The Environment Agency - Defra Sponsorship

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The Environment Agency's Corporate Strategy 2006-11

• The Environment Agency (EA) will be launching their Corporate Strategy in April 2006 and are inviting everyone to comment on their draft document which is currently out for consultation before its launch next year.
• The Corporate Strategy, which covers the period 2006-11, describes how the Agency intends to deliver, and monitor the delivery of, Central Government and the National Assembly's objectives for the Agency in England and Wales.
• For further information, see the Corporate Strategy on the Environment Agency website . The consultation period runs from 1 August to 31 October.

Introduction

The Environment Agency was established by the 1995 Environment Act and became fully operational on 1 April 1996. The Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Sponsored Public Body of the National Assembly for Wales. It employs around 10,500 staff and in 2000/2001 had an operational budget of around £642m, of which £167m was grant from the Agency's sponsoring Government Departments.The Environment Agency's remit covers the whole of England and Wales; about 15 million hectares of land, 36,000 kilometres of river and 5,000 kilometres of coastline, including 2 million hectares of coastal waters. The Agency's principal aim is to protect and enhance the environment and in doing so to make a contribution towards the objective of achieving sustainable development. In support of this aim, the Agency has a broad range of functions which include:

Further information on particular functions can be found on the Environment Agency website (see link below), or on the relevant policy sections of this website.

Structure

The Agency's structure is based on seven English regional offices and one in Wales (Environment Agency Wales), which operate through 26 Areas. Regions and Areas ensure national priorities are delivered at a local level while taking account of the needs of local communities and stakeholders. Head Office is responsible for corporate management of the Agency, including policy development, strategic and operational objective setting and performance management.

Role of Defra and the Secretary of State in relation to the Environment Agency

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has the lead sponsorship responsibility for the Agency as a whole and it is accountable to her for its day to day operations in England. In particular, the Secretary of State is responsible for the appointment of the Environment Agency Board (with the exception of one member appointed by the National Assembly for Wales) and its Chairman; overall policy on the environment and sustainable development within which the EA undertakes its work; the setting of objectives for the EA's functions and its contribution to sustainable development; the approval of its budget and payment of Government grant to the Agency for its activities in England and approval of its regulatory and charging regimes.

Further information

• Environment Agency Home Page

• Review of legislation affecting integration within the Environment Agency (June 2003)

• Government Response to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee's Report

• Financial Management and Policy Review (FMPR) of the Environment Agency

• Management Statement issued to the Environment Agency (19 July 2002)

• The Environment Agency's Objectives and Contribution to Sustainable Development: Statutory Guidance (16 December 2002). This follows wide consultation see the Environment Agency's Objectives and Contribution to Sustainable Development.

Contacts

Enquiries about the Environment Agency should be sent to: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Enquiries about Government's sponsorship of the Environment Agency should be sent to: eaw@defra.gsi.gov.uk

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