanomaterials in food
• National activities
The Nanomaterials Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Tatiana Santos, Policy Manager for Chemicals & Nanotechnology.
15
Noise

Topics of interest to the group include:
• Monitor developments on EU noise policies (END and source policy) in particular if the Commission comes up with a proposal to revise the END.
The Noise Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Margherita Tolotto, Senior Policy Officer for Air and Noise.
16
Soil

Topics of interest to the group include:
• The 7th Environmental Action Programme;
• Support the adoption of a dedicated EU legal instrument for soil protection.
The Soil Working Group is coordinated by Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Water and Biodiversity.
17
Textiles Taskforce

Topics of interest to the group include:
- new product policy instruments applied to textile products (e.g. Ecodesign requirements for textiles and information provision through a product passport)
- phasing out hazardous chemicals used in textile production
- microplastic pollution
- stopping greenwashing through the substantiation of green claims
- circular business models
- human rights and environmental due diligence
The Textiles Taskforce meets regularly virtually and is coordinated by Emily Macintosh, Policy Officer for Textiles.
18
Waste

The following topics are currently under discussion:
• New EU waste framework directive, its transposition and implementation at the national level
• EU and international policies to reduce the increasing amount of e-waste
• Biowaste: separate collection and prevention.
• Waste incineration and landfill
• Packaging Waste
• Zero Waste strategies among municipalities and regions.
• The bigger picture: the Circular Economy
The Waste Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Piotr Barczak, Senior Policy Officer for Waste.
19
Water

Topics of interest to the group include:
• The upcoming Fitness Check of the Water Framework Directive
• River Basin Management Plans
The Water Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Water and Biodiversity
20
Zero Mercury

The ZMWG meets at least once a year and is co-cordinated by Elena Lymberidi Settimo, Project Manager for the EEB Zero Mercury Campaign, and Michael Bender, Mercury Policy Project (MPP, US)
21
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Activities of interest to the group include:
• Participate in and provide input to the HLPF processes at global and regional levels;
• Actively engage in the debates around the future development of the stakeholder engagement mechanisms;
• Monitor and influence EU involvement in those processes;
• Work with SDG Watch Europe and exchange with Action 4 Sustainable Development, a large global coalition focussing on SDG implementation and advocacy.
The 2030 Agenda Working Group meets once or twice a year and is coordinated by Patrizia Heidegger, Director for Global Policies and Sustainability.