![ACCENT](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/accent.jpg?itok=ghBGmlU9)
Changes in atmospheric composition directly affect many aspects of life, determining climate, air quality and atmospheric inputs to ecosystems. In turn, these changes affect the fundamental necessities for human existence: human health, food production, ecosystem health and water. Atmospheric composition change research is therefore fundamental for the future orientation of Europe's Sustainable Development strategy. The overall goals of ACCENT are to promote a common European strategy for research on atmospheric composition change, to develop and maintain durable means of communication and collaboration within the European scientific community, to facilitate this research and to optimise two-way interactions with policy-makers and the general public. ACCENT will establish Europe as an international leader in atmospheric composition change research, able to steer research agendas through its involvement in major international programmes. ACCENT furthermore aims to become the authoritative voice in Europe on issues dealing with atmospheric composition change and sustainability. The ACCENT joint research programme focuses on aerosols, biosphere-atmosphere interaction and transport and transformation of pollutants and it also looks for new partnership in economic and Earth System analysis. Integration will be achieved by creating common facilities and activities including: dedicated interactive web portal, models, data-bases, measurement platforms, training and education opportunities, quality assurance procedures and facilities, integrated assessment and synthesis of scientific results and an interface with the general public. The excellence and the commitment of the ACCENT Partnership guarantee an effective and durable integration of the European atmospheric composition change research and that it becomes a pillar of the European Research Area.