In a changing policy context the role of information provision is also changing and requires a better understanding of the connections between information and action. In this paper it will be discussed the interrelation between awareness, information and action, given the respective main european legal instruments, namely the Directive 90/313/EEC on the freedom of acess to information, effective since 1993, the new article in the Treaty of Amesterdam establishing the right of acess to documents held by EU institutions, and the EU and member states commitment to the ªhrus Convention, as well as some other specific legislative provisions (namely EIA and planning issues).

Three main needed research areas will be pointed out: i) relation between European Union data collection and provision of information on environment, and its effectiveness related to decision making; ii) appropriate tools to gather, assess and disseminate; iii) need for an agreed system of indicators which allow monitoring of progress in this domain.

All these three aspects are matter of concern for the European Environment Agency given its relation to the evaluation and dissemination of information and provision of a scientific and rational basis for decision making, as stated in its mandate.