The geopolitical situation in Europe continues to evolve and complexify, with new pressures emerging daily. Climate change mitigation, sustainable development, and environmental protection, once at the top of national and international agendas, have been overshadowed by concerns over security, trade, and migration. In this complicated context, there is less time, money, and attention to give to environmental advice. Many councils are having to adapt their topics and methods, and some are facing threats to their funding, operations, and even continued existence.
The EEAC Network's Annual Assembly is an opportunity for its member councils to come together to share experiences, common problems, and best practices. For this year's edition, councils are invited to discuss how they are adapting to the turbulent geopolitical context, and how they may be changing their strategies on providing environmental advice, in the face of shifting priorities for governments and the European Commission.
The Assembly is being held in conjunction with the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)'s high-level conference on planetary boundaries and sufficiency, which will take place on Tuesday, 6th October 2026, in Berlin. Councils are encouraged to attend this conference and bring learnings from it to the EEAC Assembly the following day.
The Assembly will feature a round table for councils to share updates on their work and experiences of the year so far, an opportunity to exchange best practices and identify any new common topics. An informative session will follow on the science-policy interface, a key theme for the EEAC this year, as part of the Network's ongoing collaboration with the European Environment Agency. In the afternoon, time will be dedicated to the Working Groups. We look forward to a productive meeting, to learn from each other and to reinforce our links as a network