At the Rio Conference in 1992 one would have needed a truck to carry the state of the environment information presented there back home. Today, information is more compact and easier to disseminate through the use of electronic media, such as the Internet and CD-ROM. In addition, efforts have been undertaken to standardize, streamline and popularize this information. UNEP, in cooperation with other international organisations - such as the EEA and PHARE - have taken a lead in strengthening the existing national and regional environmental information networks in Central and Eastern Europe and the NIS to make environmental information more widely accessible to policy-makers, planners and the general public. Results of these activities are presented on the enclosed compact disc 'State of the Environment Reports Sampler', which features a 'Cookbook for State of the Environment Reporting on the Internet' - straight-for- ward guidelines on how to make your own State-of-the-Environment report. This compact disc documents the progress made in environmental information management over the past six years. It provides a sample of the most current products available and highlights clear examples of well structured, cross-sector, and easily accessible environmental information. The challenge remains to put this information into action.