Senior Management Team

Heads of Programme biographies

Chris Steenmans

Chris Steenmans is Head of Data and Information Services (DIS) at the EEA. He is responsible for managing the information and communication technology, Eionet data flows and the development of environmental thematic information services. He coordinates the EEA activities related to the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS), the European Spatial Data Infrastructure (Inspire), the European Earth observation programme (Copernicus) and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). He is actively involved in the coordination of the Copernicus in-situ component and the land monitoring services.

He graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 1981 as M.S. degree in Geosciences and was researcher at the Department of Cartography KUL until 1985 developing satellite based land cover mapping. During the past 30 years, he has been involved in several activities related to the Corine programme for coordinating and providing access to European environmental data and information.

Before joining the EEA in 1997, he worked for 12 years in the private sector for delivering remote sensing, data management, Geographic Information System (GIS) and mapping services. From 1985 until 1993 he worked with Eurosense in Belgium as head of the remote sensing and image processing department. Afterwards he worked as a consultant for Unisfere at the University of Besançon in France. From 1995 until 1997, he was project manager for remote sensing and GIS activities with Geographic Information Management in Belgium.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Chris Steenmans)

Jock Martin

Jock Martin is Head of Coordination, Networks and Strategy (CNS) at the EEA. 

He has a BA honours degree in pure mathematics, economics and statistics from Queens University Belfast (1985). From 1986 to 1991, he worked for the UK Government on statistics for industrial production, GDP and overseas trade. He has been involved in environmental statistics, indicators and assessments since 1991 initially for six years at the Department for the Environment in the UK where he was an author of the first national indicator report on sustainable development.

He was EEA National Focal Point (NFP) for the UK from 1991-1997. Since joining the EEA in 1997 he has been strongly involved in building capacities in the Eionet, has designed EEA priority data flows and core indicators and has authored several integrated assessment reports.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Jock Martin)

Katja Rosenbohm

Katja Rosenbohm is Head of Communications (COM) at the EEA and is responsible for the EEA communication strategy and its implementation. She coordinates EEA strategic messages in order to contribute to political and public agendas. Katja ensures that EEA communication initiatives are fully integrated into the agendas of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers. The programme is responsible for the tools and channels used to publish and communicate EEA findings and ensures that they are adapted to the  way society creates and consumes information.

She was appointed Head of Programme in 2009. Katja holds a university degree in geophysics and has worked for more than 20 years within the environment and energy sectors on communications and public relations.

Before joining the EEA, she worked at the German Emissions Trading Authority – part of the German Environment Agency – where she built up and headed the Communications and Customer Services Section. Before that she worked for many years as a PR consultant on environment and energy issues focusing on Eastern European markets.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Katja Rosenbohm)

Riyong Kim

Riyong Kim is Head of Sustainability Transitions (STR) at the EEA.

The activities of Programme include the five year European state of the environment and outlook report (SOER). The work of the programme covers sustainability challenges and responses including the many interdependencies between social, economic and environmental objectives in Europe and globally. Key foci include progress towards policy objectives and targets, drivers of change, foresight, system transitions, indicators, environmental accounting, environmental economics, sustainable finance, and urban sustainability.

Prior to joining EEA, Riyong led the programme on Decision Metrics and Finance at EIT Climate KIC. This work included developing a systems innovation approach to tackling short-termism and mainstreaming climate in financial markets in the EU. She has worked in environmental and climate policy closely with UN Environment and UNFCCC, and before that, led the work on developing the methodology for capturing environmental and forest resources under the Living Standards Measurement Survey with the UN FAO, CIFOR, and World Bank PROFOR, and for the regional ENPI-FLEG program with IUCN. 

Riyong has an interdisciplinary background, with a B.A., and B.Sc. in Environmental Science from University of New South Wales, Australia, and a M.Sc. in Agricultural Development (Forestry) and Ph.D. In Natural Resource Economics from University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She started her career working in international development and leading country programmes in Timor Leste and Aceh, Indonesia, and brings experience from the Brazilian Amazon, and Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as EU and CEE countries.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Riyong Kim)

Søren Brostrup Nielsen

Søren Brostrup Nielsen is Head of Administrative Services (ADS) at the EEA. He is responsible for human resource management, budgeting and finance and resource management, accounting, legal matters (including procurement and grants) and facility management. He participates in the network of Heads of administration of EU Agencies and other inter-agency networks relevant to the ADS Programme.

He has an M.Sc. in Economics and Business administration (Cand. Merc. Human Resource Management) from Copenhagen Business School. He took up duties in the EEA in 2000 and has worked as resource manager and later as Head of Group Finance, Budget and Resources. Prior to being employed at the EEA, he was head of section at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Copenhagen.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Søren Brostrup Nielsen)

Martin Adams

Martin Adams is Head of Biodiversity, Health and Resources at EEA. He is responsible for the strategic development and operational activities of the Agency's work in the areas of environment and health including air pollution, noise and chemicals, as well as waste, industrial pollution and resource efficiency/circular economy dimensions. The general work of the programme covers data flows and regular reporting, indicators, assessments and networking activities towards EEA’s key stakeholders.

He holds a BSc honours degree (1995) and a PhD in chemistry (1999) from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Martin has worked at the EEA since 2007, initially as a project manager responsible for air emissions and air quality data and indicators, and later as the head of the air pollution, transport and noise group. Prior to joining the EEA, he worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the U.K., before moving to an environmental consultancy position working across specific environment, health and climate mitigation topics for organisations including European national governments and agencies, and different EU institutions.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Martin Adams)

Eva Jensen

Eva Jensen is Head of Climate change, Energy and Transport (CET) at EEA. She is responsible for the strategic development of the Agency's work in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation, land use change and forestry, as well as the cross-cutting themes on energy and transport. The work of the CET programme covers data flows, indicators, regular reporting and assessment activities.

She has a MSc in economics and management from the University of Copenhagen. Before joining the EEA, she worked as Director of Secretariat for the Danish Council on Climate Change, Head of Cabinet and Deputy Head of Cabinet for European Commissioner for Climate action, the European Commission, and as Head of Department and Special Advisor at the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy, Danish Ministry of Environment, Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Danish Energy Agency. She has 20 years of professional experience with climate and energy issues.

Public declaration of interests and declaration of confidentiality (Eva Jensen)

Additional information

• Dealing with potential conflicts of interest