AbstractThe EEC Commission is currently developing a system of environmental classification and mapping as an aid to regional planning in Europe. This paper describes the proposed system and discusses the method and its objectives in relation to experience gained in applying the proposals in South Yorkshire. It is argued that although the objectives of the project are laudable, the approach which has been adopted may be unrealistic due to deficiencies in the available data, lack of knowledge about the environmental systems under consideration, and some conceptual and technical shortcomings in the proposed model.