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See all EU institutions and bodiesThe EEA issues press releases on key assessments and institutional developments. They are then disseminated to our subscribers and shared with journalists and the wider public. You can filter our press releases by topic through the search function. See below for our latest press releases:
Most textile waste goes unsorted in Europe
21 May 2024
Starting next year, EU Member States must put separate collection systems in place for textiles . The European Environment Agency’s briefing, published today, shows that most textile waste in Europe currently ends up in mixed waste and that sorting and recycling capacity need to be urgently scaled up to ensure better and more circular use of used textiles.
Climate health risks posed by floods, droughts and water quality call for urgent action
15 May 2024
Climate change is worsening floods, droughts and is reducing water quality, posing an increasing threat to our health, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today . Fast-tracking implementation and better coordination of efforts by governments, water authorities and healthcare providers are urgently needed to prevent and reduce health impacts.
Reducing use and improved monitoring can help tackle antimicrobial pollution from livestock, fish farming
07 May 2024
While the use of antimicrobial drugs in farmed animals and in aquaculture has decreased over the past few years in Europe, the on-going presence of antimicrobial residues in the environment poses risks to ecosystems and human health, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.
Cities are key to a climate-resilient Europe, stronger adaptation targets can boost progress
29 Apr 2024
Most Europeans live in urban areas and cities play a key role in protecting citizens and improving the resilience of European societies against the increasing impacts of climate change. The European Environment Agency’s report, published today, takes stock of urban adaptation in Europe, showcasing what actions cities are taking in response to increasing climate risks, and what is already working.
EU Agencies: more work needed to make chemicals safe and sustainable
17 Apr 2024
The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published today. The benchmarking found that more work is still needed to reduce the impact of harmful substances on human health and the environment.
Now is the time to accelerate the shift to a more circular Europe
21 Mar 2024
Despite legislative steps forward over the past five years, efforts to transform Europe’s largely linear, ‘throw-away’ economy into a circular one will require further bold action and strong implementation of existing measures. Decisive action is essential to drastically reduce waste, prioritise reduction of resource use, improve recycling rates and improve the introduction of products that are designed for circularity from the outset, according to a major European Environment Agency (EEA) state of play assessment on the circular economy, published today.
Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks
11 Mar 2024
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, and climate risks are threatening its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health. According to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) assessment, published today, many of these risks have already reached critical levels and could become catastrophic without urgent and decisive action.
Many returned and unsold textiles end up destroyed in Europe
04 Mar 2024
Textile consumption in Europe causes significant pressures on the environment and climate. Part of these pressures comes from returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed and never used for their intended purpose. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing looks at the issue and estimates the share of returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed in Europe and options to address this challenge.
What does a just transition to sustainability look like and how do we deliver?
28 Feb 2024
What do we mean by a ‘just transition’ to a sustainable future? A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, looks into how a shift to a greener, climate-neutral, circular economy will impact our society and describes how policies must be informed by concepts of justice and fairness if they are to succeed.
Better links between waste management, circular economy and climate change mitigation measures can boost greenhouse gas emission reductions
22 Feb 2024
Recycling, repair, re-use or reducing material consumption through circular business models can provide important additional reductions in greenhouse gas emissions helping to boost Europe’s climate change mitigation efforts, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.
Costs of industrial pollution from largest facilities decline in Europe but remain at 2% of EU GDP
25 Jan 2024
Air pollution from large European industry continues to cause significant damage to the environment, climate and people’s health. However, according to an updated analysis by the European Environment Agency (EEA) , the cost of this pollution has declined by about a third during the past decade. Published today, the analysis shows that just a small fraction of the most polluting facilities — many of them coal power plants — causes half of the total damage.
Meeting EU environment policy targets by 2030 will be challenging
18 Dec 2023
The EU 8 th Environment Action Programme (EAP) builds on the European Green Deal and sets the framework for EU environmental policy until 2030. Published today, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) first monitoring report on the Programme shows that the EU may not meet most of the monitoring targets outlined in the European Commission’s 8 th EAP Monitoring Communication. Stronger implementation by the Member States of existing laws, additional measures, and mainstreaming climate and environment in other policy domains are needed for faster progress.
Warming, acidification, dropping oxygen levels threaten Europe’s seas
30 Nov 2023
Climate change’s triple impact on seas — warming waters, acidification and decreasing oxygen levels — are a major and increasing threat to Europe’s marine ecosystems. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, looks at main threats to Europe’s seas and points to key actions to improve the situation.
