How to Become a Member of the Health and Environment Alliance

Membership of the Health and Environment Alliance is open to non-governmental organisations and other not for profit organisations and professional bodies, whether local, regional, national, European or international.

Applicants must:
 be legally constituted pursuant to the laws and customs of their country of origin;
 have no profit-making purpose;
 be independent of governments, political parties and commercial interests, and
 support the Health and Environment Alliance’s mission statement: "to protect the European environment as a means of promoting the health of all people living in Europe as well as to ensure the participation of citizens in environment and health-related policy making at the European level".

To join the the Health and Environment Alliance, please fill out the membership form below and send it to the Secretariat. Membership is currently free of charge for NGOs in new EU Member States, Central and Eastern Europe and NIS countries.

Health and Environment Alliance Membership Benefits

What will the Health and Environment Alliance membership provide?

INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH ISSUES AND EU POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
 Members’ Electronic Newsletter. An electronic newsletter will be sent by to member organisations. Regular features include recent EU policy developments, secretariat activities, members’ activities and forthcoming events on environment and public health related issues.
 Environment and Health Alerts. Short alerts will be sent to members via e-mail whenever an important development on environment and health-related EU policy takes place.
 Newslists. Special briefings on particular subjects of interest to a certain group of members are provided via an electronic mailing list. As and when requested by members, briefings on other mainstream subjects can be introduced.

COMMUNICATION AMONG MEMBERS
 Working Groups. As the Health and Environment Alliance is a new organisation, the working groups will invariably be adapted as necessary to reflect its member’s priorities and policy developments. Working groups will communicate primarily through email to exchange information, develop joint policy responses and advocacy campaigns.

To begin with, four Working Groups will be established as follows: Aarhus and participation, Children’s environment and health, Environment and health indicators and Chemicals. Working groups can be set up following members’ requests or at the suggestion of the secretariat, contingent upon resources. When requested, the HEAL secretariat can also facilitate the organisation of meetings in Brussels.
 Participation at seminars and training sessions organised by the Health and Environment Alliance.

VISIBILITY IN EU POLICY MAKING CIRCLES
 Health and Environment Alliance website: it provide links to campaigns, NGO activities, EU policies and other sources of information related to environment and health. Member organisations will also be featured to enhance public visibility of their activities and will have access to the Members’ only section of the website.

SUPPORT FOR ADVOCACY WORK
 Access to EU decision makers and major players enhanced by the Brussels expertise of Secretariat.
 Access to the Health and Environment Alliance comprehensive data base.

REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION AT EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL FORA
 Representation by HEAL staff persons and Executive Committee at working groups, conferences, and meetings organised by the EU institutions.
 Membership of European Environment and Health Committee through HEAL’s founding member, the European Public Health Alliance.
 Co-operation with the World Health Organisation.
 Ad hoc collaboration with NGOs involved in other sectors, such as consumers, farmers, women’s groups, transport and so on, in areas affecting environment and health.