Dr. Louis Meuleman, Special Visiting Professor in Public Governance at Leuven University, Belgium, was elected as the new chair. A member of the committee since 2020, Dr. Meuleman has previously served as both vice-chair and acting chair. He will lead the committee’s efforts to ensure strategic guidance and compliance with the EEA Regulation and Scientific Committee Rules of Procedure. 

Professor Adina Dumitru and Professor Teis Hansen, both newly appointed members in 2025, were elected as vice-chairs. They bring broad expertise in environmental psychology and innovation studies, respectively. 

Professor Dumitru is Professor of Psychology at the University of A Coruña, Spain, and President of the International Association of People-Environment Studies (IAPS). Professor Hansen is Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food and Resource Economics. 

Leena Ylä-Mononen, EEA Executive Director, commented: "The EEA Scientific Committee has been busy, starting the year by welcoming nine new members and this week electing a new chair and two new vice-chairs. The committee gives invaluable ‘hands-on’ input to EEA knowledge and contributes to the scientific quality of our work. I look forward to working closely with the newly-elected chair and vice-chairs as well as the other committee members over the coming years."

"I am very pleased and honored that the members have elected me to lead the committee in the coming years, in a leadership team with the two vice-chairs. In these very turbulent times, scientifically sound environmental evidence will be crucial to maintain and improve the EU’s environmental sustainability. The committee is well-placed and equipped to support the EEA with advice. We kick-started this week with discussions on future environmental knowledge needs and the challenges posed by widespread mis- and disinformation, among others", said Dr. Louis Meuleman, Chair of the EEA Scientific Committee.