19/06/2026 (Agence Europe) – The European Environment Agency (EEA) announced on Thursday, 18 June, that the agency and its European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) had welcomed Ukraine as a cooperating country—bringing the number of member countries to 32 and that of cooperating countries to eight. The EEA Management Board officially endorsed this decision, which makes Ukraine the eighth cooperating country alongside Moldova and the countries of the Western Balkans in particular. The agency stresses that Ukraine is facing strong environmental pressures (climate change, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, and water resources management). It also insists on the environmental impact of the war waged by Russia, which has caused significant damage to the land, water systems, air, and protected areas. This cooperation is part of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement and the enlargement process, Kyiv having obtained candidate country status in June 2022. (LC)