On January 1st, 2014, a new five-year phase of the European Topic Centre on Climate Change impacts, vulnerability and Adaptation (ETC/CCA) of the European Environment Agency (EEA)  has started. The new phase also corresponds to the new 2014-2018 EEA strategy and Multiannual Work Programme (MAWP).

The 2014-2018 ETC/CCA Consortium is led by CMCC and made up of 14 Partner Organisations from EEA member countries that combine their thematic expertise in the area of climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.The CMCC coordinating team consist of: Sergio Castellari as Manager/Coordinator and Silvia Medri and Lorella Reda as Deputy Managers.

The ETC/CCA will support the EEA in informing policy development and implementation in the area of climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation (CCIVA) by means of data, information/indicators and assessments. Moreover, it will support policy processes such as the EU 2013 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (including the maintenance of Climate-ADAPT) and other EU environmental, sectoral policies that require mainstreaming of climate change adaptation (e.g. 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, 2012 Water Blueprint, Water Framework Directive, Floods Directive, ICZM Strategy).
In 2014 its main activities will include major input into two key EEA reports – ”National adaptation policy processes across Europe” and “Adaptation in the transport sector” – and key input into one other: “TERM (transport and environment report)”; the developing of updated CCIVA indicators and the maintenance of Climate-ADAPT.

About the ETC/CCA

The European Topic Centre on Climate Change impacts, vulnerability and Adaptation (ETC/CCA) is a Consortium of European Organizations contracted by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to carry out specific tasks – as identified in the ETC/CCA annual Action Plan (AP) – coherently with the EEA five-year strategy and Multiannual Work Programme and specific EEA Annual Work Programme in the area of climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation (CCIVA) across Europe.

As such, the ETC/CCA is an integral part of and support to the European environment information and observation network (Eionet): the EEA partnership network which is crucial to the agency in collecting and organising data and in developing and disseminating information.

Since 1 January 2011 The ETC/CCA assists the EEA in supporting EU policy development on CCIVA and disaster risk prevention by providing relevant information and contributing to the harmonisation, quality assessment and exchange of data and/or information. This encompasses: knowledge base, data and indicators on climate change and its impacts across sectors and regions, assessment of climate change vulnerabilities and natural hazard risks to society and ecosystems and current or planned adaptation strategies and actions, as well as capacity building in EEA member countries.