Green Plans are long-term, comprehensive strategies for addressing environmental problems at source by integration of environmental considerations into national policies and programmes of all sectors of activity. Several examples exist in Europe and more are currently being developed. Denmark, France, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands and the UK have already adopted a Green Plan which establishes targets up to the year 2000. Targets are specified for themes (eg, climate change, acidification, eutrophication) and sectors and groups (eg, industry, energy, agriculture, transport, consumers). Partnership with all sectors of society through new forms of participation is pursued for ensuring implementation, and monitoring mechanisms and state-of-the-environment reporting are generally developed. A few examples are: Denmark: Our Common Future, the Danish Government's Action Plan; France: Le Plan Vert; Ireland: An Environmental Action Programme; The Netherlands: National Environmental Policy Plan and NEPP Plus; Norway: Report to the Storting No 46 and The Future is Now; UK: This Common Inheritance; EU: Towards Sustainability, the fifth Environmental Action Programme.