The plans will now go for a wider public consultation ahead of setting up a shadow body (April 2012) and governing body (April 2013) for the new organisation.

Two hundred Prospect members across the three bodies have grappled with the ramifications of change and it has proved difficult to reach consensus on the advantages and disadvantages.

On the plus side, there is little doubt that the current Welsh government places a higher premium on environmental and sustainability issues than the Conservative/LibDem government in Westminster.

Prospect members from Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales acknowledge that it provides a great opportunity for a more joined up and sustainable approach to managing the environment.

Earlier this year, however, Prospect warned that unless safeguards are put in place, breaking off FC Wales could fracture the entire organisation and severely affect the viability of the scientific work undertaken by its research arm, Forest Research. Forestry adds £841m in value to the Welsh economy every year and employs 10,000 people directly, 8,500 more indirectly.

Prospect negotiator Malcolm Currie said: "We will continue to ask questions about how the forest management role will be reconciled against the regulatory role, and how the Welsh government sees Wales contributing to the Forest Research role. These are just a few of the questions which will affect many members' jobs, both inside and outside Wales."

There is no doubt that bringing together three disparate organisations will be an enormous challenge.

Environment Agency Wales is a Welsh government-sponsored body, while also being part of the Environment Agency for England and Wales.

It gets much of its funding and direction from the Welsh government and reports back to it.

However, EAW also benefits from the resources and expertise of being part of a larger organisation.

The worry is that these could be lost, together with a danger that the new body does not take a wide-enough view of environmental issues across the whole British Isles and beyond.

Wales officer Gareth Howells said: "Prospect's aim is to ensure that all members of staff – the most important resource in this new body – are protected. Discussions on protecting terms and conditions, including pensions, will be a key part of a successful merger."