UNECE Environmental Committee

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The UNECE's work on environmental issues led to the establishment of the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy in the Pan-European Union (CEP) in 1994. The CEP meets annually and supports countries in improving their environmental policies and transboundary cooperation, strengthening the implementation of regional environmental commitments, and promoting sustainable development.

Modeled on the OECD Environmental Performance Reviews (oecd-ilibrary.org), the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews are independent assessments of countries' progress in achieving their environmental policy objectives.

Since 1979, 16 international legally binding instruments – five conventions and eleven protocols – have been developed within the UNECE framework on air pollution, environmental impact assessment, industrial accidents, transboundary waters, water and health, and public participation. These international treaties, which represent important elements of a common European legal framework, are concrete and effective tools for overcoming the former dividing line between East and West and for integrating countries with economies in transition into a pan-European legal and economic area.