Is gardening one of your interests? If so and you live in central or northern Europe the 'killer slug' is probably one of your personal enemies. The slug, which attacks your herbs and vegetables relentlessly, seems immune to control measures.

The killer slug, suffocating lobster, globe trotting televisions and dangerous air particles are just some of the topics featured in EEA Signals 2009, a new annual publication from the European Environment Agency, launched today in Prague by Czech Environment Minister Bursik and Executive Director of the EEA, Professor Jacqueline McGlade.

The EEA, in partnership with its network of 32 member countries, monitors the environment across Europe. Finding, reading and understanding the range of 'signals' regarding the health and diversity of our environment is at the heart of what the Agency does. EEA Signals 2009, which will be published in all 26 EEA languages, takes a story-based approach to provide a snapshot of key environmental topics of special relevance to the year ahead.

2009 offers a remarkable opportunity to engage the global community and to begin to deal with the environmental challenge proper. We need to move carefully but quickly. The scale of the challenge should neither paralyse us into inaction nor stifle valuable debate. In this context, I welcome the EEA Signals, which is aimed at the broad range of European citizens, Minister Bursik said.

The stories in EEA Signals are not exhaustive but have been selected on the basis of their relevance to the current environmental policy debate in Europe. They address priority issues of climate change, nature and biodiversity, the use of natural resources and health and the environment.

As our need to mitigate and adapt to climate change becomes more urgent, so our need to communicate effectively with a wide audience also increases in importance. Before we can motivate people to take action, we need to engage and empower them, and their governments, to act, Professor McGlade said.

EEA Signals is an annual publication profiling key environmental stories for the coming twelve months. Signals 2009 includes the following articles:

- Not just hot air: Global diplomacy and the search for a successor to the Kyoto protocol
- If the well runs dry: Climate change adaptation and water
- Killer Slugs and other Aliens: The killer slug is just one threat to Europe's fragile biodiversity.
- Every breath you take: Air quality in Europe
- If bioenergy goes boom: Large scale bioenergy production bears considerable environmental risks. How will the great bio debate unfold?
- Fish out of water: Marine management in a changing climate - Taking CAP in hand: reform of the Common Agriculture Policy
- Not in my Backyard: International shipments of waste