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NERI Tasks

The National Environmental Research Institute is an independent research institute under the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy. NERI's mission is to provide a sound and informed scientific basis for making environmental decisions at the political, administrative and commercial levels.

As a research institute, NERI is independent of the political/administrative system when undertaking research and monitoring and presenting its findings. This independence is ensured by legislation, responsibility for the general affairs of NERI having been assigned to a Board of Governors representing the interests of both research and users.

	NERI Facts – Tasks
	Agreement on result targets 2000-2003
	Four main categories of activities
	International co-operation
	NERI’s structure
	NERI's Board of Governors
	Anual reports

NERI's task is to help fulfil the Government's goal of an environmental policy based on knowledge. The Statutory Order governing NERI assigns the Institute responsibility for "research, consultancy services, monitoring and information activities within the environment and nature areas, including the atmospheric environment, the environment and nature in inland and marine waters, the terrestrial environment and nature, as well as concerning the relationships between society's activities and the state of the environment and nature".

Agreement on result targets 2000-2003
In 1999, NERI adopted Strategy 2000 outlining how NERI can help facilitate sustainable societal development over the next 58 years. The strategy describes NERI's vision (see box) and stipulates strategic targets towards which NERI will work in the coming years.

Based on this strategy, NERI entered into a new results target agreement with the Ministry of Environment and Energy at the end of 1999 for the period 20002003. In the new result targets agreement, the main goals of NERI's work are collated under four headings: Visible results, quality, scientific expertise, and integration of knowledge.

The result targets agreement is a multi-year plan specifying result targets for the coming years. It is implemented in the form of projects, budgets and milestones in the annual work programmes. NERI's result targets agreement, strategy (both in Danish) and current project plans are presented on NERI's Internet homepage: www.dmu.dk.

Vision. NERI will support sustainable development by explaining how environmental problems can be solved. This means that NERI has to be able to provide highly qualified advice and analyses in the nature, environment and energy areas based on the newest national and international scientific and technological progress. NERI provides advice to the State, Counties, Municipalities and the private sector. NERI is to be the whole nation's environmental research institute and contribute to enhancing Denmark's international profile in the environmental area.

Four main categories of activities

Research. NERI undertakes both applied research, directed at alleviating specific environmental problems, and long-term strategic research. The research activities support NERI's scientific consultancy and monitoring work.

Monitoring. NERI undertakes monitoring in order to evaluate the effect of political/administrative measures and to provide an overview of developments in order to facilitate the early identification of environmental problems.

Consultancy. NERI serves as scientific advisor to the Danish Parliament and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, as well as to other public authorities, private organisations and enterprises. The advice is provided in the form of analyses, reports and replies to inquiries, as well as through the participation of NERI staff in various commissions and committees.

Dissemination of information. NERI targets dissemination of its research and monitoring findings through various channels ranging from scientific papers in international journals, to scientific reports and technical instructions, to popular scientific articles and reports in the mass media.
In addition, NERI disseminates knowledge through participation in meetings and symposia.

International co-operation
NERI participates intensively in international research projects funded at the international level (EU, Nordic Council of Ministers, etc.), and is involved in the work of the European Environment Agency (EEA) as the Danish National Focal Point. Moreover, NERI is involved in tasks concerning transboundary environmental problems relating to air pollution, the Arctic environment, tropical rain forests, etc. Finally, NERI participates in professional committees and commissions under the EU and a number of other international organisations.

NERI's structure
NERI is an independent research institute under the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy. Strategic management is the responsibility of NERI's Board of Governors while day-to-day management is the responsibility of the Director General. The scientific activities are organized under eleven research departments.

The departments are centred at three locations: Roskilde near Copenhagen, Silkeborg in Jutland and Kalø in Jutland. The centres in Roskilde and Silkeborg comprise fully equipped modern laboratories and facilities built in 1991. These meet all relevant safety requirements in connection with the handling of toxic substances and genetically modified microorganisms and plants. Small research plots are available at Roskilde and Silkeborg while large research areas covering agricultural fields and woodlands are available at Kalø.

	Henrik Sandbech Director General, MSc
	Peter Koefoed Bjørnsen Deputy Director General, PhD
	Torben Moth Iversen Deputy Director General, MSc

Personnel and Economy Secretariat
Economy; legal aspects of funding; budgets; legal assistance; personnel management; organizational development; real estate management; records; switchboard; internal service functions.

2002-06-03