In 1987, the International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation, formerly ICP Crops) was established to consider the underlying science for quantifying damage to plants by ozone and other air pollutants. In 2001, the ICP Vegetation expanded its research area to included heavy metal deposition from the atmosphere. The programme took over responsibility for coordinating the European heavy metals biomonitoring network using mosses (‘European Heavy Metals in Mosses Survey’) from the Nordic Working Group on Monitoring Data, Nordic Council of Ministers. In the most recent moss survey in 2005/6, the nitrogen concentration in mosses was also included. The ICP Vegetation also synthesises information on the impacts of nitrogen–based pollutants on vegetation. Over 200 scientists from 35 countries participate in the ICP Vegetation Programme. Participants meet each year at a Task Force Meeting to discuss recent results and the future development of the programme.