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The impact of environmental risk factors on human health is a complicated and complex matter. Many issues are sensitive at the individual level; they are causing worries and anxiety which in some situations are even putting unjustified pressures on the political system to take action. Good, balanced and well phrased information is therefore of key importance when discussing and communicating relationships in environment and health. This was recognised by the European Commission at an early stage when it developed its Action Plan for Environment and Health 2004-2010. Communication and tools to aid communication is one of the key foci in the Action Plan.

The aim of this Action is to coordinate the production of a JRC Reference Report on Environment and Health. This will provide an authoritative high quality source of environment and health information. The report will conclude the JRC knowledge and experience in the area and follow a long JRC tradition of providing balanced and unbiased information. This report will be a follow up and an extension of the report which this Action produced together with the European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2005 (Environment and Health, EEA report 10/2005). The EEA report has been widely used in different political contexts from the EEA State of Environment Report 2005, the fourth assessment report "Europe's Environment" in the series 'Environment for Europe Process' (The Belgrade report), 2007, the Environment Council 'Environment and Health' conclusions of 2007, European Parliament resolution on Environment and Health, 2008 and in several NGO reports. There are already now several identified customers among them the Commission services and the European Environmental Agency. The Commission has started to prepare a follow up of the current Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 with a plan for a second phase spanning 2011-2018. The JRC Reference Report will provide up-to-date back-ground information for this process. The EEA is producing a new "State of the Environment" report for 2010, to which the JRC Reference report will feed in, and a 5th Assessment report for the UN-ECE Environment Ministerial Conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, 2011 (Environment for Europe Process).

An Environment and health information system is a priority in the Community Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010. INSPIRE could be a key element and important tool to reach this objective. The data specification Annex III.5 within the INSPIRE Directive covers Human health and safety, which is defined by the Directive as "Geographical distribution of dominance of pathologies, information indicating the effect on health or well-being of humans linked directly or indirectly to the quality of the environment." We will, in collaboration with the INSPIRE Action (No 11602) begin to identify which type of health data should be included under Annex III.5.

The reference report will include information in the Environment and Health area up to September 2009. Areas to be covered are:

" Environmental burden of disease

" Economic valuation of environmentally related health impacts

" Methods to assess exposure

Human bio-monitoring programmes

" Environmental risk factors:

Indoor and outdoor air

Radon

Physical factors (UV, noise, EMF)

Chemicals

" Environment and health implications of new and emerging technologies

" Climate change and impacts on human health

" Wildlife as early warning indicators for human health impacts

" Nature, biodiversity and positive effects on human health and well-being

" Current policy actions in the Environment and Health area

The report will be produced within the frame of the JRC's sub-Priority Area 1 - 'Environment and Health' with input from relevant JRC Actions in the IHCP and probably also other JRC institutes. The idea is to produce a report of 30- 50 pages with information at two different levels. A general body of text giving a broad overview, accompanied by specialised "fact sheets" with case studies and examples. The exact lay out and the detailed contents will be discussed and agreed with the participating authors. The report will begin with an executive summary based on key messages. Every chapter and every "fact sheet" will have an acknowledged author, thus giving visibility to everyone making contributions, and which can be reported as a deliverable from the JRC Actions that have agreed to contribute. The over-all coordination and editing will be done within this Action (ENVI-HEALTH). Before finalisation, the report will be sent to reviewers, (both scientific and policy orientated). The review process will ensure that the report gives a balanced and widely accepted view on the issues which in many cases are controversial.

The action will identify health data which should be included in the INSPIRE Directive Annex III.5: Human Health and Safety