Air pollution levels still too high across Europe – remains top environmental health risk
24 Nov 2023
Air pollution in Europe remains well above recommended World Health Organization (WHO) levels, posing a significant threat to our health. According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health assessment published today, 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the EU if the fine particulate matter concentrations had met WHO recommendations. Exposure to air pollution causes or aggravates certain diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes according to new estimates of health impacts.
Nature-based solutions play crucial role in building Europe’s climate resilience
16 Nov 2023
Nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetlands in flood-prone areas or green infrastructure to reduce heat island effects in cities, need to be scaled up and expanded to help Europe better cope with the impacts of climate change. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, assesses the current state of such climate adaptation projects and how they can increase both society resilience and biodiversity.
Winners of EEA’s 2023 Zero Waste PIX photo competition announced
13 Nov 2023
A colourful shot of a woman making tomato paste, a moody picture of seemly discarded rusted anchors and dogs rummaging through a garbage dump highlight this year’s winners of the EEA ‘Zero Waste PIX’ photo competition announced today.
Urgent need to consider how to best use biomass in Europe
08 Nov 2023
There are increasing and competing demands for using biomass in the EU, using it for bio-based products in sectors such as construction, energy, transport, furniture and textile industries, but also reserving it for nature conservation and carbon sequestration. The European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, stresses that there is an urgent need to prioritise the biomass uses due to different roles foreseen for biomass in the European Green Deal and due to potential shortage of biomass supply in the future.
Investing in green industry can help keep sustainability momentum in Europe
07 Nov 2023
Europe has committed to ambitious sustainability targets in the coming decades, including achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This transition requires large investments while public budgets are under increasing pressure from security needs, inflation, ageing population, and other priorities. Published today, a European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis looks at this challenge and identifies investments in clean technology and green industry as key solutions to accelerate investments and progress towards the goals of the European Green Deal.
EU’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped last year, but accelerated efforts still needed to meet ambitious 2030 targets
24 Oct 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions dropped by two percent last year across the European Union, compared to 2021 levels according to estimates in the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) ‘Trends and Projections’ report published today. However, despite gains made in emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency, the report cautions that accelerated action is urgently needed to meet the EU’s ambitious climate and energy targets.
Heatwaves, droughts, other extreme weather events increasingly influencing adaptation policies
24 Oct 2023
Climate risk assessments that take account of threats like heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires are increasingly being used to inform and improve national adaptation policies according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment of national adaptation actions published today.
Pick the Public Choice Award winner of EEA ‘Zero Waste PIX’ photo competition
24 Oct 2023
Vote online to help us pick the winner of this year’s Public Choice Award winner for the 2023 ‘Zero Waste PIX’ photo competition organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Cast your vote by 7 November!
Rapid growth in renewables calls for greater cooperation among Member States to double flexibility in the EU power system
20 Oct 2023
EU Member States need to massively ramp up their renewable power capacity in the coming years. This increase in renewables from variable sources, such as wind and solar, will also increase the need for ‘flexibility’ in the EU electricity system. A joint report released today by two EU agencies, EEA and ACER, demonstrates how Member States could exploit collaboration synergies to unlock flexibility and enhance energy security while contributing to long-term climate neutrality. Key levers include better cross-border planning and forecasting, enhanced use of interconnectors as well as financial incentives and reliable information for electricity consumers to adapt demand when needed.
People first: how do we make Europe’s shift to sustainability inclusive?
03 Oct 2023
What is the role of citizens in Europe’s shift to a sustainable future and how do we make it inclusive? Transitioning into sustainability will be challenging and calls for creativity and the full involvement of all sectors of society, including citizens, to make it a success, according to a European Environment Agency briefing published today.
EU continues phasing out use of chemicals that harm the ozone layer
15 Sept 2023
New data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on the eve of World Ozone Day show that, in 2022, the European Union (EU) continued positive progress towards the EU goal and global commitment to phase out the use of ozone-depleting substances. In 2022, the EU Member States’ production and use of these substances was lower than the amounts that were destroyed and exported.
Public exposure to widely used Bisphenol A exceeds acceptable health safety levels
14 Sept 2023
Population exposure to the synthetic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in everything from plastic and metal food containers to reusable water bottles and drinking water pipes in Europe is well above acceptable health safety levels, according to updated research data. This poses a potential health risk to millions of people, a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today says.