Environment and health policy

Overview, assessments and needs of environment and health policy in the pan-European Region

Effective policies can lead to significant improvements in health and environmental conditions. The transboundary nature of environment and health issues has resulted in international pan-European policy actions, also affecting national policy making. The key players at pan-European level are the European Commission and WHO/Europe. At the national level, the policy approach to environmental health issues varies by country. National policies benefit individual countries and contribute to improve the global situation.

This section provides an overview of environment and health policies at the international and national level in the pan-European Region. An analysis has been of the information needs in 18 European countries, in the context of accountable policy making (see below).

• International level includes an inventory of policies on ENHIS environmental health issues, a series of topic-based assessments of the national environmental health policy situation in 18 European countries and an assessment of information needs in international policy making
• National level includes an assessment of information needs in national policy making processes covering 18 European countries
• Analysis on information needs in environmental health policy making (.pdf)

What is accountable policy making?

Accountable policy making refers to clear-cut policy targets defined, implemented and evaluated by means of effective policy instruments within an organized and coordinated system. Ideally, the policies should be strengthened or modified according to how well or poorly they meet their objectives.