On 9 December, the EPA Network Interest Group on Sustainability Research and Solutions (IG EPAS) met online as a follow-up to the joint IG EPAS–CASRI workshop in Cardiff in October 2025. The meeting was chaired by Stephan Bartke (German Environment Agency – UBA) and brought together representatives from several European Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs), including SYKE (Finland), FOEN (Switzerland), PBL (Netherlands), IHOBE (Basque Country), SAZP (Slovakia) and the EPA of Ireland. Nicolas Perritaz (European Environment Agency), Secretary of the EPA Network, also joined the meeting.
From Cardiff momentum to a network position
Participants reviewed the current draft of a joint communication intended to inform upcoming exchanges with the European Commission on research and innovation. Building on feedback from Cardiff, the group discussed how to support both internal coordination across agencies and clear, externally focused messages to European partners — in particular DG RTD and other relevant Commission services.
The discussion confirmed the direction towards a streamlined and actionable set of recommendations, while retaining the underlying CASRI evidence base and concrete examples. Participants emphasised the value of sharing CASRI findings together with EPA expertise and implementation perspectives, and of inviting European partners to indicate where EPA knowledge could best support policy priorities with co-benefits for a healthy, clean and sustainable Europe.
Mapping capacities and strengthening collaboration across agencies
As a follow-up to Cardiff, IG EPAS discussed launching a short questionnaire to map EPA strategic interests and competencies against prioritised CASRI topics, building on CASRI’s early results (“Selected Topics for the matchmaking process for environmental and sustainability research and innovation”). The objective is to support a structured overview of “who can contribute what” across the network, helping to move from ad hoc exchanges towards more durable collaboration formats.
Looking ahead: community, continuity and next activities
The meeting welcomed the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVGMC) as a new Observer to IG EPAS and initiated a discussion on possible activities beyond 2025. Participants also noted that IG EPAS will remain in close exchange with CASRI in 2026. Further ideas included thematic exchange workshops across EPAs, light-touch advisory formats, and exploring an in-person IG EPAS meeting in 2026.