APAT serves as the National Focal Point for the European Environment Agency and as National Reference Centre for many topics, also participating in certain topical consortia (ETC – European Topic Centre) in partnership with European environmental agencies and institutions.

APAT is part of the network consisting of the directors and chairmen of the European environmental protection agencies, presided over by the EEA (European Environment Agency). The network’s objective is to strengthen cooperation among the environmental agencies of an expanded Europe by promoting high-profile dialogue on the operational challenges facing these agencies as they implement environmental policies within their respective countries.  APAT therefore contributed to the “1st High-Level Meeting of the Heads/Directors of the European Environmental Protection Agencies” held in Copenhagen in November 2003, during which consolidation of relations among the participating agencies was set as the primary objective.
APAT then hosted the 2nd EPA meeting in Rome on March 11-12, 2004, at its headquarters at Via Curtatone. The Rome meeting encouraged high-level dialogue on the problems encountered during implementation of environmental policies. The topics dealt with included in particular an evaluation of environmental performance, regarding which APAT, in collaboration with the Swedish environmental agency SEPA, prepared a document on common instruments for identifying good practices in implementing legislation and disseminating them.   This document will form the core of an ad hoc task force to develop the topic, with coordination by the Swedish agency and by APAT, in collaboration with the other interested European agencies. Other topics dealt with included the environmental impact of agriculture and a contribution to the European Commission’s formulation of a “Topical strategy for the sustainable use of natural resources”.
The third meeting will be held in the United Kingdom in September 2004. 
 

APAT also participates in the DISMED (Desertification Information System in the Mediterranean Area) project, promoted by the Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and coordinated by the European Environment Agency in cooperation with the Applied Meteorology Foundation.

 

APAT meets Italy's obligations deriving from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, also participating in the inspections conducted by EURATOM as part of the same treaty.